Effective treatment for Cryptosporidium infection in immunocompromised patients has yet to be found. We report a rodent model of persistent Cryptosporidium infection. Sprague-Dawley rats were injected subcutaneously twice a week for 8 weeks with 25 mg of hydrocortisone acetate. Fed a regular low-protein diet for 9 weeks, they were challenged once with 10(5) calf Cryptosporidium oocysts 5 weeks ...

A cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis and its clinical and laboratory pattern in Venezuelan HIV-infected patients (N = 397). At enrollment, they underwent thorough clinical history and physical examination and provided stool specimens for the identification of Cryptosporidium sp. and other parasites. Cryptosporidium sp. was identified in 59 subj...

OBJECTIVES To determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in children with diarrhoea, identify associated factors and identify the parasite using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). METHODS A total of 138 diarrhoeic faecal samples were collected between August 2011 and February 2013, from children under 12 years of age, admitted to paediatric units of Teaching Hospitals, Kandy and Pera...

Established methods for quantifying experimental Cryptosporidium infection are highly variable and subjective. We describe a new technique using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) that can be used to measure in vitro and in vivo laboratory infections with Cryptosporidium. We show for the first time that qPCR permits absolute quantification of the parasite while simultaneously controlling for the...

Cryptosporidiosis is a particular concern in immunocompromised individuals where symptoms may be severe. The aim of this study was to examine the epidemiological and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium infections in HIV/AIDS patients in Malaysia in order to identify risk factors and facilitate control measures. A modified Ziehl-Neelsen acid fast staining method was used to test for the...

There has been an explosion of descriptions of new species of Cryptosporidium during the last two decades. This has been accompanied by confusion regarding the criteria for species designation, largely because of the lack of distinct morphologic differences and strict host specificity among Cryptosporidium spp. A review of the biologic species concept, the International Code of Zoological Nomen...

Cryptosporidium spp. are intestinal protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa, which cause diarrheal disease in humans worldwide (reviewed in [1–6]). In immunocompetent individuals, infection with this parasite may be asymptomatic or cause a self-limiting diarrheal illness. However, in immunocompromised patients such as those with HIV/AIDS Cryptosporidium spp. may cause severe, chronic and ...

background opportunistic infections have become much more considerable in the last decades, especially in immunocompromised patients and due to the medical interventions. cryptosporidium is a pathogenic protozoan parasite causing diarrhea in children and some times acts as a life threatening opportunistic pathogen in the immunocompromised adults. objectives this study aimed to investigate the p...

In this study, we identified Cryptosporidium species and genotypes present in dairy cattle in the central region of São Paulo state, Brazil. Fecal specimens were collected from 200 animals (100 calves and 100 cows) in ten dairy farms. Fecal samples were examined using microscopic examination (ME), enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Cryptosporidium species and genotype...

INTRODUCTION Cryptosporidium is the causative agent of cryptosporidiosis. The disease is self-limited in immunocompetent persons but potentially life-threatening in immunocompromised individuals. METHODS The data included in the present review were obtained mainly from a Highwire Press (including PubMed) search for the period 2002-2011. RESULTS Information on cryptosporidiosis is lacking in...