▁R . ▁see ber i ▁was ▁unclear ▁( be ing ▁considered ▁either ▁a ▁fung us ▁or ▁a ▁prot ist ), ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁shown ▁to ▁be ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁called ▁the ▁Mes om yc et oz oe a ▁( or ▁" D RI P ▁cla de "), ▁which ▁includes ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁well - known ▁fish ▁path og ens ▁such ▁as ▁D erm oc yst id ium ▁and ▁ ▁S pha er othe c um ▁destru ens . ▁ ▁The ▁Mes om yc et oz oe a ▁are ▁neither ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁fung i ▁nor ▁of ▁animals , ▁but ▁diver ged ▁from ▁them ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁time ▁when ▁they ▁diver ged ▁from ▁each ▁other . ▁▁ ▁Rh inos por id ium ▁is ▁generally ▁class ified ▁as ▁having ▁a ▁single ▁species , ▁although ▁some ▁evidence ▁indicates ▁that ▁different ▁host ▁species ▁may ▁be ▁inf ected ▁by ▁different ▁stra ins . ▁ ▁Ep ide mi ology ▁▁ ▁In fection ▁in ▁humans ▁with ▁this ▁organ ism ▁has ▁been ▁reported ▁from ▁about ▁ 7 0 ▁countries , ▁with ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁cases ▁( 9 5 %) ▁reported ▁from ▁India ▁and ▁Sri ▁L anka ; ▁per ▁cap ita , ▁Sri ▁L anka ▁has ▁the ▁highest ▁inc idence ▁in ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁The ▁disease ▁is ▁also ▁found ▁in ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁An ▁all - Ind ia ▁survey ▁conducted ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 7 ▁found ▁that ▁this ▁disease ▁was ▁absent ▁from ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁J um mu ▁and ▁K ash mir , ▁Him ach