title: Cryptosporidium scrofarum n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa).
abstract: We describe the morphological, biological, and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium pig genotype II and propose the species name Cryptosporidium scrofarum n. sp. to reflect its prevalence in adult pigs worldwide. Oocysts of C. scrofarum are morphologically indistinguishable from C. parvum, measuring 4.81-5.96 μm (mean=5.16)×4.23-5.29 μm (mean=4.83) with a length to width ratio of 1.07±0.06 (n=400). Oocysts of C. scrofarum obtained from a naturally infected pig were infectious for 8-week-old pigs but not 4-week-old pigs. The prepatent period in 8-week-old Cryptosporidium-naive pigs was 4-6 days and the patent period was longer than 30 days. The infection intensity of C. scrofarum in pigs was generally low, in the range 250-4000 oocysts per gram of feces. Infected pigs showed no clinical signs of cryptosporidiosis and no pathology was detected. Cryptosporidium scrofarum was not infectious for adult SCID mice, adult BALB/c mice, Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus), southern multimammate mice (Mastomys coucha), yellow-necked mice (Apodemus flavicollis), or guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus). Phylogenetic analyses based on small subunit rRNA, actin, and heat shock protein 70 gene sequences revealed that C. scrofarum is genetically distinct from all known Cryptosporidium species.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic. kvac@paru.cas.cz
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kváč
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kestřánová
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinková
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Květoňová
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalinová
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wagnerová
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotková
authors.forename: Jiří
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vítovec
authors.forename: Oleg
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ditrich
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.forename: Brianna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stenger
authors.forename: Bohumil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification* / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D017125:Genes, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005838:Genotype; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016513:Mice, SCID; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology