title: Age related susceptibility of pigs to Cryptosporidium scrofarum infection.
abstract: Piglets from 4 to 8 weeks of age originated from a Cryptosporidium-free research breed were orally inoculated with 1 × 10(6) infectious oocysts of Cryptosporidium scrofarum. The number of shed oocysts per gram of faeces served to describe the infection intensity and prepatent period. In addition, faecal samples collected daily and tissue samples of the small and large intestine collected at 30 days post-inoculation were examined for the C. scrofarum small subunit ribosomal RNA gene using PCR. The piglets inoculated at 4-weeks of age remained uninfected, whereas 5-week-old and older animals were fully susceptible with a prepatent period ranging from 4 to 8 days. Susceptible pigs shed oocysts intermittently, and shedding intensity, reaching a mean maximum of 6000 oocysts per gram, did not differ significantly among infected animals. This study demonstrates that pigs become susceptible to C. scrofarum infection as late as 5-weeks of age. The mechanisms of age related susceptibility remain unknown.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic. Electronic address: kvac@paru.cas.cz.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kváč
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Karel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Němejc
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kestřánová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Květoňová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wagnerová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kotková
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Economics, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rost
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Samková
authors.affiliation: Veterinary and Microbiological Sciences Department, North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Bohumil
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sak
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D020459:Genes, rRNA / Q000235:genetics; D010270:Parasite Egg Count; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Cryptosporidium scrofarum; Infection; Molecular analyses; Pigs; Susceptibility; Transmission studies