No abstract available.
Animals ; Cryptosporidiosis ; Transplants

Cryptosporidiosis ; diagnosis ; etiology ; Humans ; Prognosis

Cryptosporidium, a coccidian parasite first described by Tyzzer (1907) from a laboratory mouse, has become an important human enteric pathogen causing overwhelming diarrhea especially in immunocompromised patients such as AIDS. This parasite has been reported from over 20 countries and is recognized as a cosmopolitan species. In Korea, however, there has been no report on human as well as animal cryptosporidiosis. This study was performed so as to verify the presence of Cryptosporidium in Korea by activating the parasite from laboratory mice by immunosuppression. Total 65 conventionally-bred ICR mice including a control (5 mice) and 3 experimental groups (20 each) were used for this study. Group I was immunosuppressed with prednisolone injection (1 mg IM, every other day) for 7 weeks. Group II (prednisolone injection and tetracycline administration) and Group III (prednisolone injection and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole administration) were prepared to observe the effect of antibacterial agents on the activation of cryptosporidiosis. In fecal examinations of mice Cryptosporidium oocysts (4-6 microns in size) were detected from 1 week after the start of immunosuppression and the mice began to die. In H-E stained tissue sections of the lower jejunum, numerous very small (2-4 microns), dense, ovoid or spherical, slightly basophilic bodies were seen attached on the free border of mucosal epithelial cells. In scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations, these organisms were identified as various developmental stages of Cryptosporidium. The species is considered to be C. parvum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Cryptosporidiosis-etiology ; Cryptosporidiosis-immunology ; Cryptosporidium-growth-and-development ; English-Abstract ; Immune-Tolerance ; Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-etiology ; Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-immunology ; Mice- ; Mice,-Inbred-ICR ; *Cryptosporidiosis-parasitology ; *Cryptosporidium-pathogenicity ; *Immunosuppression- ; *Intestinal-Diseases,-Parasitic-parasitology

Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite, can cause cryptosporidiosis which is a gastrointestinal disease that can infect humans and livestock. Cattle are the most common livestock that can be infected with this protozoan. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in cattle in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia and to find out the association between the occurrence of infection and 3 different ages of cattle (calves less than 1 year, yearling, and adult cattle). The samples were processed by using formol-ether concentration technique and stained by modified Ziehl Neelsen. The results showed that 15.9% (24/151) of cattle were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium in calves less than 1 year was the highest with the percentage of 20.0% (11/55) followed by yearling and adult cattle, with the percentage occurrence of 15.6 % (7/45) and 11.8% (6/51), respectively. There was no significant association between the occurrence and age of cattle and presence of diarrhea. Good management practices and proper hygiene management must be taken in order to reduce the infection. It is highly important to control the infection since infected cattle may serve as potential reservoirs of the infection to other animals and humans, especially animal handlers.
Adult ; Animals ; Cattle* ; Cryptosporidiosis ; Cryptosporidium* ; Diarrhea ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Livestock ; Malaysia* ; Oocysts ; Parasites ; Prevalence

Child ; Cryptosporidiosis ; complications ; Cryptosporidium parvum ; Cyclospora ; Cyclosporiasis ; complications ; Diarrhea ; complications ; Humans ; Hypoproteinemia ; complications ; Male

There are approximately 20 known species of the genus Cryptosporidium, and among these, 8 infect immunocompetent or immunocompromised humans. C. hominis and C. parvum most commonly infect humans. Differentiating between them is important for evaluating potential sources of infection. We report here the development of a simple and accurate real-time PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method to distinguish between C. parvum and C. hominis. Using the CP2 gene as the target, we found that both Cryptosporidium species yielded 224 bp products. In the subsequent RFLP method using TaqI, 2 bands (99 and 125 bp) specific to C. hominis were detected. Using this method, we detected C. hominis infection in 1 of 21 patients with diarrhea, suggesting that this method could facilitate the detection of C. hominis infections.
Child ; Cryptosporidiosis/*diagnosis/*parasitology ; Cryptosporidium/*classification/*genetics ; Female ; Genotype ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Cryptosporidiosis ; drug therapy ; Cryptosporidium ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Parasitic Sensitivity Tests ; Phytotherapy ; Salicylates ; chemistry ; therapeutic use

Cryptosporidium is a common intestinal protozoan that can lead to diarrhea in humans and dogs. The predominant species of infection are C. hominis and C. parvum in humans, and C. canis in dogs. However, C. canis can infect immunocompromised humans. Considering the close contact with humans, dogs have the potential to be reservoirs for human cryptosporidiosis. Breeding kennels are the major supply source of puppies for pet shops. The present study is to determine the molecular prevalence and characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. found in breeding kennel dogs. A total of 314 fecal samples were collected from young and adult dogs kept in 5 breeding kennels. A polymerase chain reaction targeting the small subunit rRNA gene was employed for the detection of Cryptosporidium spp. To determine the species, the DNA sequences were compared to GenBank data. Overall, 21.0% of the fecal samples were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. infection. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected in all 5 facilities. A sequencing analysis demonstrated that all isolates shared 99–100% similarity with C. canis. The results suggest that Cryptosporidium spp. infection is present at a high-level in breeding kennel dogs. However, because dominant species in this survey was C. canis, the importance of breeding kennel dogs as reservoirs for Cryptosporidium spp. transmission to humans is likely to be low in Japan.
Adult ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Breeding ; Cryptosporidiosis ; Cryptosporidium ; Databases, Nucleic Acid ; Diarrhea ; Dogs ; Genes, rRNA ; Humans ; Japan ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Prevalence

OBJECTIVEPigs, as hosts of zoonotic Cryptosporidium species/genotypes, are domestic animals with public health significance. The present study was to characterize the infection rate and species/genotype of Cryptosporidium in pre-weaned and post-weaned pigs from Shanghai and Shaoxing, China.

METHODSA total of 208 fecal samples (42 from pre-weaned piglets, and 166 from post-weaned pigs) were examined by nested PCR of the 18S rRNA gene and analyzed by phylogenetic DNA fragment sequencing of secondary PCR products.

RESULTSInfection was detected in 79 samples (19/42 pre-weaned piglets, and 60/166 post-weaned pigs). C. suis (14/79) and Cryptosporidium pig genotype II (65/79) were identified; piglets were more susceptible to the former (13/14) and post-weaned pigs to the latter (59/65).

CONCLUSIONInfection of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs was age-specific; piglets were more susceptible to C. suis while pigs were more susceptible to Cryptosporidium pig genotype II. These findings combined with the isolation of the two Cryptosporidium from water suggest that pigs may be a source of zoonotic Cryptosporidium water pollution. Improvements in pig feeding practices, sewage discharge, feces disposal and field worker protection are therefore important to prevent potential public health problems.

Aging ; Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Cryptosporidiosis ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; veterinary ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Swine ; Swine Diseases ; epidemiology ; parasitology ; Weaning

OBJECTIVETo establish genetic method in detecting Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia lamblia which often coinfected with AIDS patients.

METHODSCryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts were isolated and purified from fecal samples of the individuals infected with C. parvum and G. lamblia, respectively. Genomic DNAs were extracted. Two pairs of specific primers were designed or synthesized according to the 18S rRNA gene from C. parvum or the triose phosphate isomerase (tim ) gene from G. lamblia. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) technique was used to amplify the DNA samples from the oocysts and the cysts, and those from the 6 control samples, including Schitosoma japonicum, Toxoplasma gondii , Entamoeba histolytica, Trichinella spiralis, Trichomonas vaginalis and human blood cells. DNA samples from 30 fecal samples of AIDS patients were detected with the same method.

RESULTSOne fragment of 500 bp was amplified with the primer of C. parvum, and the other one of 683 bp was amplified with the primer of G. lamblia. Twenty pg and 0.4 pg DNA of C. parvum and G. lamblia could be detected separately. The specificity of these two pairs of PCR primers was confirmed by the failure in the amplification of the control DNA samples. Out of 30 cases of AIDS patients, 7 showed C. parvum positive, while non Giardia was detected.

CONCLUSIONGenetic detection method for C. parvum and G. lamblia detection was established which was more sensitive and specific.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; microbiology ; Cryptosporidiosis ; diagnosis ; Cryptosporidium parvum ; genetics ; DNA, Bacterial ; Giardia lamblia ; genetics ; Giardiasis ; diagnosis ; Humans ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity