Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cryptosporidium muris infection found in Texas kenneled dogs
By Lupo, Philip J et al.·Published in The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene·2008·The University of Texas School of Public Health, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cryptosporidium muris in a Texas canine population.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of kenneled dogs in Texas was found to have a high rate of infection with a parasite called Cryptosporidium muris, with 71% testing positive. This parasite can potentially be transmitted to humans, raising concerns about public health. Interestingly, the dogs showed no symptoms of illness despite the infection. This study highlights the importance of monitoring dogs for this parasite, as they may pose a risk for spreading it to people.
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Abstract
Molecular technology has led to the discovery of previously unrecognized Cryptosporidium species in new hosts, such as C. canis in humans. The notion that dogs may transmit Cryptosporidium species to humans has significant public health implications, and additional studies are merited. The purpose of this study was to examine a group of kenneled dogs to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species infection and to identify parasite species. Prevalence of active infection was 71%. Six positive samples were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 18S ribosomal RNA gene followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis to identify the Cryptosporidium species. Restriction digest patterns identified C. muris as the infecting species in all six dogs; species identity was confirmed by genetic sequencing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a naturally occurring C. muris infection in a canine host. The finding of C. muris in asymptomatic canines supports the notion of dogs as potential sources of human infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18541769/