Giardia and Cryptosporidium in mammalian wildlife--current status and future needs.
Environmental pollution with human and domestic-animal fecal material is recognized as a potential pathogen pathway for wildlife infections with zooanthropomorphic protozoan parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. In this article, we review current knowledge about the diversity of free-living and captive terrestrial and marine mammalian wildlife species infected with Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The combination of prevalence studies with modern molecular-genotyping techniques is providing valuable insights into the host specificity and possible transmission routes of these two important parasites.
World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Molecular Epidemiology of Parasitic Infections, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Science, Murdoch University, Murdoch 6150, Australia. ajappelbe@ucalgary.ca
Amber J
AJ
Appelbee
R C Andrew
RC
Thompson
Merle E
ME
Olson
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000254:growth & development*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005872:Giardia / Q000254:growth & development*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008322:Mammals / Q000469:parasitology*; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission