title: An outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in a collection of Stone curlews (Burhinus oedicnemus) in Dubai.
abstract: We describe an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in Stone curlews kept in a mixed-species rearing unit in Dubai. Cryptosporidium was the predominant intestinal pathogen detected, although microbiological investigations revealed a concurrent Salmonella infantis infection in two of the 29 Stone curlew chicks that died. Nineteen of 29 birds had catarrhal enteritis associated with histopathological findings of numerous Cryptosporidium developmental stages at the mucosal surface. Catarrhal enteritis was present without associated Cryptosporidium oocysts in five cases. Histology of the intestine, faecal examination by direct microscopy and antigenic detection by immunochromatography revealed the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. associated with catarrhal enteritis in intestinal sections and faeces. Clinical and histopathological outcomes of infection were severe, including disruption of intestinal epithelial integrity, the presence of numerous endogenous Cryptosporidium stages in intestinal epithelia and the excretion of large numbers of sporulated oocysts. The application of polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques at two 18S rRNA and one Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein gene locus confirmed the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum DNA in faecal samples.
authors.affiliation: Dubai Falcon Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. kasamyra@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kasamyra
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zylan
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bailey
authors.forename: Huw V
authors.initials: HV
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: Christudas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Silvanose
authors.forename: Joerg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinne
authors.forename: Rolf K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Schuster
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hyland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D052999:Quinazolinones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015572:Spiramycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014227:Triazines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014479:United Arab Emirates
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D010880:Piperidines; D052999:Quinazolinones; D014227:Triazines; D015572:Spiramycin; C010176:halofuginone; C036670:toltrazuril