title: Acanthamoeba as a temporal vehicle of Cryptosporidium.
abstract: The capacity of Acanthamoeba to predate Cryptosporidium oocysts was demonstrated. A maximum of six oocysts per Acanthamoeba trophozoite were detected, and a slow elimination of the internalized oocysts to the surrounding culture medium was observed. Free-living amoebae may act as carriers of Cryptosporidium oocysts and, thus, may play an important role in the transmission of cryptosporidiosis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Avenida de Vigo s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gómez-Couso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paniagua-Crespo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ares-Mazás
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D033661:Oocysts