title: Identification of novel and zoonotic Cryptosporidium species in marine fish.
abstract: Little is known about the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium in fish. The present study investigated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in cultured fingerlings (n=227), wild freshwater (n=227) and wild marine/estuarine species (n=255) of fish in Western Australia by PCR amplification at the 18S rRNA locus. Results revealed a low prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in fish hosts; 0.8% (6/709). Four species of Cryptosporidium were identified including C. parvum, C. xiaoi and pig genotype II in whiting (Sillago vittata) and a novel Cryptosporidium spp. in mullets (Mugil cephalus). The identification of zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium in fish indicates that future research to gain a better understanding of the public health impacts is warranted. The detection of the protozoa in fish may also be a good sentinel for environmental contamination or ecosystem health.
authors.affiliation: Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Western Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reid
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lymbery
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tweedle
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ryan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D005398:Fisheries; D005399:Fishes; D005618:Fresh Water; D005838:Genotype; D008386:Marine Biology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; D014904:Western Australia; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S