Acanthamoeba as a temporal vehicle of Cryptosporidium.
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.
Gómez-Couso
H
H
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.
Paniagua-Crespo
E
E
Ares-Mazás
E
E
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000469:parasitology*; D000818:Animals; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D033661:Oocysts