The infectivity of Cryptosporidium parvum in healthy volunteers

Article Abstract:

Ingestion of only 100 Cryptosporidium spores may be enough to cause gastrointestinal symptoms. Cryptosporidium is a protozoan that causes diarrhea and other gastrointestinal symptoms and can occur in treated drinking water. Researchers gave 29 healthy volunteers gelatin capsules containing different amounts of Cryptosporidium spores to see how many spores would cause illness. They also collected stool samples from the group and tested them for the presence of spores. More than one-third of those who ingested 100 spores became ill. Half of those who ingested 500 spores and almost three-quarters of those who ingested 1,000 or more spores became ill. Sixty-two percent of those who ingested 500 or more spores became ill, compared to 19% of those ingesting fewer than 500 spores. Most experienced diarrhea, abdominal pain, cramps and nausea. At least one person in each group passed spores in their stool whether they became ill or not. All of the volunteers recovered from the infection.

Disease transmission, Coccidia, Cryptosporidium, Cryptosporidiosis

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Cyclospora species - a new protozoan pathogen of humans

Article Abstract:

Cyclospora is a newly-identified cause of human diarrheal illness similar to that caused by Cryptosporidium. Cyclospora is a protozoan previously found only in reptiles, insects and rodents. Analysis of fecal samples from 377 Peruvian children with chronic diarrhea revealed that 24% of the samples contained cysts that resembled Cryptosporidium muris. However, further analysis revealed that the organism was in fact a new species of Cyclospora that can infect humans. Reports of a cyanobacterium-like organism associated with diarrheal illness in the Americas, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe may be reports of additional Cyclospora infections. Cyclospora can infect healthy individuals as well as those with impaired immune systems. It may therefore be an important cause of opportunistic infection in AIDS patients.

Protozoan diseases

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Microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility assay for the diagnosis of TB

Article Abstract:

The performance of the microscopic-observation drug-susceptibility (MODS) assay for culture and drug-susceptibility testing in three groups namely unselected patients with suspected tuberculosis, prescreened patients at high risk for tuberculosis or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and unselected hospitalized patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus is presented. A single MODS culture of a sputum sample offers more rapid and sensitive detection of tuberculosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis than the existing gold-standard methods used.

Risk factors, Drug therapy, Tuberculosis, Disease/Disorder overview

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