The diversity and biology of Cryptosporidium that is specific for rats (Rattus spp.) are not well studied. We examined the occurrence and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/sequencing targeting the small subunit rDNA (SSU), actin and HSP70 genes. Out of 343 faecal samples tested, none were positive by microscopy and 55 were positive by PCR. Sequence analysis of SSU gene revealed the presence of Cryptosporidium muris (n = 4), C. andersoni (n = 3), C. ryanae (n = 1), C. occultus (n = 3), Cryptosporidium rat genotype I (n = 23), Cryptosporidium rat genotype IV (n = 16) and novel Cryptosporidium rat genotype V (n = 5). Spherical oocysts of Cryptosporidium rat genotype I obtained from naturally-infected rats, measuring 4.4-5.4 μm × 4.3-5.1 μm, were infectious to the laboratory rats, but not to the BALB/c mice (Mus musculus) nor Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). The prepatent period was 3 days post infection and the patent period was longer than 30 days. Naturally- and experimentally-infected rats showed no clinical signs of disease. Percentage of nucleotide similarities at the SSU, actin, HSP70 loci between C. ratti n. sp. and the rat derived C. occultus and Cryptosporidium rat genotype II, III, IV, and V ranged from 91.0 to 98.1%. These genetic variations were similar or greater than that observed between closely related species, i.e. C. parvum and C. erinacei (93.2-99.5%). Our morphological, genetic and biological data support the establishment of Cryptosporidium rat genotype I as a new species, Cryptosporidium ratti n. sp.

• Keywords
• Cryptosporidium ratti, infectivity, morphometric analysis, phylogeny, prevalence,
• MeSH
• Actins genetics   MeSH
• Cryptosporidium * classification   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Animals, Wild parasitology   MeSH
• Feces parasitology   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Genetic Variation MeSH
• Classification MeSH
• Rats parasitology   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats parasitology   MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Actins MeSH
• HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal MeSH

Fecal samples from wild-caught common voles (n = 328) from 16 locations in the Czech Republic were screened for Cryptosporidium by microscopy and PCR/sequencing at loci coding small-subunit rRNA, Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein, actin and 70 kDa heat shock protein. Cryptosporidium infections were detected in 74 voles (22.6%). Rates of infection did not differ between males and females nor between juveniles and adults. Phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of eight Cryptosporidium species/genotypes including two new species, C. alticolis and C. microti. These species from wild-caught common voles were able to infect common and meadow voles under experimental conditions, with a prepatent period of 3-5 days post-infection (DPI), but they were not infectious for various other rodents or chickens. Meadow voles lost infection earlier than common voles (11-14 vs 13-16 DPI) and had significantly lower infection intensity. Cryptosporidium alticolis infects the anterior small intestine and has larger oocysts (5.4 × 4.9 µm), whereas C. microti infects the large intestine and has smaller oocysts (4.3 × 4.1 µm). None of the rodents developed clinical signs of infection. Genetic and biological data support the establishment of C. alticolis and C. microti as separate species of the genus Cryptosporidium.

• Keywords
• Experimental infection, Rodentia, molecular analyses, oocyst size, phylogeny, voles,
• MeSH
• Arvicolinae parasitology   MeSH
• Cryptosporidium classification   genetics   ultrastructure   MeSH
• Feces parasitology   MeSH
• Microscopy, Fluorescence MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Gastrointestinal Tract parasitology   pathology   ultrastructure   MeSH
• Genetic Variation MeSH
• Microscopy, Interference MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis epidemiology   parasitology   transmission   MeSH
• Rats MeSH
• Chickens MeSH
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning MeSH
• Murinae MeSH
• Mice, Inbred BALB C MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Rodent Diseases epidemiology   parasitology   transmission   MeSH
• Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan chemistry   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal genetics   MeSH
• Base Sequence MeSH
• Sequence Alignment veterinary   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Rats MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Protozoan MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal MeSH

IntroductionThis paper reviews the current knowledge and understanding of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in humans, animals and the environment in 10 countries in the eastern part of Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Romania, Serbia and Slovenia. Methods: Published scientific papers and conference proceedings from the international and local literature, official national health service reports, national databases and doctoral theses in local languages were reviewed to provide an extensive overview on the epidemiology, diagnostics and research on these pathogens, as well as analyse knowledge gaps and areas for further research. Results:Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. were found to be common in eastern Europe, but the results from different countries are difficult to compare because of variations in reporting practices and detection methodologies used. Conclusion: Upgrading and making the diagnosis/detection procedures more uniform is recommended throughout the region. Public health authorities should actively work towards increasing reporting and standardising reporting practices as these prerequisites for the reported data to be valid and therefore necessary for appropriate control plans.

• Keywords
• One Health, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, zoonosis,
• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Feces parasitology   MeSH
• Giardia genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Giardiasis epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Foodborne Diseases epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Public Health * MeSH
• Environment MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Review MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe, Eastern epidemiology   MeSH

Host-parasite interaction studies across hybrid zones often focus on host genetic variation, treating parasites as homogeneous. 'Intimately' associated hosts and parasites might be expected to show similar patterns of genetic structure. In the literature, factors such as no intermediate host and no free-living stage have been proposed as 'intimacy' factors likely constraining parasites to closely follow the evolutionary history of their hosts. To test whether the whipworm, Trichuris muris, is intimately associated with its house mouse host, we studied its population genetics across the European house mouse hybrid zone (HMHZ) which has a strong central barrier to gene flow between mouse taxa. T. muris has a direct life cycle and nonmobile free stage: if these traits constrain the parasite to an intimate association with its host we expect a geographic break in the parasite genetic structure across the HMHZ. We genotyped 205 worms from 56 localities across the HMHZ and additionally T. muris collected from sympatric woodmice (Apodemus spp.) and allopatric murine species, using mt-COX1, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA and 10 microsatellites. We show four haplogroups of mt-COX1 and three clear ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 clades in the HMHZ suggesting a complex demographic/phylogeographic history. Microsatellites show strong structure between groups of localities. However, no marker type shows a break across the HMHZ. Whipworms from Apodemus in the HMHZ cluster, and share mitochondrial haplotypes, with those from house mice. We conclude Trichuris should not be regarded as an 'intimate' parasite of the house mouse: while its life history might suggest intimacy, passage through alternate hosts is sufficiently common to erase signal of genetic structure associated with any particular host taxon.

• Keywords
• Hybrid zones, Mus musculus, parasite life history traits, phylogeography, population structure,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The Cryptosporidium hedgehog genotype, which has been reported previously in hedgehogs and horses, was identified as the cause of the diarrheal disease cryptosporidiosis in an immunocompetent man in the Czech Republic. This is the first report of human illness caused by the Cryptosporidium hedgehog genotype.

• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium classification   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Gastroenteritis diagnosis   parasitology   MeSH
• Genotype MeSH
• Genes, rRNA MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis diagnosis   parasitology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Molecular Sequence Data MeSH
• DNA, Protozoan chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• Protozoan Proteins genetics   MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal chemistry   genetics   MeSH
• RNA, Protozoan genetics   MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 18S genetics   MeSH
• Sequence Analysis, DNA MeSH
• Cluster Analysis MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Case Reports MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Names of Substances
• DNA, Protozoan MeSH
• Protozoan Proteins MeSH
• DNA, Ribosomal MeSH
• RNA, Protozoan MeSH
• RNA, Ribosomal, 18S MeSH

From 2011 to 2012, to identify Cryptosporidium spp. occurrence in Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa) 29 randomly selected localities (both forest areas and enclosures) across the Central European countries of Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and the Slovak Republic were investigated. Cryptosporidium oocysts were microscopicaly detected in 11 out of 460 faecal samples examined using aniline-carbol-methyl violet staining. Sixty-one Cryptosporidium infections, including the 11 infections that were detected by microscopy, were detected using genus- or species-specific nested PCR amplification of SSU rDNA. This represents a 5.5 fold greater sensitivity for PCR relative to microscopy. Combining genus- and species-specific PCR tools significantly changes the perspective on the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild boars. While RFLP and direct sequencing of genus specific PCR-amplified products revealed 56 C. suis (20) and C. scrofarum (36) monoinfections and only 5 mixed infections of these species, species-specific molecular tools showed 44 monoinfections and 17 mixed infections with these species. PCR analysis of the gp60 gene did not reveal any other Cryptosporidium infections. Similar to domestic pigs, C. scrofarum was detected as a dominant species infecting adult Eurasian wild boars (Sus scrofa). Cryptosporidium infected wild boars did not show signs of clinical disease. This report is perhaps the most comprehensive survey of cryptosporidial infection in wild boars.

• Keywords
• Central Europe, Cryptosporidium scrofarum, Cryptosporidium suis, Eurasian wild boar, PCR, SSU,
• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium classification   MeSH
• Species Specificity MeSH
• Feces parasitology   MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis epidemiology   veterinary   MeSH
• Swine Diseases epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Swine MeSH
• Sus scrofa parasitology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe epidemiology   MeSH