Comparison of oocyst shedding and the serum immune response  to Cryptosporidium parvum in cattle and pigs

Quílez, Joaquín; Ares-Mazás, Elvira; Sánchez-Acedo, Caridad; Cacho, Emilio del; Clavel, Antonio; Causapé, A. C.

doi:10.1007/s004360050157

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The youngest age of C. parvum we detected was 7 days, which is in concordance with previous reports that calves get infected with this parasite within the first 1 to 2 days of life and start shedding oocysts after a 5 to 6 days before patent period (Castro-Hermida et al 2002b;Ongerth and Stibbs 1989;Quilez et al 1996). The youngest calf shedding C. bovis and C. ryanae oocysts was 10 and 22 days of age, respectively.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Seasonal variation in the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection in dairy cattle in the New York City Watershed

et al. 2010

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We conducted cross-sectional studies in the New York City Watershed to ensure a valid estimate of the risk associated with Cryptosporidium infection in dairy herds. Our aims were to obtain species-specific estimates of the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in dairy cattle and to investigate seasonal variations in prevalence. We validated our empirical estimates using a Bayesian approach. Samples were collected on 32 study farms, once in each of 3 different seasons using an age-stratified sampling design. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum-like species and Cryptosporidium andersoni among the 1911 animals tested by the flotation method was 5% and 1%, respectively. Among preweaned calves (<65 days of age), the prevalence of C. parvum-like species was twice as high in the summer (26%) compared with the winter (11%). Herd prevalence showed the same seasonal trend. Preweaned calves were also shedding C. andersoni at an average intensity of 20 oocysts per gram of feces. We did not detect C. parvum-like oocysts in cattle older than 5 months. Sequencing of a portion of the 18s rRNA gene revealed that in the summer, 42% of the C. parvum-like oocysts shed by preweaned calves were zoonotic, compared with >74% during the rest of the year. Both empirical and stochastic methods revealed a summer peak in the prevalence of C. parvum-like oocysts in preweaned calves. Determining whether seasonal variation in the prevalence and proportion of Cryptosporidium species shed by preweaned calves is due to management practices or ecological factors will have important implications for effective control of this parasite.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Seasonal variation in the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection in dairy cattle in the New York City Watershed

et al. 2010

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“…In contrast, no signs of clinical illness were seen in either new-born or weaned miniature piglets repeatedly inoculated with 10 6 to 10 7 C. parvum oocysts (Arnault et al, 1994). Neither were any clinical manifestations observed in experimentally infected piglets older than 15 days (Tzipori et al, 1982), and isolation studies as well as epidemiological surveys have shown that oocyst shedding was not statistically associated with diarrhoea in naturally infected pigs from conventional farms (Sandford, 1987;Quilez et al, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium parvum—evaluation of an animal infection model

Enemark¹,

Bille‐Hansen²,

Lind³

et al. 2003

Veterinary Parasitology

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With the intention of developing a standardised method for assessment of pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium parvum, the CPB-0 isolate was studied by propagation in 1-day-old calves followed by inoculation into specific pathogen free (SPF) piglets. The experiment was repeated. Diarrhoea and shedding of oocysts were seen in all animals infected with the CPB-0 isolate. Clinical signs included depression, inappetence, vomiting (exclusively in the piglets), and death. Histological examination at 17 and 19 days post-infection revealed parasitic stages and microscopic changes primarily restricted to colon and rectum. The unintended presence of rotavirus in some of the experimental animals revealed an additive or synergistic effect between rotavirus and C. parvum as indicated by prolonged diarrhoea, increased oocyst shedding, decreased weight gain and elevated levels of serum haptoglobin and serum amyloid A (SAA) in piglets infected simultaneously with both pathogens. The difference in daily weight gain between infected and control animals was significant only for piglets co-infected with rotavirus. The acute phase response of haptoglobin and SAA was characterised by a large individual variation. In piglets, co-infected with rotavirus, the levels of serum haptoglobin were 3.5 and 4.6 times higher in the infected versus the controls 6 and 9dpi, respectively (mean values: 2411microg/ml+/-S.D. 2023 and 1840 microg/ml+/-S.D. 1697). In the controls infected with rotavirus, peak haptoglobin concentration was seen 3dpi (mean: 1022 microg/ml+/-S.D. 425). Elevated levels of SAA were seen in 1 of 6 piglets infected with C. parvum, and in 5 of 6 piglets co-infected with rotavirus. Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) was undetectable in all serum samples from piglets. The obvious advantages of the SPF pig model are the naturally acquired intestinal microflora, the development of distinct clinical signs similar to cryptosporidiosis in humans and calves, the size of the animals, and the accessibility of individuals born within a short time span. This makes the model ideal for dose-response studies, evaluation of therapeutic agents as well as for assessment of differences in the clinical response to isolates of diverse genetic background. In conclusion, it was shown that the CPB-0 isolate was pathogenic to calves and piglets at a dose of 2.5 x 10(5) oocysts, and that the clinical signs could be replicated during separate experiments. Moreover, diarrhoea, oocyst shedding, body weight changes, histological alterations, and the acute phase response of haptoglobin and SAA were identified as useful parameters for discrimination of isolate-specific differences of pathogenicity.

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“…New developments in molecular biology make PCR-based diagnostics promising for the future, particularly when genotyping is warranted, but at the present time they are not developed for use in rapid diagnosis at the population level. Development and validation of an enzyme linked immunosorbant assay (ELISA) for serum could fulfil the needed criteria because anti-Cryptosporidium antibodies have been detected which can persist longer than oocysts are shed (Whitmore and Harp 1991;Lorenzo-Lorenzo et al 1993;Quilez et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serological detection of exposure to Cryptosporidium parvum in cattle by ELISA and its evaluation in relation to coprological tests

Nydam

Lindergard

Guard

et al. 2002

Parasitology Research

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We evaluated serum examination as an alternative to fecal analysis for the diagnosis of exposure to Cryptosporidium parvum in cattle. The accuracy of the serum ELISA was compared to the combined results of concentration flotation microscopy and fecal enzyme immunoassay. The expected performance of the serum ELISA at different levels of infection with C. parvum was evaluated using the predicative values positive and negative. Optimal conditions for the serum ELISA can be achieved by diluting the serum samples 1:20 and the conjugate 1:8,000. The serum ELISA had a relatively high sensitivity of 97.5% (95% CI=87-100%) and poor specificity, 4% (95% CI=1-20%). There was a poor agreement between the serum ELISA and the fecal tests (kappa=0) on samples collected from adult cows in a high-risk and a low-risk population. Examination of some of these fecal samples using a PCR detection method demonstrated the presence of C. parvum DNA in 10% of the samples.

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Comparison of oocyst shedding and the serum immune response to Cryptosporidium parvum in cattle and pigs

Cited by 16 publications

References 28 publications

Seasonal variation in the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection in dairy cattle in the New York City Watershed

Seasonal variation in the prevalence and molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection in dairy cattle in the New York City Watershed

Pathogenicity of Cryptosporidium parvum—evaluation of an animal infection model

Serological detection of exposure to Cryptosporidium parvum in cattle by ELISA and its evaluation in relation to coprological tests

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