Experimental Study on Mixed Infections of Cryptosporidium muris and C. parvum in Severe Combined Immunodeficient (SCID) and BALB/c Mice
Main Article Content
Abstract
Abstract
We sought to examine the possibility of mixed infections of Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium parvum in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) and BALB/c mice. Oocysts of C. muris and C. parvum were injected per os into 6-week-old SCID and 4-week-old BALB/c mice. Thereafter, mouse feces were collected every 2-3 days, in 2.5% potassium dichromate. Following oocyst isolation by the sucrose flotation method, oocysts were detected using direct immunofluorescence assay. Mixed infection was demonstrated in both SCID and BALB/c mice. These results indicate that C. muris and C. parvum can infect a host simultaneously without oppressing the rival and that ongoing infection of one species cannot inhibit the establishment of subsequent infection of the other species.
Keywords : cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium muris, Cryptosporidium parvum, SCID mouse, BALB/c mouse, mixed infection