CASE REPORT
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Introduction and objectives:
The parasite Cryptosporidium spp. is an intracellular protozoa which has a broad range of hosts and zoonotic potential. It presents a serious health risk for agricultural workers and veterinarians. The aim of the study was to identify the species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium occurring in a veterinary student who came into contact with calves on a farm.

Material and Methods:
The Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique was employed to confirm the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. ELISA test was applied to detect coproantigen in faecal specimens. Nested PCR was used to amplify a small ribosomal subunit (SSU rRNA) and sequencing of the GP60 gene served to identify the zoonotic subtypes.

Results:
The nested PCR allowed to confirm the C. parvum species; subsequently, the IIdA15G1 zoonotic subtype was identified.

Conclusions:
This is the first confirmed case in Slovakia of human cryptosporidiosis caused by the unique subtype IIdA15G1.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was funded by the projects of the Scientific Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovakian Republic and the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Grant No. VEGA 1/0536/18).
 
REFERENCES (31)
1.
Santin M. Clinical and subclinical infections with Cryptosporidium in animals. N Z Vet J. 2013; 61(1): 1–10. doi: 10.1080/00480169.2012.731681.
 
2.
Ondriska F, Vrabcová I, Brinďáková S, et al. The first reported cases of human cryptosporidiosis caused by Cryptosporidium hominis in Slovak Republic. Folia Microbiol. 2013; 58(1): 69–73. doi: 10.1007/s12223-012-0182-x.
 
3.
Paparini A, Gofton A, Yang R, et al. Comparison of Sanger and next generation sequencing performance for genotyping Cryptosporidium isolates at the 18S rRNA and actin loci. Exp Parasitol. 2015; 151–152: 21–27. doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2015.02.001.
 
4.
Zahedi A, Monis P, Aucote S, et al. Zoonotic Cryptosporidium species in animals inhabiting Sydney Water catchments. PLoS One. 2016; 11(12): 1–18. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0168169.
 
5.
Gharpure R, Perez A, Miller AD, et al. Cryptosporidiosis Outbreaks-United States 2009–2017. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2019; 68(25): 568–572. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6825a3.
 
6.
Xiao L, Griffiths JK. Cryptosporidiosis. Hunter’s Tropical Medicine and Emerging Infectious diseases (Tenth Edition). 2020: 712–718. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-55512-8.00096-X.
 
7.
Ryan U, Fayer R, Xiao L. Cryptosporidium species in humans and animals: current understanding and research needs. Cambrige University Press. 2014; 141: 1667–1685. doi: 10.1017/S0031182014001085.
 
8.
Ryan U, Zahedi A, Paparini A. Cryptosporidium in humans and animals – a one health approach to prophylaxis. Parasite Immunol. 2016; 38(9): 535–47. doi: 10.1111/pim.12350.
 
9.
Kazlow PG, Shah K, Benkov KJ, et al. Esophageal cryptosporidiosis in a child with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Gastroenterology. 1986; 91: 1301–1303. doi: 10.1016/S0016-5085(86)80031-2.
 
10.
Caccio SM, Widmer G. Cryptosporidium: Parasite and Disease. Germany: Springer Science & Business Media; 2013.
 
11.
Thompson RCA, Ash A. Molecular epidemiology of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections. Infect Genet Evol. 2016; 40(3): 315–323. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.09.028.
 
12.
Thompson RCA, Koh WH, Clode PL. Cryptosporidium – What is it? Science Direct. 2016; 4: 54–61. doi: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2016.08.004.
 
13.
Čatár G, Sobota K. Cryptosporidiosis – parasitic intestinal infection. In: Reports of scientific Conference of the 5th Prowazels days, Komárno 1987; 32: 21–23.
 
14.
Petrincová A, Valenčáková A, Luptáková L, et al. Molecular characterization and first report of Cryptosporidium genotypes in human population in the Slovak Republic. Electrophoresis. 2015; 36(23): 2925–2930. doi: 10.1002/elps.201500230.
 
15.
Hatalová E, Valenčáková A, Luptáková L, et al. The first report of animal genotypes of Cryptosporidium parvum in immunosuppressed and immunocompetent humans in Slovakia. Transbound Emerg Dis. 2019; 66(1): 243–249. doi: 10.1111/tbed.13009.
 
16.
Caccio SM, Chalmers RM. Human cryptosporidiosis in Europe. Clin Microbiol Inf. 2016; 22(6): 471–480. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.04.021.
 
17.
Henriksen SA, Pohlenz JFL. Staining of Cryptosporidium by a modified Ziehl – Neelsen technique. Acta Vet Scand. 1981; 22(3-4): 594-596.
 
18.
Xiao L, Morgan UM, Limor J, et al. Genetic diversity within Cryptosporidium parvum and related Cryptosporidium species. Appl Environ Mirobiol. 1999; 65: 3386–3391. doi: 10.1128/AEM.65.8.3386-3391.1999.
 
19.
Alves M, Xiao L, Antunes F, Matos O. Distribution of Cryptosporidium subtypes in humans and domestic and wild ruminants in Portugal. Parasitol Res. 2006; 99(3): 287–292.
 
20.
Pumipuntu N, Piratae S. Cryptosporidiosis: A zoonotic disease concern. Vet World. 2018; 11(5): 681–686. doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2018.681-686.
 
21.
Wang R, Zhang L, Axén C, et al. Cryptosporidium parvum IId family: clonal population and dispersal from Western Asia to other geographical regions. Sci Rep. 2014; 4: 4208.
 
22.
Mravcová K, Štrkolcová G, Goldová M, Mucha R. Cryptosporidium parvum infection in Calves from animal farm in Slovakia. J Vet Med Res. 2019; 6(1): 1–4.
 
23.
Lange H, Johansen H, Vold L, et al. Second outbreak of infection with a rare Cryptosporidium parvum genotype in schoolchildren associated with contact with lambs/goat kids at a holiday farm in Norway. Epidemiol Infect. 2014; 142(10): 2105–2113. doi: 10.1017/S0950268813003002.
 
24.
Kinross P, Beser J, Troell K, et al. Cryptosporidium parvum infections in a cohort of veterinary students in Sweden. Epidemiol Infect. 2015; 143(13): 2748–2756. doi: 10.1017/S0950268814003318.
 
25.
Hunter PR, Thompson RCA. The zoonotic transmission of Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Int J Parasitol. 2005; 35(11–12): 1181–1190. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2005.07.009.
 
26.
Caccio SM, Sannella AR, Mariano V, et al. A rare Cryptosporidium parvum genotype associated with infection of lambs and zoonotic transmission in Italy. Vet Parasitol. 2013; 191(1–2): 128–131. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.08.010.
 
27.
Iqbal A, Lim YAL, Surin J, et al. High diversity of Cryptosporidium subgenotypes identified in Malaysian HIV/AIDS individuals targeting gp60 gene. PLoS One. 2012; 7(2): 453–457. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031139.
 
28.
Danišová O, Valenčáková A, Petrincová A. Detection and identification of six Cryptosporidium species in livestock in Slovakia by amplification of SSU and GP60 genes with the use of PCR analysis. Ann Agric Environ Med. 2016; 23: 254–258.
 
29.
Papanikolopoulou V, Baroudi D, Guo Y, et al. Genotypes and ubgenotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. in diarrhoeic lambs and goat kids in northern Greece. Parasitol Int. 2018; 67(4): 472–475. doi: 10.1016/j.parint.2018.04.007.
 
30.
Cui Z, Wang R, Huang J, et al. Cryptosporidiosis caused by Cryptosporidium parvum subtype IIdA15G1 at a dairy farm in Northwestern China. Parasit Vectors. 2014; 7: 529.
 
31.
Adamu H, Petros B, Zhang B, et al. Distribution and clinical manifestations of Cryptosporidium species and subspecies in HIV/AIDS patients in Ethiopia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2014; 8(4): 2831. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002831.
 
eISSN:1898-2263
ISSN:1232-1966
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top