The impact of health communication and enhanced laboratory-based surveillance on detection of cyclosporiasis outbreaks in California. (1/5)
We investigated the timing of diagnosis, influence of media information on testing for Cyclospora, and the method used to identify cases during eight cyclosporiasis outbreaks in California in spring of 1997. We found that Internet information, media reports, and enhanced laboratory surveillance improved detection of these outbreaks. (+info)Studies on serological cross-reaction of Neospora caninum with Toxoplasma gondii and Hammondia heydorni. (2/5)
The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to examine cross-reactivity of Neospora caninum with Toxoplasma gondii and Hammondia heydorni. Anti-T. gondii mouse and cat sera cross-reacted with N. caninum soluble antigen (NLA), but not with the recombinant surface antigen (NcSRS2). Anti-H. heydorni dog sera showed no cross-reactivity with either the NLA antigen or the NcSRS2. Lack of cross-reactivity between anti-H. heydorni sera and N. caninum antigens, and the cross-reactivity of anti-T. gondii sera with the NLA suggest that N. caninum has common antigens to T. gondii except for NcSRS2 based on serology. In light of several studies suggesting a closer relationship between N. caninum and H. heydorni than with T gondii, examination of serological cross-reactivity with N. caninum may be necessary to further classify the parasites in addition to molecular and morphological studies and clarification of the life cycle. (+info)Water-related parasitic diseases in China. (3/5)
(+info)Strategies to discover the structural components of cyst and oocyst walls. (4/5)
(+info)Waterborne protozoan pathogens. (5/5)
Protozoan parasites were the most frequently identified etiologic agents in waterborne disease outbreak from 1991 to 1994. The waterborne parasites Giardia lamblia, Naegleria fowleri, Acanthamoeba spp., Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanesis, Isospora belli, and the microsporidia are reviewed. For each parasite, the review includes history, life cycle, incidence, symptoms, and therapy. Clinical detection methods are compared, and emerging technologies are discussed. Information on the association of these parasites with waterborne outbreaks is reviewed. Current information on protozoan parasites identified as etiological agents in waterborne outbreaks is discussed. Water industry issues related to recent disease outbreaks are examined in the context of water quality testing regulations for G. lamblia and those proposed for C. parvum. The review identifies the limitations of the American Society of Testing and Materials water-testing method for these parasites. An overview of federal regulations affecting the water industry and laboratories that test for water quality is also provided. The article highlights the importance of the clinical laboratory as a frontline defense for the detection of infectious organisms. The review points to the need for clinical laboratories, physicians, and public health personnel to cooperatively plan and assess the challenge of meeting this potential public health threat. (+info)Eimeriida is an order of coccidian parasites, including the genus Eimeria, which are primarily intracellular parasites that infect and undergo part of their life cycle within the epithelial cells of various animals' digestive tracts, causing eimeriosis or coccidiosis, characterized by diarrhea, dehydration, and sometimes death in severe cases.
Eimeriida is an order of coccidian parasites, which are single-celled organisms that infect and multiply within the cells of a host organism. Eimeriida includes several genera of parasites that primarily infect the digestive systems of various animals, including birds, reptiles, and mammals. The most well-known genus in this order is Eimeria, which includes many species that can cause coccidiosis in domestic animals such as chickens, turkeys, and cattle. Coccidiosis is a disease characterized by diarrhea, weight loss, and decreased productivity, and it can be fatal in severe cases. Other genera in Eimeriida include Cyclospora, which can cause diarrheal illness in humans, and Isospora, which infects a variety of animals including dogs and cats.