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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 6/12/2014 Publication Date: 8/10/2014 Citation: Santin, M. 2014. Molecular epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis in cattle and other food animals. Meeting Abstract. 13th International Congress of Parasitology, Mexico City, Mexico. August 10-15, 2014. Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Cryptosporidium spp. is an enteric protozoan parasite that infects a wide range of vertebrate hosts including humans. Cryptosporidial infection is known now as one of the most common causes of diarrhea in humans and livestock. Worldwide prevalence studies indicate that livestock has a high prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection. Cryptosporidium is a potential zoonotic pathogen and contact with animals, manure, or contaminated water and food is believed to lead to human infections. The epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis has received significant attention because of the public health and economic importance of this disease in humans and animals. Early studies using traditional diagnostic and epidemiological tools focused mostly on the prevalence, infection patterns, and risk factors. However, traditional microscopy techniques are insufficient for identifying species and/or genotypes of Cryptosporidium. Advances in molecular techniques have provided a basis for most recent studies for detection and characterization of Cryptosporidium at species, genotype, and subtype levels. Currently, with the help of molecular tools a large number of species and genotypes have been described and molecular techniques have proven to be essential for the detection and epidemiological tracking of Cryptosporidium improving our understanding of the transmission of this parasite in human and animals. The need to precisely identify Cryptosporidium as well as the risk of zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium will be discussed in greater detail. |
