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Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Parasite (1252607X) is the property of EDP Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Introduction and objectives. The parasite Cryptosporidium spp. is an intracellular protozoa which has a broad range of hosts and zoonotic potential. It presents a serious health risk for agricultural workers and veterinarians. The aim of the study was to identify the species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium occurring in a veterinary student who came into contact with calves on a farm. Materials and method. The Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique was employed to confirm the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. ELISA test was applied to detect coproantigen in faecal specimens. Nested PCR was used to amplify a small ribosomal subunit (SSU rRNA) and sequencing of the GP60 gene served to identify the zoonotic subtypes. Results. The nested PCR allowed to confirm the C. parvum species; subsequently, the IIdA15G1 zoonotic subtype was identified. Conclusion. This is the first confirmed case in Slovakia of human cryptosporidiosis caused by the unique subtype IIdA15G1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction and Objective. The problem of occupational biohazards is very important, especially in the field of agriculture and in human and veterinary medicine. The aim of the study was to determine the potential sources of infection in veterinary professionals with selected zoonotic agents, including: Toxoplasma gondii, Giardia duodenalis, Leptospira spp., Cryptosporidium spp. and Coxiella burnetii. Materials and Method. A total of 50 air samples from barns, piggeries and veterinary surgeries were examined for the presence of Leptospira spp. and C. burnetii DNA. Serum samples of 86 pigs and 80 cows were tested for the presence of antibodies to Leptospira spp. and to phase I and II C. burnetii antigens. Serum of 70 cats were tested for the presence of antibodies to T. gondii and 65 samples of cat faeces for the presence of T. gondii oocysts. The presence of G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. were examined in 50 of dog faeces and 50 of bovine faeces samples. Results. DNA of Leptospira spp. was detected in 2 air samples from the piggeries (4%). C. burnetii DNA was not found in any sample. Anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies were detected in 51 (59.3%) of examined pigs. Neither anti-Leptospira spp. nor anti-C. burnetii antibodies were found among samples of bovine serum. Anti-T. gondii antibodies was found in 52 cat serum samples (74.3%). Among samples of cat faeces, no T. gondii oocysts were detected. In one sample of cattle stool (2%), G. duodenalis was detected and in another (2%) – Cryptosporidium spp. G. duodenalis was detected in 7 samples (14%) and Cryptosporidium spp. in 2 samples (2%) of dog faeces. Conclusions. The results of this study demonstrate the potential risk of infection with Leptospira spp. in veterinarians working with pigs. Veterinarians could be also be at risk of infection with T. gondii and G. duodenalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cat is a reported reservoir for several zoonotic pathogens, including Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Blastocystis sp. These parasites represent a significant, but often neglected, threat to humans and animals. Furthermore, Tritrichomonas foetus has been described inhabiting the digestive tract of cats, and may be causative agents of gastrointestinal symptoms. However, scant data are available concerning the molecular epidemiology of these parasites in domestic cats in China. This study examined fecal samples from domestic cats in Eastern China to unravel the molecular epidemiology of four protozoans. Of the 346 samples examined, 47 (13.6%) were positive for the detected pathogens, including 8 (2.3%), 5 (1.4%), 2 (0.6%), and 35 (10.1%) samples positive for Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., and T. foetus, respectively. Co-infection with Cryptosporidium spp. and T. foetus was detected in three cats, no other mixed infections were observed. No age, sex or fecal condition predisposition was observed with any of the four pathogens. The species/assemblages/subtypes/genotypes were C. felis, Assemblage A and F, ST1, and cat genotype for Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., and T. foetus detected in this study, respectively. The presence of zoonotic species/assemblages/subtypes/genotypes poses a threat to public health. These findings provide useful information for the design of prevention and control strategies to reduce the burden of protozoal infections in cats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biomédica: Revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud is the property of Instituto Nacional de Salud of Colombia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: Among the waterborne diseases, enteric diseases are most frequent. Approximately 19% of waterborne gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States are attributed to parasitic protozoans, particularly Giardia and Cryptosporidium species, due to their wide distribution in the environment, high incidence in the population, and resistance to conventional water treatment. These microorganisms and impurities present in water do not approach each other, it is necessary to add a coagulant. Chemical coagulants are the most used and among them the most common is aluminum sulfate, since it is cheap and easily obtained. However, chemical coagulants have certain disadvantages, as they require tight control over their residual concentration in treated water for human consumption as well as in industrial food production. Then, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the efficiency of Moringa oleifera seeds as natural coagulant in removing apparent color, turbidity, Giardia spp. cysts and Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts from water in association with microfiltration. The surface water used in the tests was collected at the Pirapó river basin, which supplies the city of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. Samples of high and low turbidity were mixed to obtain water with different initial turbidities. Water samples with initial turbidity of 50, 150, 250, 350, and 450 NTU were used in this study. Prepared samples were artificially contaminated with 106 cysts/L of Giardia and 106 oocysts/L of Cryptosporidium obtained from the positive control (suspension of cysts and oocysts) present in the commercial kit Merifluor (Meridian Bioscience, Cincinnati, OH, USA). After being prepared, these samples were subjected to the processes of (1) coagulation/flocculation with moringa seeds (CFM), (2) coagulation/flocculation with aluminum sulfate; (3) microfiltration (MF), and (4) combined coagulation/flocculation with moringa seeds or aluminum sulfate followed by microfiltration (CFM-MF or CFM-MF). Coagulation/flocculation tests with moringa were performed in a jar test device. Each sample, with initial turbidity from 50 to 450 NTU, was subjected to 12 different concentrations.of moringa coagulant solution, ranging from 25 to 350 mg/L. Polyimide membrane with porosity of 0.40 μm was used for the MF process with an operating pressure of 1 bar. Moringa solution concentrations above 150 mg/L showed the best removal efficiency of turbidity – which varied from 3% to 97% – and color, ranging from 6.7% to 73.5%. The CFM process achieved 1.2 log removal for Giardia and 1.0 log removal for Cryptosporidium. To membrane process, color and turbidity removal ranged from 80 to 100%, and the best results were obtained with the combined CFM-MF. It was also observed that the pretreatment with moringa reduced membrane fouling (which was between 7.48 and 40.9%) and increased permeate flux (between 157 and 226 L/hm) when compared with the MF (membrane fouling from 6.13 to 56.32% and permeate flow from 157 to 187 L/hm2). It can be concluded that coagulation with moringa showed satisfactory results, reducing the number of (oo)cysts of protozoan parasites in accordance with WHO recommendations for the process of coagulation/flocculation, as well as reducing color and turbidity. Combined with MF, the proposed process removed nearly 100% of Giardia and Cryptosporidium (oo)cysts and achieved high levels of color and turbidity removal from water samples, presenting the advantage of improving the quality of filtered water and the characteristics of the MF process (reduction of fouling and increase of permeate flux). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Calf diarrhea (scours) is a primary cause of illness and death in young calves. Significant economic losses associated with this disease include morbidity, mortality, and direct cost of treatment. Multiple pathogens are responsible for infectious diarrhea, including, but not limited to, Bovine coronavirus (BCV), bovine Rotavirus A (BRV), and Cryptosporidium spp. Identification and isolation of carrier calves are essential for disease management. Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory current methods for calf diarrhea pathogen identification include electron microscopy (EM) for BCV and BRV and a direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) for organism detection of Cryptosporidium spp. A workflow was developed consisting of an optimized fecal nucleic acid purification and multiplex reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) for single tube concurrent detection of BCV, BRV, and Cryptosporidium spp., and an internal control to monitor nucleic acid purification efficacy and PCR reagent functionality. In “spike-in” experiments using serial dilutions of each pathogen, the analytical sensitivity was determined to be <10 TCID50/ml for BCV and BRV, and <20 oocysts for Cryptosporidium spp. Analytical specificity was confirmed using Canine and Feline coronavirus, Giardia spp., and noninfected bovine purified nucleic acid. Diagnostic sensitivity was ≥98% for all pathogens when compared with respective traditional methods. The results demonstrate that the newly developed assay can purify and subsequently detect BCV, BRV, and Cryptosporidium spp. concurrently in a single PCR, enabling simplified and streamlined calf diarrhea pathogen identification. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The average hemoglobin level in Cryptosporidium affected calves was significantly lower than the uninfected. The mean total erythrocyte count observed in affected calves (8.12 ± 0.21 million cells/mm3 ) was significantly lowered as compared to apparently healthy one (8.76 ± 0.77 million cells/mm3 ). There was significant increase (P≤0.01) in total leukocyte count in diseased calves. There was significant difference (P≤ 0.05) in differential leucocyte count in affected calves. There was no significant difference in average monocyte count in affected and uninfected calves The PCV% was 31.32 ± 1.48 and 32.97 ± 2.91 (P>0.05) for uninfected and infected calves, respectively. The mean corpuscular volume in uninfected and infected calves was 50.27 ± 4.71 and 51.03 ± 4.78 (P>0.05), respectively. The average corpuscular haemoglobin concentration observed in the diseased calves was significantly (P≤ 0.05) higher when compared with that of uninfected calves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study which described the infection of horses by Cryptospiridium spp. in five foals of the Arabian breed under immunosuppression. Observations on the rates of infection range and course of infection are discussed. The study concluded that a high occurrence of asymptomatic horses and excreting oocysts of Cryptospiridium spp. implies the persistence of contamination of the environment and that nearby resident s might get infected, especially coachmen.