Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in horses: thresholds of acid-fast stain, immunofluorescence assay, and flow cytometry.
Abstract: Feces collected from three asymptomatic horses and seeded with Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (10(1) to 10(6)/g of feces) were evaluated by acid-fast staining (AF), an immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) technique, and flow cytometry. The thresholds of detection were 5 x 10(5) oocysts/g of feces for the IFA and AF techniques and 5 x 10(4) oocysts/g for flow cytometry.
Publication Date: 1999-01-16 PubMed ID: 9889243PubMed Central: PMC84341DOI: 10.1128/JCM.37.2.457-460.1999Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research aimed to compare different testing methods; acid-fast staining, immunofluorescent antibody technique, and flow cytometry, for their ability to detect the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum in horse feces. They found that flow cytometry could detect the parasite in lower concentrations than the other two methods.
Introduction
- The team conducted a study using samples of horse feces that were artificially contaminated with the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum.
- Cryptosporidium parvum is an important pathogen that can cause diseases in both humans and animals, so detecting its presence, especially in livestock, is crucial for disease control.
- The researchers primarily aimed to test and compare the sensitivity of three different laboratory detection methods: acid-fast staining, immunofluorescent antibody technique, and flow cytometry.
Methodology
- Fecal samples were collected from three horses that were not showing any signs of illness.
- These samples were then spiked with various concentrations of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, ranging from 10(1) to 10(6) per gram of feces, to simulate natural infection.
- Each of these contaminated samples was then analyzed using the three different laboratory techniques to determine if and at what concentration the parasite could be detected.
Results
- The study found that the parasite detection thresholds varied with the testing method used.
- For both the acid-fast staining technique and the immunofluorescent antibody technique, the lowest detectable level of the parasite was 5 x 10(5) oocysts per gram of horse feces.
- However, flow cytometry was able to detect the parasite at a lower concentration, needing only 5 x 10(4) oocysts per gram of feces.
Conclusion
- This study suggests that flow cytometry might be more sensitive in detecting Cryptosporidium parvum infections in horses than the other two methods tested.
- However, further research is needed to confirm these findings and to evaluate the practicality and cost-efficiency of using flow cytometry for routine testing in veterinary settings.
Cite This Article
APA
Cole DJ, Snowden K, Cohen ND, Smith R.
(1999).
Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in horses: thresholds of acid-fast stain, immunofluorescence assay, and flow cytometry.
J Clin Microbiol, 37(2), 457-460.
https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.37.2.457-460.1999 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4475, USA. dcole@sph.unc.edu
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cryptosporidiosis / parasitology
- Cryptosporidiosis / veterinary
- Cryptosporidium parvum / isolation & purification
- Feces / parasitology
- Flow Cytometry
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Sensitivity and Specificity
- Staining and Labeling / methods
References
This article includes 10 references
- Arrowood MJ, Hurd MR, Mead JR. A new method for evaluating experimental cryptosporidial parasite loads using immunofluorescent flow cytometry.. J Parasitol 1995 Jun;81(3):404-9.
- Arrowood MJ, Sterling CR. Comparison of conventional staining methods and monoclonal antibody-based methods for Cryptosporidium oocyst detection.. J Clin Microbiol 1989 Jul;27(7):1490-5.
- Cohen ND, Snowden K. Cryptosporidial diarrhea in foals.. Comp Cont Educ Pract Vet 1996;18:298–306.
- Hayes EB, Matte TD, O'Brien TR, McKinley TW, Logsdon GS, Rose JB, Ungar BL, Word DM, Pinsky PF, Cummings ML. Large community outbreak of cryptosporidiosis due to contamination of a filtered public water supply.. N Engl J Med 1989 May 25;320(21):1372-6.
- Kramer MH, Herwaldt BL, Craun GF, Calderon RL, Juranek DD. Surveillance for waterborne-disease outbreaks—United States, 1993–1994.. Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep 1996;45:1–33.
- Meinhardt PL, Casemore DP, Miller KB. Epidemiologic aspects of human cryptosporidiosis and the role of waterborne transmission.. Epidemiol Rev 1996;18(2):118-36.
- Valdez LM, Dang H, Okhuysen PC, Chappell CL. Flow cytometric detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in human stool samples.. J Clin Microbiol 1997 Aug;35(8):2013-7.
- Vidourek H R. Report of the American Association of Equine Practitioners. Lexington, Ky: American Association of Equine Practitioners; 1995. Cryptosporidia; pp. 4–5.
- Weber R, Bryan RT, Bishop HS, Wahlquist SP, Sullivan JJ, Juranek DD. Threshold of detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in human stool specimens: evidence for low sensitivity of current diagnostic methods.. J Clin Microbiol 1991 Jul;29(7):1323-7.
- Xiao L, Herd RP. Review of equine Cryptosporidium infection.. Equine Vet J 1994 Jan;26(1):9-13.
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Creasey HN, Zhang W, Widmer G. Effect of Caging on Cryptosporidium parvum Proliferation in Mice. Microorganisms 2022 Jun 17;10(6).
- Brar APS, Sood NK, Singla LD, Kaur P, Gupta K, Sandhu BS. Validation of Romanowsky staining as a novel screening test for the detection of faecal cryptosporidial oocysts. J Parasit Dis 2017 Mar;41(1):260-262.
- Dixon BR, Bussey JM, Parrington LJ, Parenteau M. Detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts in human fecal specimens by flow cytometry. J Clin Microbiol 2005 May;43(5):2375-9.
- Majewska AC, Solarczyk P, Tamang L, Graczyk TK. Equine Cryptosporidium parvum infections in western Poland. Parasitol Res 2004 Jul;93(4):274-8.
- Salem SE, Abd El-Ghany AM, Elsheikh HA, Abdel-Ghany EM, Ras R. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in a working horse population in Egypt. Trop Anim Health Prod 2023 Oct 18;55(6):361.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
