title: Possible involvement of Artemia as live diet in the transmission of cryptosporidiosis in cultured fish.
abstract: The viability of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts ingested by Artemia franciscana metanauplii was evaluated using two fluorogenic vital dyes. There was no significant difference (p = 0.09) between the viability of oocysts maintained in saline (control) and those recovered from the digestive tract of the microcrustacean 24 h after ingestion (95 vs 90% viable oocysts). The results suggest that Artemia, used as a life food in fish larviculture, may act as a vehicle for transmission of piscine cryptosporidiosis caused by Cryptosporidium molnari and Cryptosporidium scophthalmi.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Méndez-Hermida
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gómez-Couso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ares-Mazás
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D001156:Artemia / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004032:Diet; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission*; D005399:Fishes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000469:parasitology / Q000502:physiology*; D033661:Oocysts / Q000254:growth & development