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Title: A REDESCRIPTION OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM GALLI PAVLASEK 1999 (APICOMPLEXA: CRYPSTOPORIDIIDAE) FROM BIRDS.

Author
item RYAN, U. - MURDOCH U.,AUSTRALIA
item XIAO, L. - CDC, ATLANTA, GA
item READ, C. - MURDOCH U., AUSTRALIA
item SULAIMAN, I. - CDC, ATLANTA, GA
item MONIS, P. - AWQC, AUSTRALIA
item LAL, A. - CDC, ATLANTA, GA
item FAYER, RONALD
item PAVLASEK, I. - SVIP, PRAGUE, CZECH R.

Submitted to: Journal of Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2002
Publication Date: 2/1/2003
Citation: RYAN, U.M., XIAO, L., READ, C., SULAIMAN, I.M., MONIS, P., LAL, A.A., FAYER, R., PAVLASEK, I. A REDESCRIPTION OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM GALLI PAVLASEK 1999 (APICOMPLEXA: CRYPSTOPORIDIIDAE) FROM BIRDS.. JOURNAL OF PARASITOLOGY. 2003. Vol. 89: 809-813.

Interpretive Summary: A species of Cryptosporidium found in domestic poultry and wild birds is redescribed. Because morphologic features such as size and shape of the parasites are shared by two or more species infectious for birds these characteristics alone are not sufficient for identification of species. Previous descriptions lack molecular data. Those data, important for distinguishing this species from other species infectious for birds, are provided in this redscription.

Technical Abstract: Cryptosporidium galli Pavlasek, 1999 is described from the faeces of birds adding molecular and biological data. Oocysts are ellipsoidal, are passed fully sporulated, lack sporocysts, and measure 8.25 x 6.3 m (range 8.0 ¿ 8.5 X 6.2 ¿ 6.4 m) with a length to width ratio 1.30 (n=50). Oocysts are structurally similar to those of Cryptosporidium baileyidescribed from hens but in addition to being considerably larger than oocysts of C. baileyi, these oocysts infect the proventriculus in a variety of birds and not the respiratory tract. Oocysts were successfully transmitted from hens to chickens and morphologically similar oocysts were also observed in a variety of exotic and wild birds (Order Passeriformes, Phasianidae, Fringillidae and Icteridae). Molecular and phylogenetic analysis at the 18S rRNA, HSP-70 and actin gene loci demonstrate this species is genetically distinct from all known species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium, thus was named as Cryptosporidium galli.