Cryptosporidium: different behaviour in calves of isolates of human origin.
The behaviour in calves of 3 Cryptosporidium human isolates was analysed in comparison with a bovine isolate. Twenty-four neonatal calves were infected. An isolate from a patient infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and showing mild cryptosporidiosis caused severe diarrhoea with a high production of oocysts in neonatal calves, as did a bovine isolate (group 1). Two human isolates, obtained from HIV patients with severe cryptosporidiosis, caused mild diarrhoea with low oocyst production in neonatal calves (group 2). The difference between the 2 groups in numbers of oocysts shed in calves was statistically significant (P = 0.005), as was the duration of oocyst shedding (P = 0.0004). Oocysts of group 2 isolates were less resistant to storage in 2% potassium dichromate at 4 degrees C than were oocysts of group 1. The biological and epidemiological implications are discussed.
Pozio
E
E
Laboratorio di Parassitologia, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma, Italy.
Gomez Morales
M A
MA
Barbieri
F M
FM
La Rosa
G
G
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D006801:Humans; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D013997:Time Factors; D015047:Zoonoses