Echinococcus, Giardia and Cryptosporidium: observational studies challenging accepted dogma.
The development of in vitro culture systems that allow the maintenance, and support the development of Echinococcus, Giardia and Cryptosporidium in the laboratory have had a significant impact on their biology and taxonomy and the epidemiology of infections they cause. This short retrospective review demonstrates how radical shifts in our understanding have occurred as a result of being able to grow these organisms in culture, and how molecular tools have helped in the interpretation of such research that often reflects the observations of earlier workers.
World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for the Molecular Epidemiology of Parasitic Infections, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia. a.thompson@murdoch.edu.au
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D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D003470:Culture Media; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000469:parasitology; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005872:Giardia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods*; D013045:Species Specificity
D003470:Culture Media