Detection and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium species in wild-caught pet spiny-tailed lizards

In this study, two imported wild-caught spiny-tailed lizards (Arabian blue mastigure, Uromastyx ornata philbyi, and Sudan mastigure, Uromastyx dispar flavifasciata) were diagnosed with a Cryptosporidium (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) infection based on the presence of the oocysts in the rectal feces using sucrose flotation and light microscopy examination at a local animal hospital in Tokyo, Japan. One of the lizards had died, and histopathological examination revealed enteritis with the Cryptosporidium parasite. Sequence analyses using the small subunit ribosomal RNA, actin, and 70-kilodalton heat shock protein genes indicated that the lizards had contracted a novel variant of C. avium that commonly infects avian species.Graphical abstract
Source: International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research