- PART 1 Introduction
- PART 2 Bacterial, chlamydial, and rickettsial zoonoses
- PART 3 Viral zoonoses
- PART 4 Parasitic zoonoses
- Chapter 42 African trypanosomosis
- Chapter 43 American trypanosomosis (Chagas disease)
- Chapter 44 The Leishmanioses
- Chapter 45 <i>Giardia</i> infections
- Chapter 46 Cryptosporidiosis
- Chapter 47 Toxoplasmosis, sarcocystosis, isosporosis, and cyclosporosis
- Chapter 48 Babesiosis and malaria
- Chapter 49 Microsporidiosis
- Chapter 50 Blastocystosis
- Chapter 51 Cysticercosis and taeniosis: Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica
- Chapter 52 Other adult and larval cestodes
- Chapter 53 Cystic echinococcosis
- Chapter 54 Alveolar echinococcosis (<i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i>)
- Chapter 55 Zoonotic schistosomosis (schistosomiasis)
- Chapter 56 Other non-<i>Fasciola</i> trematode infections
- Chapter 57 Strongyloidosis
- Chapter 58 Capillariosis
- Chapter 59 <i>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</i> and Human angiostrongylosis
- Chapter 60 Zoonotic infections with filarial nematodes
- Chapter 61 Trichinellosis
- Chapter 62 Zoonotic hookworm infections
- Chapter 63 Anisakiosis (Anisakidosis)
- Chapter 64 Toxocarosis
- Chapter 65 Trichostrongylidosis
- Chapter 66 Scabies and other mite infections
- Chapter 67 Flea infestations
- Chapter 68 The Myiases
- Chapter 69 Histoplasmosis
- Chapter 70 Zoonotic infections with dermatophyte fungi
- Chapter 71 Occasional, miscellaneous, and opportunistic parasites and fungi
- Chapter 72 Fasciolosis
(p. 536) Cryptosporidiosis
- Chapter:
- (p. 536) Cryptosporidiosis
- Author(s):
Aaron R. Jex
, Rachel M. Chalmers
, Huw V. Smith
, Giovanni Widmer
, Vincent McDonald
, and Robin B. Gasser
- DOI:
- 10.1093/med/9780198570028.003.0053
Cryptosporidium species represent a genus of parasitic protozoa (Apicomplexa) that are transmitted via the faecal-oral route and commonly infect the epithelial tissues of the gastric or intestinal (or sometimes the respiratory) tract of many vertebrates, including humans. Infection occurs following the ingestion of viable and resistant oocysts, through direct host-to-host contact or in contaminated food, drinking or recreational water. Infection can be transmitted via anthroponotic (human-to-human, human-to-animal) or zoonotic (animal-to-human or animal-to-animal) pathways, depending upon the species of Cryptosporidium. Although infection can be asymptomatic, common symptoms of disease (cryptosporidiosis) include diarrhoea, colic (abdominal pain), nausea or vomiting, dehydration and/or fever. In humans, cryptosporidial infection in immunocompetent patients is usually short-lived (days to weeks) and eliminated following the stimulation of an effective immune response. However, infection in immunodeficient individuals (e.g., those with HIV/AIDS) can be chronic and fatal (in the absence of immunotherapy), as there are few effective anti-cryptosporidial drugs and no vaccines available. The present chapter provides an account of the history, taxonomy and biology, genomics and genetics of Cryptosporidium, the epidemiology, pathogenesis, treatment and control of cryptosporidiosis and the advances in tools for the identification and characterisation of Cryptosporidium species and the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis.
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- PART 1 Introduction
- PART 2 Bacterial, chlamydial, and rickettsial zoonoses
- PART 3 Viral zoonoses
- PART 4 Parasitic zoonoses
- Chapter 42 African trypanosomosis
- Chapter 43 American trypanosomosis (Chagas disease)
- Chapter 44 The Leishmanioses
- Chapter 45 <i>Giardia</i> infections
- Chapter 46 Cryptosporidiosis
- Chapter 47 Toxoplasmosis, sarcocystosis, isosporosis, and cyclosporosis
- Chapter 48 Babesiosis and malaria
- Chapter 49 Microsporidiosis
- Chapter 50 Blastocystosis
- Chapter 51 Cysticercosis and taeniosis: Taenia solium, Taenia saginata and Taenia asiatica
- Chapter 52 Other adult and larval cestodes
- Chapter 53 Cystic echinococcosis
- Chapter 54 Alveolar echinococcosis (<i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i>)
- Chapter 55 Zoonotic schistosomosis (schistosomiasis)
- Chapter 56 Other non-<i>Fasciola</i> trematode infections
- Chapter 57 Strongyloidosis
- Chapter 58 Capillariosis
- Chapter 59 <i>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</i> and Human angiostrongylosis
- Chapter 60 Zoonotic infections with filarial nematodes
- Chapter 61 Trichinellosis
- Chapter 62 Zoonotic hookworm infections
- Chapter 63 Anisakiosis (Anisakidosis)
- Chapter 64 Toxocarosis
- Chapter 65 Trichostrongylidosis
- Chapter 66 Scabies and other mite infections
- Chapter 67 Flea infestations
- Chapter 68 The Myiases
- Chapter 69 Histoplasmosis
- Chapter 70 Zoonotic infections with dermatophyte fungi
- Chapter 71 Occasional, miscellaneous, and opportunistic parasites and fungi
- Chapter 72 Fasciolosis