Encephalitozoon

**Semantic type:** Fungus

**Definition:** A genus of single-celled microsporidian fungi in the family Unikaryonidae. Members of the genus are obligate intracellular parasites and were once thought to be protozoans or protists. Encephalitozoonosis is rare in healthy people, but it is a common cause of severe infections in immunocompromised individuals.

**Synonyms:** - ENCEPHALITOZOON - Septata