title: Occurrence and molecular diagnosis of Cryptosporidium serpentis in captive snakes in São Paulo, Brazil.
abstract: The present study aimed to determine whether Cryptosporidium oocysts were present in stools from captive snakes at Fundação Parque Zoológico (Zoological Park Foundation) in São Paulo, Brazil. Two collections were performed; the first in July 2008 and the second in February 2009. Fecal samples were collected from 74 enclosures that housed 101 individuals of 23 snake species. The stool specimens collected from 16 out of the 74 enclosures (21.6%) contained Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts; all of them were confirmed as Cryptosporidium serpentis, using molecular techniques. Only in three (18.7%) out of the 16 enclosures with positive samples were there animals with clinical signs compatible with infection by C. serpentis, such as regurgitation and significant progressive weight loss. From the results, it was concluded that diagnostic examinations need to be performed periodically, even on clinically healthy animals, as a preventive measure.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, CEP 05508-270, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Anaiá da Paixão
authors.initials: Ada P
authors.lastname: Sevá
authors.forename: Michele K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Sercundes
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Sheila Oliveira
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: João Batista
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: da Cruz
authors.forename: Cybele Sabino
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lisboa
authors.forename: Sandra Helena Ramiro
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: Rodrigo Martins
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000836:Animals, Zoo; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D012911:Snakes