Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that can cause the disease cryptosporidiosis. It is commonly transmitted when people ingest Cryptosporidium oocysts from contaminated food, water, or surfaces. Infection may cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, dehydration, nausea, and other symptoms. Diagnosis involves examining stool samples under a microscope to identify the oocysts. Treatment focuses on rehydration and antibiotics in severe cases.

1. cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/
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Stephanie Hood

2.  Protozoan
 Phylum: Apicomplexa
 Class: Sporozoasida
 Order: Eucoccidiida
 Family Cryptosporiidae
 Genus: Criptosporidium waterfilterreview.com
 Species: parvum, muris, meleagridis, felis, etc.

3.  Recognized in mice in 1907
 Reported in humans in 1976
 Immunocompetent child
 Immunosuppressed adult
 Recognized globally in 1980s
and 1990s
www.nap.edu
 AIDS patients
Ernest Edward Tyzzer
 Outbreak among veterinary
students

4.  Cryptosporidium is a
spore producing parasite
found in the intestine of
infected people and
animals.
 Cryptosporidium spp. is landesbioscience.com
the most common cause
of Cryptosporidiosis.

5.  Infection
 Ingesting food or drinks
contaminated with fecal
material
 Swallowing recreational
water contaminated with secretsofsoa.com
Cryptosporidium
 Not washing hands
 Sexual practices leading
to oral exposure with
fecal material
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6.  Buries into intestinal
lining of the gut
 Goes through Life Cycle
 Alters osmotic pressure
 Diarrhea
 Atrophy of intestinal villi
 Alters uptake of fluids,
electrolytes, and nutrients
 Malabsorption syndrome
CDC DPDx Library

7.  Symptoms (2 to 10 days after
infection and can last up to
30 days)
 Diarrhea
 Stomach cramps treehugger.com
 Dehydration
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Fever
 Weight loss
 Sometimes no symptoms are
seen
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8.  White Blood Cells
Phagocytize Parasites
 Segmented neutrophils
 Macrophages
 Lymphocytes
 Eosinophils
labmed.hallym.ac.kr

9.  CD4+ T cells
 Early infection
 CD8+ T cells
 Elimination
 CD154 and CD40
 Stimulate nitric oxide
 IFN-γ, IL-12
 T cell response
 Apoptosis
 Other Cytokines
 TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-
4, IL-10, IL-15, etc.
 Patients with AIDS
 Decreased CD4+ count Ashton-Rickardt, 2004

10.  IgM
 IgG
 IgA
 X-linked
immunodefiencey
 Mutations in CD154
gene
 Defected IgM cannot allerresponz.com
mount immune
response

11.  Specimen Source
 Multiple Stool Specimens
 Diagnostic Techniques
 Wet Mount
 Modified Acid Fast Stain
 Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA)
Assay
 Detection Methods
 Safranin Stain
 Trichrome Stain
 Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) savethecanyoncall.com
 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
 Rapid Immunochromatographic
cartridge Assays

12.  Visualization of Oocysts
 4 to 6 µm
 Bight-Field Microscopy
 Differential Interference
contrast (DIC)
 High Sensitivity and CDC DPDx Library
Specificity Wet Mount Slide

13.  Visualization of Oocytes
 Light pink to dark red
 Can also visualize sporozoites
 Relatively High Sensitivity
and Specificity
 Irregular Staining
CDC DPDx Library
 cause “ghost” oocysts Modified Acid Fast Stain

14.  Fluorescence microscope
 “Gold Standard”
 High sensitivity and
specificity
 Does not provide
archievable stained slide
 Requires special equipment CDC DPDx Library
Fluorescent Stain
Auramine Rhodamine

15.  Safranin stain
 Oocysts stain a bright red
orange
 Not widely used because
oocysts may not stain properly
Trichrome Stain
CDC DPDx Library

Safranin Stain
 Oocysts may appear unstained
 Lowest sensitivity and
specificity among all tests
 Can detect Oocysts, but
Cryptosporidium should be
confirmed by diagnostic CDC DPDx Library
techniques Trichrome Stain

16.  Detects isolated antigens
from a patients sample
using antibodies that are
tagged with a color
changing enzyme.
 Relatively high
Sensitivity and
Specificity
 Does not involve
microscopy techlab.com
 Screens large numbers of
specimens

17.  Separates DNA
fragments based on
size
 435 bp
 High Sensitivity and
Specificity
CDC DPDx Library

18.  Detects isolated antigens
from sample using
antibodies. A positive test
is indicated by a colored
bar.
Variable Sensitivity and
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
Specificity
 Some Assays Have Been
Recalled

19.  Nitazoxanide
 Paromomycin
 Azithroycin
 Individuals with
AIDS
 anti-retroviral therapy
generecsmed.com

20.  Ashton-Rickardt, P.G. A license to remember. Nat. Immunol.
5, 1097-1098 (2004).
 Beach, M.J. And Johnston, S. P. Manufacturer's recall of rapid
cartridge assay kits on the basis of false-positive Cryptosporidium
antigen tests — Colorado. MMWR. 53, 198-199 (2004).
 CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/. Accessed
September 22, 2011
 Dillingham, R. A., Aldo, A. A., and Guerrant, R. L.
Cryptosporidiosis: epidemiology and impact. Microb. Infect.
4, 1059-1066 (2002).
 Mahon, C.R., Lehman, D.C., and Manuselis, G. Textbook of
Diagnostic Microbiology. 4th Ed. Elsevier (2011)
 Riggs, M. W. Recent Advances in cryptosporidiosis: the immune
response. Microb. Infect. 4, 1067-1080 (2002).
 Stevens, C.D. Clinical Immunology & Serology: A Laboratory
Perspective. 3rd Ed. F.A. Davis Company (2010).
 Tzipori, S. and Honorine, W. Cryptosporidiosis:
biology, pathogenesis and disease. Microb. Infect. 4, 1047-1058
(2002).