Eimeria species which infect the chicken contain virus-like RNA molecules.

There is increasing support for the presence of viruses and virus-like particles inside protozoan cells. This study describes viral-like RNA molecules that have been detected in two species of Eimeria that infect the chicken. The RNA molecule identified in E. maxima has been characterized: subcellular fractionation studies have shown that the RNA is present in the cytoplasm, probably as an abundant ribonucleoprotein that is insensitive to RNAse A treatment. Electron microscopy has demonstrated that this RNA molecule is double stranded. In addition, all E. maxima strains examined so far contain this RNA molecule.