Outbreak of Diarrhea Caused by a Novel Subtype During British Military Training in Kenya.

Background: We report clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory features of a large diarrhea outbreak caused by a novel subtype during British military training in Kenya between February and April 2022.

Methods: Data were collated from diarrhea cases, and fecal samples were analyzed on site using the multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) BioFire FilmArray. Water was tested using Colilert kits (IDEXX, UK).

Preliminary investigation of a significant national exceedance in the United Kingdom, August 2023 and ongoing.

Routine laboratory surveillance has identified an unprecedented and ongoing exceedance of spp. across the United Kingdom, notably driven by transmission, since 14 August 2023. Information from 477 reported cases in England and Wales, followed up with a standardised exposure questionnaire as of 25 September 2023, identified foreign travel in 250 (54%) of 463 respondents and swimming in 234 (66%) of 353 cases.

A comparison of qPCR and microscopy for the detection and enumeration of oocysts from drinking water.

presents one of the main waterborne public health threats due to its resistance to chlorine disinfection and ability to cause large-scale outbreaks. The standard method used in the UK water industry for detection and enumeration of is based on fluorescence microscopy and is laborious and expensive. Molecular methods such as quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) can be more amenable to streamlining through automation, improving workflows and standardizing procedures.

Impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on the epidemiology of spp. in England and Wales, 2015-2021: a time series analysis.

In England and Wales, cryptosporidiosis cases peak in spring and autumn, associated with zoonotic/environmental exposures ( spring/autumn) and overseas travel/water-based activities ( autumn). Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions prevented social mixing, overseas travel and access to venues (swimming pools/restaurants) for many months, potentially increasing environmental exposures as people sought alternative countryside activities. COVID-19 restrictions reduced incidence of cases and potentially increased incidence of cases.

Development and evaluation of a real-time PCR for genotyping of Cryptosporidium spp. from water monitoring slides.

Cryptosporidium is an important cause of gastroenteritis globally and the main agent of waterborne outbreaks caused by protozoan parasites. Water monitoring for Cryptosporidium oocysts is by detection and enumeration using stained slide microscopy. Species identification (known as genotyping) may be undertaken post hoc and remains a specialist test, only undertaken in some laboratories.

Cross-sectional household transmission study of Cryptosporidium shows that C. hominis infections are a key risk factor for spread.

Background: Infection with the Cryptosporidium parasite causes over 4000 cases of diagnosed illness (cryptosporidiosis) in England and Wales each year. The incidence of sporadic disease has not been sufficiently established, and how frequently this arises from contact with other infected people is not well documented. This project aimed to explore potential transmission in the home and attempt to identify asymptomatic infections, which might play a role in transmission.

spp surveillance and epidemiology in Ireland: a longitudinal cohort study employing duplex real-time PCR based speciation of clinical cases.

is a leading cause of gastroenteritis (cryptosporidiosis), with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. Irish cryptosporidiosis incidence rates are consistently the highest reported in Europe. A retrospective, longitudinal study of clinical isolates was conducted from 2015 to 2018 in Cork, southern Ireland.

Why do we need training? - A "Training school on molecular methods used for foodborne parasite diagnostics in different matrices" is a example of knowledge transfer to foster research quality in EU.

Foodborne parasites with zoonotic potential are of particular concern for human health, being responsible for serious and potentially life threatening diseases. In the last decades, the development of molecular biology techniques have been successfully implemented for clinical diagnosis of FBPs in animal or human samples providing cheaper, less labor intensive, reliable and more sensitive tests. It is apparent from recent publications that unsubstantiated molecular methods for parasite detection that have undergone scant evaluation for sensitivity and specificity are becoming increasingly common.

Development of a gp60-subtyping method for Cryptosporidium felis.

Background: Feline cryptosporidiosis is an increasing problem, especially in catteries. In humans, close contact with cats could be a potential source of infection although the risk of contracting cryptosporidiosis caused by Cryptosporidium felis is considered to be relatively low. Sequencing of the 60-kDa glycoprotein gene is a commonly used tool for investigation of the genetic diversity and transmission dynamics of Cryptosporidium species.

Cryptosporidium Diagnostic Assays: Molecular Detection.

Molecular diagnostic assays for Cryptosporidium are usually based on PCR and may detect the entire genus or target specified species. Of the ~40 species, fewer than half have been reported from humans, and most human cases of cryptosporidiosis are caused by Cryptosporidium parvum or Cryptosporidium hominis. Here we describe a nested PCR for the detection of all Cryptosporidium spp.

Health sequelae of human cryptosporidiosis-a 12-month prospective follow-up study.

To investigate long-term health sequelae of cryptosporidiosis, with especial reference to post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome (PI-IBS). A prospective cohort study was carried out. All patients with laboratory-confirmed, genotyped cryptosporidiosis in Wales, UK, aged between 6 months and 45 years of age, over a 2-year period were contacted.

Analysis of the Cryptosporidium spp. and gp60 subtypes linked to human outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis in England and Wales, 2009 to 2017.

Background: Cryptosporidium spp. are important causes of gastroenteritis that can be transmitted from humans and animals. We elucidated the distribution of species and gp60 subtypes in human outbreaks classified by transmission vehicle.

Draft Genome Assembly of a Potentially Zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum Isolate, UKP1.

Cryptosporidium parvum is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that causes food and waterborne gastrointestinal disease and whose major animal reservoirs are cattle and small ruminants. We report here on a draft whole-genome sequence of a zoonotic isolate of C. parvum isolated from a person with cryptosporidiosis.

Subtype analysis of zoonotic pathogen Cryptosporidium skunk genotype.

Cryptosporidium skunk genotype is a zoonotic pathogen commonly identified in surface water. Thus far, no subtyping tool exists for characterizing its transmission in humans and animals and transport in environment. In this study, a subtyping tool based on the 60kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene previously developed for Cryptosporidium chipmunk genotype I was used in the characterization of Cryptosporidium skunk genotype in animal and storm runoff samples from a watershed in New York.

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Carriage and Disease in Children With Primary Immune Deficiencies Undergoing Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant in Northern Europe.

A prospective cohort study of children with primary immunodeficiencies undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplant in the United Kingdom investigated the extent and significance of Cryptosporidium carriage in this high risk group. Three of 42 children recruited were infected with Cryptosporidium, a lower proportion than previously described. One had serious disease.

Annotated draft genome sequences of three species of Cryptosporidium: Cryptosporidium meleagridis isolate UKMEL1, C. baileyi isolate TAMU-09Q1 and C. hominis isolates TU502_2012 and UKH1.

Human cryptosporidiosis is caused primarily by Cryptosporidium hominis, C. parvum and C. meleagridis.

Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium Species and Giardia duodenalis from Symptomatic Cambodian Children.

Background: In a prospective study, 498 single faecal samples from children aged under 16 years attending an outpatient clinic in the Angkor Hospital for Children, northwest Cambodia, were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts using microscopy and molecular assays.

Methodology/principal Findings: Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 2.2% (11/498) of samples using microscopy and in 7.

Generation of whole genome sequences of new Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum isolates directly from stool samples.

Background: Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of Cryptosporidium spp. has previously relied on propagation of the parasite in animals to generate enough oocysts from which to extract DNA of sufficient quantity and purity for analysis. We have developed and validated a method for preparation of genomic Cryptosporidium DNA suitable for WGS directly from human stool samples and used it to generate 10 high-quality whole Cryptosporidium genome assemblies.

Development and Application of a gp60-Based Typing Assay for Cryptosporidium viatorum.

The apicomplexan intestinal parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium take a major toll on human and animal health and are frequent causes of waterborne outbreaks. Several species and genotypes can infect humans, including Cryptosporidium viatorum, which, to date, has only been found in humans. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp.

Population structure of natural and propagated isolates of Cryptosporidium parvum, C. hominis and C. meleagridis.

The three protozoan species Cryptosporidium parvum, C. meleagridis and C. hominis (phylum Apicomplexa) are enteric pathogens of humans.

Subtyping Cryptosporidium ubiquitum,a zoonotic pathogen emerging in humans.

Cryptosporidium ubiquitum is an emerging zoonotic pathogen. In the past, it was not possible to identify an association between cases of human and animal infection. We conducted a genomic survey of the species, developed a subtyping tool targeting the 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene, and identified 6 subtype families (XIIa-XIIf) of C.

Giardia duodenalis typing from stools: a comparison of three approaches to extracting DNA, and validation of a probe-based real-time PCR typing assay.

A weighted, multi-attribute approach was used to compare three methods for direct extraction of Giardia duodenalis DNA from 15 microscopy-positive stools: (1) a QIAamp spin-column method for stools including a 10 min incubation at 95 °C, (2) method 1 preceded by five freeze-thaw cycles and (3) bead beating with guanidine thiocyanate using a FastPrep-28 machine followed by liquid-phase silica purification of DNA. The attributes compared included DNA yield measured using a new triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) gene probe-based real-time PCR, also described here. All three methods shared 100 % PCR positivity, while the bead-beating method provided the highest G.