Cryptosporidium

Abstract

This review discusses characteristics of the genus Cryptosporidium and addresses the pathogenesis, reservoirs, public health significance and current applications for the detection and typing of this important pathogen. By increasing knowledge in key areas of Cryptosporidium research such as aetiology, epidemiology, transmission and host interactions, the numbers of cases of human cryptosporidiosis should be reduced.

Prevalence ofCryptosporidiumspp. (Eucoccidiorida: Cryptosporiidae) in seven species of farm animals in Tunisia

“…The parasite is recognized as one of the most common causes of diarrhoea in humans and farm animals (Caccio, 2005;de Graaf et al, 1999;Joachim, 2004). Cryptosporidial infection of livestock may have an important economic impact on farmers because of high morbidity and sometimes high mortality rates among animals (Sunnotel et al, 2006). Despite its wide distribution and obvious relevance to animal health, no data are available about the Cryptosporidium prevalence in animals in Tunisia.…”

Potential molecular tools for assessing the public health risk associated with waterborne Cryptosporidium oocysts

“…Molecular techniques and epidemiological investigations of cryptosporidiosis indicate that, out of the 16 species of Cryptosporidium, the vast majority of human cases are caused by Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum, the latter being infectious to both humans and animals (Griffiths, 1998;Sunnotel et al, 2006a;MorganRyan et al, 2002;Paziewska et al, 2007). Such analytical and diagnostic algorithms have been used to identify the infective species in patients with cryptosporidiosis (Cacciò , 2005).…”

Genotypic identification of Cryptosporidium spp. isolated from hiv-infected patients and immunocompetent children of São Paulo, Brazil

“…was first registered in 1976, and Cryptosporidium parvum (previously known as cattle genotype or genotype 2) and Cryptosporidium hominis (previously known as C. parvum -human genotype or genotype 1) have been recorded as the two species most frequent cause of human cryptosporidiosis, either associated with sporadic cases of infections or outbreaks, some of them being very large as the one that occurred in Milwaukee WI, USA, which affected approximately 400,000 persons 12,17 . To date, all the cryptosporidiosis outbreaks occurring worldwide have been caused by C. hominis and C. parvum, with several being associated with consumption of drinking water or exposure to recreational water contaminated with Cryptosporidium oocysts of zoonotic and anthroponotic origins 15,27,30 . Due to the size and frequency of these outbreaks, cryptosporidiosis became a serious public health issue worldwide and prompted reevaluation of the microbiological standards for drinking water by health authorities in developed and developing countries.…”

“…can occur in distinct classes of vertebrates, such as fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals 12,20,27,28 .…”