title: Artemia is capable of spreading oocysts of Cryptosporidium and the cysts of Giardia.
abstract: The capability for ingesting and spreading the fixed oocysts of Cryptosporidium and fixed cysts of Giardia, two waterborne protozoan parasites, by Artemia franciscana, a microcrustacean widely used as live diet in fish and shellfish larviculture, was demonstrated using differential interference contrast and immunofluorescence microscopy. Our findings suggest the possibility that this microcrustacean could serve as a disseminating vehicle of both parasites in aquatic environments.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Laboratorio de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Méndez-Hermida
authors.forename: Hipólito
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gómez-Couso
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ares-Mazás
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D001156:Artemia / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000635:transmission*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000635:transmission*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D033661:Oocysts / Q000254:growth & development*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count