Eimeria merozoites

Eimeria infects epithelial cells. After schizogony about 10-20 merozoites per cell are formed. These break out and infect other epithelial cells, initiating a new round of schizogony.

This photo is a section through the bile duct of a rabbit infected with E. stiedae. The lumen is to the top and is lined by a layer of columnar epithelial cells which have their nuclei at the base. In the tip of most of these epithelial cells is a cluster of banana-shaped merozoites (arrow) just prior to release.