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Dayao DA, Jaskiewcz J, Lee S, Oliveira BC, Sheoran A, Widmer G, Tzipori S. Development of Two Mouse Models for Vaccine Evaluation against Cryptosporidiosis. Infect Immun 2022; 90:e0012722. [PMID: 35735982 PMCID: PMC9302090 DOI: 10.1128/iai.00127-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis was shown a decade ago to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality of diarrheal disease in children in low-income countries. A serious obstacle to develop and evaluate immunogens and vaccines to control this disease is the lack of well-characterized immunocompetent rodent models. Here, we optimized and compared two mouse models for the evaluation of vaccines: the Cryptosporidium tyzzeri model, which is convenient for screening large numbers of potential mixtures of immunogens, and the Cryptosporidium parvum-infected mouse pretreated with interferon gamma-neutralizing monoclonal antibody.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Ann Dayao
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Justyna Jaskiewcz
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
- Center for Engineering in Medicine, Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and Shriners Hospitals for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sangun Lee
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bruno Cesar Oliveira
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
- União das Faculdades dos Grandes Lagos, São José do Rio Preto, Brazil
| | - Abhineet Sheoran
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Giovanni Widmer
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health; Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, Massachusetts, USA
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Wang L, Cao L, Zheng S, Chang Y, Zhang K, Zhang S, Zhang L. Molecular identification and biological characterization of Cryptosporidium muris from camels (Camelus bactrianus) in China. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:365. [PMID: 34266490 PMCID: PMC8281508 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04862-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryptosporidium is an opportunistic pathogen that infects a wide variety of vertebrates. The aim of the present study was to characterize Cryptosporidium spp. isolates from Bactrian camels and to foster further understanding of the biological characteristics of the pathogen. METHODS Fecal specimens were collected from two 4-year-old Bactrian camels resident at the Kaifeng City Zoo in China and examined for Cryptosporidium. Fecal specimens were screened using the floatation method, and then genomic DNA was extracted from the oocysts and identified by nested-PCR amplification of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene, the actin gene and the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall-protein (COWP) gene. Subtype analysis was performed based on four minisatellite (MS) loci (MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16) that were aligned and phylogenetically analyzed to determine the species and subtype of Cryptosporidium. We then established a BALB/c mice infection model and further verified the results through clinical status, pattern of oocyst excretion and histological examination. RESULTS Cryptosporidium oocyst isolates from the two Bactrian camels had an average (± standard deviation) size of 7.49 ± 0.13 × 5.70 ± 0.10 μm (n = 50). The sequencing and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the species as C. muris. Multilocus sequence typing analysis indicated that the subtypes were M13, M4, M1 and M5. Following the inoculation of BALB/c mice, we found that the prepatent period and number of oocysts per gram increased with increasing infective dose. Oocysts were first detected in the feces of BALB/c mice at 7-8 days post-infection (dpi), with levels peaking twice thereafter, at 15-16 dpi and 19-20 dpi. Histology and scanning electron microscopy studies showed that the stomach contained gastric pits filled with Cryptosporidium that adhered to the surface of gastric mucosa gland epithelial cells, causing the latter to deform, swell and become disordered. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study indicated that oocysts isolated from Bactrian camels were from C. muris. This is the first report of C. muris isolated from camels in China. More epidemiological data are needed to understand the prevalence and transmission of C. muris in camels in different geographic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Letian Cao
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuangjian Zheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yankai Chang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaihui Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China
| | - Sumei Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China. .,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Longxian Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China. .,International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.
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Valigurova A, Peckova R, Dolezal K, Sak B, Kvetonova D, Kvac M, Nurcahyo W, Foitova I. Limitations in the screening of potentially anti-cryptosporidial agents using laboratory rodents with gastric cryptosporidiosis. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2018; 65. [PMID: 30152784 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2018.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of cryptosporidiosis, a zoonotic disease of the gastrointestinal and respiratory tract caused by Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1907, triggered numerous screening studies of various compounds for potential anti-cryptosporidial activity, the majority of which proved ineffective. Extracts of Indonesian plants, Piper betle and Diospyros sumatrana, were tested for potential anti-cryptosporidial activity using Mastomys coucha (Smith), experimentally inoculated with Cryptosporidium proliferans Kváč, Havrdová, Hlásková, Daňková, Kanděra, Ježková, Vítovec, Sak, Ortega, Xiao, Modrý, Chelladurai, Prantlová et McEvoy, 2016. None of the plant extracts tested showed significant activity against cryptosporidia; however, the results indicate that the following issues should be addressed in similar experimental studies. The monitoring of oocyst shedding during the entire experimental trial, supplemented with histological examination of affected gastric tissue at the time of treatment termination, revealed that similar studies are generally unreliable if evaluations of drug efficacy are based exclusively on oocyst shedding. Moreover, the reduction of oocyst shedding did not guarantee the eradication of cryptosporidia in treated individuals. For treatment trials performed on experimentally inoculated laboratory rodents, only animals in the advanced phase of cryptosporidiosis should be used for the correct interpretation of pathological alterations observed in affected tissue. All the solvents used (methanol, methanol-tetrahydrofuran and dimethylsulfoxid) were shown to be suitable for these studies, i.e. they did not exhibit negative effects on the subjects. The halofuginone lactate, routinely administered in intestinal cryptosporidiosis in calves, was shown to be ineffective against gastric cryptosporidiosis in mice caused by C. proliferans. In contrast, the control application of extract Arabidopsis thaliana, from which we had expected a neutral effect, turned out to have some positive impact on affected gastric tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Valigurova
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radka Peckova
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Dolezal
- Department of Chemical Biology and Genetics & Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Centre of the Region Hana for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research, Faculty of Science, Palacky University, and Institute of Experimental Botany, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, Olomouc-Holice, Czech Republic
| | - Bohumil Sak
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dana Kvetonova
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kvac
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Department of Animal Husbandry Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Wisnu Nurcahyo
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ivona Foitova
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia
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Melicherová J, Hofmannová L, Valigurová A. Response of cell lines to actual and simulated inoculation with Cryptosporidium proliferans. Eur J Protistol 2017; 62:101-121. [PMID: 29316479 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejop.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The need for an effective treatment against cryptosporidiosis has triggered studies in the search for a working in vitro model. The peculiar niche of cryptosporidia at the brush border of host epithelial cells has been the subject of extensive debates. Despite extensive research on the invasion process, it remains enigmatic whether cryptosporidian host-parasite interactions result from an active invasion process or through encapsulation. We used HCT-8 and HT-29 cell lines for in vitro cultivation of the gastric parasite Cryptosporidium proliferans strain TS03. Using electron and confocal laser scanning microscopy, observations were carried out 24, 48 and 72 h after inoculation with a mixture of C. proliferans oocysts and sporozoites. Free sporozoites and putative merozoites were observed apparently searching for an appropriate infection site. Advanced stages, corresponding to trophozoites and meronts/gamonts enveloped by parasitophorous sac, and emptied sacs were detected. As our observations showed that even unexcysted oocysts became enveloped by cultured cell projections, using polystyrene microspheres, we evaluated the response of cell lines to simulated inoculation with cryptosporidian oocysts to verify innate and parasite-induced behaviour. We found that cultured cell encapsulation of oocysts is induced by parasite antigens, independent of any active invasion/motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janka Melicherová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lada Hofmannová
- Department of Pathological Morphology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Andrea Valigurová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic.
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Kváč M, Havrdová N, Hlásková L, Daňková T, Kanděra J, Ježková J, Vítovec J, Sak B, Ortega Y, Xiao L, Modrý D, Chelladurai JRJJ, Prantlová V, McEvoy J. Cryptosporidium proliferans n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae): Molecular and Biological Evidence of Cryptic Species within Gastric Cryptosporidium of Mammals. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0147090. [PMID: 26771460 PMCID: PMC4714919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0147090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological, biological, and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium muris strain TS03 are described, and the species name Cryptosporidium proliferans n. sp. is proposed. Cryptosporidium proliferans obtained from a naturally infected East African mole rat (Tachyoryctes splendens) in Kenya was propagated under laboratory conditions in rodents (SCID mice and southern multimammate mice, Mastomys coucha) and used in experiments to examine oocyst morphology and transmission. DNA from the propagated C. proliferans isolate, and C. proliferans DNA isolated from the feces of an African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) in Central African Republic, a donkey (Equus africanus) in Algeria, and a domestic horse (Equus caballus) in the Czech Republic were used for phylogenetic analyses. Oocysts of C. proliferans are morphologically distinguishable from C. parvum and C. muris HZ206, measuring 6.8–8.8 (mean = 7.7 μm) × 4.8–6.2 μm (mean = 5.3) with a length to width ratio of 1.48 (n = 100). Experimental studies using an isolate originated from T. splendens have shown that the course of C. proliferans infection in rodent hosts differs from that of C. muris and C. andersoni. The prepatent period of 18–21 days post infection (DPI) for C. proliferans in southern multimammate mice (Mastomys coucha) was similar to that of C. andersoni and longer than the 6–8 DPI prepatent period for C. muris RN66 and HZ206 in the same host. Histopatologicaly, stomach glands of southern multimammate mice infected with C. proliferans were markedly dilated and filled with necrotic material, mucus, and numerous Cryptosporidium developmental stages. Epithelial cells of infected glands were atrophic, exhibited cuboidal or squamous metaplasia, and significantly proliferated into the lumen of the stomach, forming papillary structures. The epithelial height and stomach weight were six-fold greater than in non-infected controls. Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit rRNA, Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein, thrombospondin-related adhesive protein of Cryptosporidium-1, heat shock protein 70, actin, heat shock protein 90 (MS2), MS1, MS3, and M16 gene sequences revealed that C. proliferans is genetically distinct from C. muris and other previously described Cryptosporidium species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kváč
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
| | - Nikola Havrdová
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Hlásková
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Daňková
- Grammar School and High School of Economics, Vimperk, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Kanděra
- Grammar School and High School of Economics, Vimperk, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Ježková
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Vítovec
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Bohumil Sak
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Ynes Ortega
- Center for Food Safety, Department of Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Lihua Xiao
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - David Modrý
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
- CEITEC VFU, Brno, Czech Republic
| | | | - Veronika Prantlová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - John McEvoy
- Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, United States of America
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Abstract
Today’s laboratory mouse, Mus musculus, has its origins as the ‘house mouse’ of North America and Europe. Beginning with mice bred by mouse fanciers, laboratory stocks (outbred) derived from M. musculus musculus from eastern Europe and M. m. domesticus from western Europe were developed into inbred strains. Since the mid-1980s, additional strains have been developed from Asian mice (M. m. castaneus from Thailand and M. m. molossinus from Japan) and from M. spretus which originated from the western Mediterranean region.
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Chappell CL, Okhuysen PC, Langer-Curry RC, Lupo PJ, Widmer G, Tzipori S. Cryptosporidium muris: infectivity and illness in healthy adult volunteers. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2014; 92:50-5. [PMID: 25311695 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Although Cryptosporidium parvum and C. hominis cause the majority of human cryptosporidiosis cases, other Cryptosporidium species are also capable of infecting humans, particularly when individuals are immunocompromised. Ten C. muris cases have been reported, primarily in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) -positive patients with diarrhea. However, asymptomatic cases were reported in two HIV-negative children, and in another case, age and immune status were not described. This study examines the infectivity of C. muris in six healthy adults. Volunteers were challenged with 10(5) C. muris oocysts and monitored for 6 weeks for infection and/or illness. All six patients became infected. Two patients experienced a self-limited diarrheal illness. Total oocysts shed during the study ranged from 6.7 × 10(6) to 4.1 × 10(8), and the number was slightly higher in volunteers with diarrhea (2.8 × 10(8)) than asymptomatic shedders (4.4 × 10(7)). C. muris-infected subjects shed oocysts longer than occurred with other species studied in healthy volunteers. Three volunteers shed oocysts for 7 months. Physical examinations were normal, with no reported recurrence of diarrhea or other gastrointestinal complaints. Two persistent shedders were treated with nitazoxanide, and the infection was resolved. Thus, healthy adults are susceptible to C. muris, which can cause mild diarrhea and result in persistent, asymptomatic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Chappell
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Pablo C Okhuysen
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca C Langer-Curry
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Philip J Lupo
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Giovanni Widmer
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
| | - Saul Tzipori
- Center for Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Division of Infectious Diseases, Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas; Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health, Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, North Grafton, Massachusetts
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Life cycle ofCryptosporidium murisin two rodents with different responses to parasitization. Parasitology 2013; 141:287-303. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182013001637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYThis study focuses on mapping the life cycle ofCryptosporidium murisin two laboratory rodents; BALB/c mice and the southern multimammate ratMastomys coucha, differing in their prepatent and patent periods. Both rodents were simultaneously experimentally inoculated with viable oocysts ofC. muris(strain TS03). Animals were dissected and screened for the presence of the parasite using a combined morphological approach and nested PCR (SSU rRNA) at different times after inoculation. The occurrence of first developmental stages ofC. murisin stomach was detected at 2·5 days post-infection (dpi). The presence of Type II merogony, appearing 36 h later than Type I merogony, was confirmed in both rodents. Oocysts exhibiting different size and thickness of their wall were observed from 5 dpi onwards in stomachs of both host models. The early phase of parasitization in BALB/c mice progressed rapidly, with a prepatent period of 7·5–10 days; whereas inM. coucha, the developmental stages ofC. muriswere first observed 12 h later in comparison with BALB/c mice and prepatent period was longer (18–21 days). Similarly, the patent periods of BALB/c mice andM. couchadiffered considerably, i.e. 10–15 daysvschronic infection throughout the life of the host, respectively.
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Kvác M, Sak B, Kvetonová D, Ditrich O, Hofmannová L, Modrý D, Vítovec J, Xiao L. Infectivity, pathogenicity, and genetic characteristics of mammalian gastric Cryptosporidium spp. in domestic ruminants. Vet Parasitol 2008; 153:363-7. [PMID: 18343038 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.01.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2007] [Revised: 01/15/2008] [Accepted: 01/23/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Farm ruminants were infected experimentally with four mammalian gastric Cryptosporidium, namely Cryptosporidium andersoni LI03 originated from cattle and three isolates of Cryptosporidium muris from brown rat (isolate RN66), Bactrian camel (isolate CB03) and firstly characterized isolate from East African mole rat (isolate TS03). Sequence characterizations of the small-subunit rRNA gene showed that the LI03 isolate was C. andersoni and the other three isolates belonged to C. muris, although the TS03 isolate showed unique sequence variations (one single nucleotide change and four nucleotide insertions). C. andersoni LI03 was infectious for calves only, whereas lambs and kids were susceptible to C. muris CB03. C. muris TS03 and RN66 were not infectious for any farm ruminants. Infection dynamics including prepatent and patent period and infection intensity of the isolates used differed depending on the host species, but no clinical signs of cryptosporidiosis were observed in any of experimentally infected hosts. Cryptosporidium developmental stages were only detected in infected animals in the abomasum region. Histopathological changes were characterized by dilatation and epithelial metaplasia of infected gastric glands with no significant inflammatory responses in the lamina propria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kvác
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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Certad G, Ngouanesavanh T, Guyot K, Gantois N, Chassat T, Mouray A, Fleurisse L, Pinon A, Cailliez JC, Dei-Cas E, Creusy C. Cryptosporidium parvum, a potential cause of colic adenocarcinoma. Infect Agent Cancer 2007; 2:22. [PMID: 18031572 PMCID: PMC2217515 DOI: 10.1186/1750-9378-2-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2007] [Accepted: 11/21/2007] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cryptosporidiosis represents a major public health problem. This infection has been reported worldwide as a frequent cause of diarrhoea. Particularly, it remains a clinically significant opportunistic infection among immunocompromised patients, causing potentially life-threatening diarrhoea in HIV-infected persons. However, the understanding about different aspects of this infection such as invasion, transmission and pathogenesis is problematic. Additionally, it has been difficult to find suitable animal models for propagation of this parasite. Efforts are needed to develop reproducible animal models allowing both the routine passage of different species and approaching unclear aspects of Cryptosporidium infection, especially in the pathophysiology field. Results We developed a model using adult severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice inoculated with Cryptosporidium parvum or Cryptosporidium muris while treated or not with Dexamethasone (Dex) in order to investigate divergences in prepatent period, oocyst shedding or clinical and histopathological manifestations. C. muris-infected mice showed high levels of oocysts excretion, whatever the chemical immunosuppression status. Pre-patent periods were 11 days and 9.7 days in average in Dex treated and untreated mice, respectively. Parasite infection was restricted to the stomach, and had a clear preferential colonization for fundic area in both groups. Among C. parvum-infected mice, Dex-treated SCID mice became chronic shedders with a prepatent period of 6.2 days in average. C. parvum-inoculated mice treated with Dex developed glandular cystic polyps with areas of intraepithelial neoplasia, and also with the presence of intramucosal adenocarcinoma. Conclusion For the first time C. parvum is associated with the formation of polyps and adenocarcinoma lesions in the gut of Dex-treated SCID mice. Additionally, we have developed a model to compare chronic muris and parvum cryptosporidiosis using SCID mice treated with corticoids. This reproducible model has facilitated the evaluation of clinical signs, oocyst shedding, location of the infection, pathogenicity, and histopathological changes in the gastrointestinal tract, indicating divergent effects of Dex according to Cryptosporidium species causing infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Certad
- Ecologie du Parasitisme (EA3609 Université de Lille 2), IFR 142, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.,Cátedra de Parasitología, Escuela de Medicina "José María Vargas", Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Tramy Ngouanesavanh
- Ecologie du Parasitisme (EA3609 Université de Lille 2), IFR 142, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Karine Guyot
- Ecologie du Parasitisme (EA3609 Université de Lille 2), IFR 142, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Nausicaa Gantois
- Ecologie du Parasitisme (EA3609 Université de Lille 2), IFR 142, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Thierry Chassat
- Plateau d'Expérimentation Animale, Institut Pasteur de Lille, France
| | - Anthony Mouray
- Plateau d'Expérimentation Animale, Institut Pasteur de Lille, France
| | - Laurence Fleurisse
- Service d'Anatomie et de Cytologie Pathologiques, Groupe Hospitalier de l'Université Catholique de Lille, France
| | - Anthony Pinon
- Unité de Sécurité Microbiologique, Institut Pasteur de Lille, France
| | | | - Eduardo Dei-Cas
- Ecologie du Parasitisme (EA3609 Université de Lille 2), IFR 142, Institut Pasteur de Lille, Lille, France.,Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Régional et Universitaire de Lille, Université de Lille 2, France
| | - Colette Creusy
- Service d'Anatomie et de Cytologie Pathologiques, Groupe Hospitalier de l'Université Catholique de Lille, France
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Widmer G, Klein P, Bonilla R. Adaptation of Cryptosporidium oocysts to different excystation conditions. Parasitology 2007; 134:1583-8. [PMID: 17506930 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182007002922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Within the genus Cryptosporidium 2 lineages have evolved, one adapted to the acid environment of the stomach and abomasum, the other comprising parasites that multiply in the small intestine. We tested whether the release of sporozoites from oocysts, a process known as excystation, is triggered by conditions which mimic the site of infection. Specifically, we exposed oocysts from gastric and intestinal Cryptosporidium species to acid conditions or to a neutral solution of taurocholic acid, at 37 degrees C. We found that oocysts from the gastric species C. muris and C. andersoni excysted in both conditions, whereas the intestinal species C. parvum and C. hominis did not respond to acid. When the effect of temperature alone was tested on C. muris and C. parvum, only oocysts from the former species excysted in significant numbers. Oocysts from intestinal species did not respond to temperature alone, nor to acidity. These observations are consistent with the need of gastric species to rapidly excyst and release the sporozoites upon ingestion, and indicate that Cryptosporidium oocysts have evolved to maximize delivery of sporozoites to the region of the gastro-intestinal tract where the parasite multiplies.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Widmer
- Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USA.
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12
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Miller TA, Schaefer FW. Characterization of a Cryptosporidium muris infection and reinfection in CF-1 mice. Vet Parasitol 2007; 144:208-21. [PMID: 17197093 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2005] [Revised: 10/14/2006] [Accepted: 10/18/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
To establish control values for circulating cells and immune associated organs over the course of a self-limiting Cryptosporidium muris infection and rechallenge infection, mice were sacrificed at intervals starting before oral inoculation and ending after oocyst shedding had ceased. These values were used in other experiments to evaluate changes in these parameters induced by a single dose glucocorticoid immunosuppression model and in other immunosuppression studies. Flow cytometry counts of circulating T-lymphocytes and neutrophils, differential leukocyte counts, leukocyte morphology, spleen and thymus changes, and oocyst shedding were evaluated. Immediately after C. muris oocyst inoculation and up to the start of oocyst production (day 0 to day 7), the circulating blood profile showed a 50% drop in all leukocytes, including both large and small lymphocytes and CD3, CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocytes. There was an initial slight rise in circulating mature neutrophils after oocyst inoculation but numbers promptly dropped below normal and remaineded below normal. In the differential cell counts, monocytes with a fat, oval morphology increased by 60% at 24 h and remained high through oocyst shedding and beyond (day 8 through day 36). During oocyst shedding and continuing past the end of shedding, T-lymphocytes increased 100%. Monocytes with a flat, angular morphology increased in a similar manner. Immediately after oocyst inoculation the spleen contracted by 29%, but became 92% larger than its pre-inoculation size by day 14 when heavy oocyst shedding began. It remained enlarged through the end of oocyst shedding (day 29) and beyond (day 36). Spleen volume decreased and increased similar to changes in T-cell numbers. Throughout the C. muris infection the thymus remained largely unchanged. The transit of an oocyst bolus was followed from the stomach through the gut to the colon. No oocysts could be found in the stomach, caecum or feces of mice one half hour after oocyst inoculation. Likewise, an oral bolus of India ink passed from the stomach entirely into the colon after 3 h; therefore, no oocysts from the inoculum passed completely through the intestine and out into the feces. Recovered mice rechallenged with C. muris showed increased B-lymphocyte numbers; however, T-lymphocyte numbers remained level. The large lymphocytes increased after rechallenge, peaking on day 3, then decreased through day 10. B-cell numbers followed a pattern similar to the large lymphocytes. On day 10 of infection monocytes with a fat oval morphology rose sharply while B-cells fell in number. In both the initial infection and the rechallenge there was no unique blood profile which could definitely indicate a protozoal disease or identify a specific point during the course of the disease. There was no increase in the number of either small or large lymphocytes prior to increases in fat or flat monocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Miller
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268, United States
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13
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Abstract
In the present study we investigated whether the pathological changes induced by Cryptosporidium in the lungs are mediated through the activation of COX-2, and whether the pathway employed for this activation involves NF-kB. 70 albino rats were submitted for this work. They were categorized into 3 groups: 30 immunocompetent (IC) rats infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts, 30 immunosuppressed (IS) rats infected with Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 10 IC, non-infected rats. Immunohistochemical expression of COX2 and NF-kB in lung tissues of the rats was examined. 43.3% of IC rats showed chronic pneumonia and fibrosis, 40% COX2 positivity, and 36.67% NF-kB positivity. 96.7% of IS rats showed chronic pneumonia and fibrosis, 56.7% non-caseating granuloma with Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 66.7% positivity for both COX2 and NF-kB. Density of inflammatory infiltration was statistically correlated with quickscore of both COX2 and NF-kB in both IC and IS groups. An association between quickscores of COX2 and NF-kB was found in our studied material. These data could demonstrate that Cryptosporidium infection induces upregulation of COX2 possibly through the NF-kB pathway, which suggests the events that contribute to the pathogenesis of Cryptosporidium. These findings could indicate potential therapeutic pharmacological target-mediating treatment of lesions caused by Cryptosporidium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Y Asaad
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Menoufiya University, Shebin El-kom, Egypt.
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Kvác M, Ondrácková Z, Kvetonová D, Sak B, Vítovec J. Infectivity and pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium andersoni to a novel host, southern multimammate mouse (Mastomys coucha). Vet Parasitol 2006; 143:229-33. [PMID: 16997473 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2006.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2006] [Revised: 08/18/2006] [Accepted: 08/24/2006] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The infectivity and pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium andersoni (bovine isolate) for neonatal and adult southern multimammate mice (Mastomys coucha) was studied using transmission experiments. C. andersoni isolate used in this study was not infective for BALB/c mice, but experimental infection proved susceptibility of neonatal and adult M. coucha to the infection. The prepatent period was 20-24 days, the patent period varied between 46 and 59 days. No signs of clinical illness or macroscopic findings were detected in infected animals. Cryptosporidium developmental stages were detected only in the glandular part of the stomach of M. coucha in histological sections stained with Wolbach's modification of Giemsa and using immunofluorecence. Histopathological changes were characterized by dilatation and epithelial metaplasia of infected gastric glands without inflammatory response in the lamina propria. Neonatal M. coucha were more susceptible to C. andersoni infection than adults. M. coucha seems to be a useful laboratory model for study of C. andersoni infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kvác
- Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Institute of Parasitology, Department of Medical and Veterinary Parasitology, Branisovská 31, 370 05 Ceské Budejovice, Czech Republic.
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Matsubayashi M, Kimata I, Iseki M, Hajiri T, Tani H, Sasai K, Baba E. Infectivity of a novel type of Cryptosporidium andersoni to laboratory mice. Vet Parasitol 2005; 129:165-8. [PMID: 15817217 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2005.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we reported 'a novel type' of Cryptosporidium andersoni detected from cattle in Japan, and showed that the isolate was infective to mice. In the present study, we examined the patterns of oocyst shedding in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent mice, as well as pathological lesions in the infected mice. After oral inoculation with 1 x 10(6) oocysts, all five severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice began to shed endogenously produced oocysts on day 6 post-inoculation (p.i.). The number of oocysts per day (OPD) reached 1 x 10(6) on day 17 p.i., and an OPD level of 1 x 10(6) to 10(7) was maintained until 91 days p.i. when the mice were sacrificed. In the five immunocompetent mice inoculated with 1 x 10(6) oocysts, the pre-patent and patent periods were 6 and 19 days, respectively, and the maximal OPD level was 1.5 x 10(5) on average. On histological examinations of infected SCID mice, a large number of parasites were present on the surface of the gastric glands of the stomach, but not in other organs examined. In conclusion, the novel type of C. andersoni, which genetically coincides with C. andersoni reported in other countries, is infective to mice, but susceptibility was lower than that of Cryptosporidium muris infecting rodents from the perspective of infectivity to immunocompetent mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Matsubayashi
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Osaka Joshi-Gakuen Junior College, Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0073, Japan
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Kvác M, Vítovec J. Prevalence and pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium andersoni in one herd of beef cattle. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2004; 50:451-7. [PMID: 14633200 DOI: 10.1046/j.0931-1793.2003.00701.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Over a 35-week period from January to July 2002, a breed of Hereford beef cattle (H) and their hybrids were monitored. Five hundred and ninety-nine individual fecal samples from calves and 96 samples from their mothers were examined. First excretion of Cryptosporidium andersoni oocysts in calves was found in the 9th week after the start of calving (a calf 63-day old). The prevalence of C. andersoni in calves ranged from 11.1 to 92.9% depending on age. The mean prevalence in their mothers was found to be 43.8%. The size of oocysts was 8.48 +/- 0.78 x 6.41 +/- 0.59 microm. Infection intensity in calves ranged from 32 000 to 4 375 000 oocysts per gram (OPG) and in mothers from 78 000 to 2 552 000 OPG. Three cases of abomasal cryptosporidiosis slaughtered at the age of 81, 157 and 236 days were examined histologically and ultrastructurally [transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)]. Cryptosporidium infection of the abomasum was located in the upper half of the mucosal glands in the plicae spirales of the fundus, corpus and near the ostium omasoabomasicum. Cryptosporidia were not located in the glandular epithelium of the pars pylorica in the abomasum minimally 10 cm from pylorus. Histopathological changes in the site of cryptosporidial infection in the abomasum had a non-inflammatory character and included distinctive dilatation of infected parts of the glands with atrophy and metaplasia of the glandular epithelial cells, goblet cell activation and mucus hyperproduction. The TEM revealed a relatively small number of Cryptosporidium life cycle stages attached to glandular epithelial cells. In SEM the inner mucosal abomasal surface appeared swollen but was never infected by cryptosporidia.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kvác
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Farm Animals, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in Ceské Budejovice, Studentská 13, Ceské Budejovice 370 05, Czech Republic
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Dubey JP, Markovits JE, Killary KA. Cryptosporidium muris-like infection in stomach of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Vet Pathol 2002; 39:363-71. [PMID: 12014500 DOI: 10.1354/vp.39-3-363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Protozoa were present in routine sections of the gastric fundus of 15 cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) that were being studied in three toxicity studies with novel immunosuppressive agents. Upon detailed light microscopic and ultrastructural evaluation, all stages of parasite development (trophozoites, schizonts, gamonts, and oocysts) were seen and they structurally resembled Cryptosporidium muris, which normally is found in stomachs of rodents. Cryptosporidia were primarily present in the upper one third of fundic glands that were often concurrently colonized by a Helicobacter heilmannii-like organism; however, no clear correlation was found between bacterial burden and the number of protozoa. The primarily mononuclear cellular infiltrate appeared to coincide with the presence of protozoa only in a few animals. Changes in mucous epithelial cells mainly occurred in animals that were part of a 39-week study. Mucous epithelial cells in affected glands contained an increased amount of mucus composed of predominantly acid mucosubstances compared to the normally present neutral mucosubstances. C. muris-like protozoa are newly recognized etiologies for opportunistic infections in the stomach of immunocompromized nonhuman primates. This is the first report of C. muris-like parasite in stomachs of monkeys.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Dubey
- Animal and Natural Resources Institute, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705-2350, USA.
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Sréter T, Egyed Z, Széll Z, Kovács G, Nikolausz M, Márialigeti K, Varga I. Morphologic, host specificity, and genetic characterization of a European Cryptosporidium andersoni isolate. J Parasitol 2000; 86:1244-9. [PMID: 11191899 DOI: 10.1645/0022-3395(2000)086[1244:mhsagc]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was undertaken in order to characterize a Cryptosporidium muris-like parasite isolated from cattle in Hungary and to compare this strain with other Cryptosporidium species. To date, the large-type oocysts isolated from cattle were considered as C. muris described from several mammals. The size, form, and structure of the oocysts of the Hungarian strain were identical with those described by others from cattle. An apparent difference between the morphometric data of C. muris-like parasites isolated from cattle or other mammals was noted, which is similar in magnitude to the differences between Cryptosporidium meleagridis and Cryptosporidium felis or between Cryptosporidium serpentis and Cryptosporidium baileyi. The cross-transmission experiments confirmed the findings of others, as C. muris-like oocysts isolated from cattle fail to infect other mammals. The sequence of the variable region of small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene of the strain was 100% identical with that of the U.S. Cryptosporidium andersoni and C. andersoni-like isolates from cattle. The difference between the SSU rRNA sequence of bovine strains and C. muris is similar in magnitude to the differences between C. meleagridis and Cryptosporidium parvum anthroponotic genotype or between Cryptosporidium wrairi and C. parvum zoonotic genotype. Our findings confirm that the Cryptosporidium species responsible for abomasal cryptosporidiosis and economic losses in the cattle industry should be considered a distinct species, C. andersoni Lindsay, Upton, Owens, Morgan, Mead, and Blagburn, 2000.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Sréter
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Szent István University, Budapest, Hungary
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