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A Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay To Simultaneously Distinguish Cryptosporidium Species Of Veterinary And Public Health Concern In Cattle, Mónica Santín, Dante S. Zarlenga

United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service / University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Faculty Publications

Four species of Cryptosporidium are routinely found in cattle: Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium bovis, Cryptosporidium ryanae, and Cryptosporidium andersoni. It is important to determine the species of Cryptosporidium in infected cattle because C. parvum is the only serious pathogen for humans as well as cattle. Identification of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes currently relies on molecular methods such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) or gene sequencing. Incorporation of these techniques in a routine veterinary diagnostic laboratory is cost prohibitive. As such, their applications are limited primarily to research and a few public health laboratories. To …