The Enterocytozoonidae family of microsporidia is home to two economically important pathogens: Enterocytozoon
bieneusi, which is one of the most common causes of AIDS-associated diarrhoea; and Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei, a
Tiger and Whiteleg shrimp pathogen initially found in Thailand but now reported to have spread to China, Indonesia,
Malaysia, Vietnam and India. This pathogen has emerged very rapidly and is set to cause multimillion-dollar losses to
shrimp production. Infections are now at a critical level with some farms finding E. hepatopenaei in 100% of shrimp
ponds. Both humans and shrimps may be acquiring these infections from environmental reservoirs of, as yet, unidentified
intermediate hosts, which means that transmission routes for these pathogens are poorly understood. This studentship
aims to resolve two questions in Enterocytozoonidae transmission biology, which will inform strategies aimed at limiting
spread of these pathogens