Cryptosporidia and Giardia Flashcards
Transmission of cryptosporidium?
fecal-oral
C. parvum hosts
HUMANS, CATTLE, sheep, goats
C. hominus
for humans and monkeys
Can you kill crypto with bleach?
nope, it needs UV radiation or dessication, so it’s super hard to get rid of
Other crypto species
canis, felis, meleagridis, sepentis, etc. (so many)
Where in this image is the crypto?
it’s the purple dots on the surface of the villi (all at different stages)
Main symptom of crypto?
diarrhea (in calves and humans!)
Is sexual and asexual reproduction of crypto done in one host?
yes, all replication in one host!
Infective stage of crypto?
oocyst
Is crypto capable of autoinfection?
yes! after excystation, the four sporozoites can infect the intestinal epithelium where they’re released and repeat the process over again
acid fast staining of the cysts of cryptosporidium parvum
Location of crypto infection?
enterocytes of the small intestine!
Treatment for Crypto?
NO currently licensed treatments OR vaccines
infection is mild and self-limiting (1-2 weeks) in normal individuals
Clinical Signs of Crypto in Calves
main sign is scours, typically in calves 1-3 weeks old
also fever, dehydration, depression; if survive will stunt growth
Most important species of Giardia in veterinary medicine?
Giardia duodenalis
beaver fever
Banff lore, but we really don’t see Giardia in beavers
Transmission of giardia?
fecal-oral, waterborne
giardia trophozoite
Two Stages of Giardia
Trophozoite (flagellated, ventral disc, two nuclei)
Cyst
What stage of giardia is infectious?
cyst
Why do you need multiple fecal samples to test for giardia in dogs?
cyst shedding is intermittent
Gold standard fecal float for giardia?
Zinc Sulphate centrifugal flotation
SNAP test for Giardia
detects the cyst wall protein released into feces during encystation
Drugs approved for treatment of giardia in the US for dogs and cats?
none
