Molecular characterisation of Cryptosporidium isolates from pet reptiles

Vet Parasitol. 2009 Mar 23;160(3-4):204-10. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2008.11.003. Epub 2008 Nov 13.

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the presence of Cryptosporidium in 171 faecal samples from reptiles commonly used as pet animals. These include lizards belonging to the genera Eublepharis, Pogona, Chlamydosaurus, Hemiteconyx, Teratoscincus, Tiliqua, Iguana, and Chamaeleo, snakes of the genera Lampropeltis, Elaphe, Python, Boa and Corallus, and tortoises belonging to the genera Testudo and Kinixys. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected by immunofluorescence using a commercially available kit and cryptosporidial DNA by amplification of a polymorphic fragment of the 18S rDNA and the HSP70 locus. Cryptosporidium was detected in 38.6% and 25.1% of the samples analysed by immunofluorescence and PCR, respectively. Molecular characterisation of the isolates confirmed that C. serpentis and C. varanii (syn. C. saurophilum) are the main species involved in infection in pet reptiles but also showed the presence of C. parvum and C. muris, as well as other species or genotypes of this parasite including the Cryptosporidium mouse genotype and Cryptosporidium tortoise genotype previously described in reptiles. In addition, a Cryptosporidium sp. was isolated from a chameleon and a python.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Domestic
  • Base Sequence
  • Cryptosporidiosis / epidemiology
  • Cryptosporidiosis / parasitology
  • Cryptosporidiosis / veterinary*
  • Cryptosporidium / classification
  • Cryptosporidium / isolation & purification*
  • Cryptosporidium / pathogenicity
  • DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Feces / parasitology*
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique / veterinary
  • Genetic Variation
  • Genotype
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oocysts
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction / veterinary
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / chemistry
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Reptiles / parasitology*
  • Sequence Alignment / veterinary

Substances

  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S