| Cryptosporidiosis is an illness caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium. It causes watery diarrhea and other gastrointestinal (gut) symptoms. In addition to stomach infection, this parasite can infect the respiratory system causing a cough and/or problems breathing.
The family Cryptosporididae belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa characterized by an anterior (or apical) polar complex (with apical rings, micronemes, and subpellicular microtubules), which allows penetration into host cells. Cryptosporidium species are able to infect a broad range of hosts including humans, domestic and wild animals (mammals, birds, fish, marsupials, reptiles, and amphibians) worldwide. |
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Transmission and Life Cycle Humans and animals become infected with Cryptosporidium by touching anything that has come in contact with contaminated feces, although the most common mode of transmission is represented by ingestion of oocysts in contaminated food and water or air Cryptosporidium has three developmental stages: meronts, gamonts, and oocysts. They reproduce within the intestinal epithelial cells. Two types of oocysts, thick-walled and thin-walled, are produced during sexual reproduction. Thick-walled oocysts are excreted from the host into the environment, whereas thin-walled oocysts are involved in the internal autoinfective cycle and are not recovered from stools. Oocysts are infectious upon excretion, thus enabling direct and immediate fecal-oral transmission. |
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Diagnosis Cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease that is spread through contact with the stool of an infected person or animal. The disease is diagnosed by examining stool samples. Oocyst excretion is intermittent, and multiple stool samples may be needed. 1. Microscopic examination of stool: Most often, stool specimens are examined microscopically using different techniques, such as acid-fast staining, Ziehl-Nielsen staining. 2. Laboratory diagnostic: A. Real-time PCR: Detecting Cryptosporidium spp. can be done most accurately through a fecal PCR assay. B. Immunologic tests, such as direct fluorescent antibody, enzyme immunoassays for detection of Cryptosporidium sp. antigens Note Bioguard’s Qmini PCR can detect Cryptosporidium DNA in 90 minutes at your clinics using feces as samples. |
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