Genetic analysis of Cryptosporidium from 2414 humans with diarrhoea in England between 1985 and 2000

Health Protection Agency Centre for Infections, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, UK Correspondence J. McLauchlin jim.mclauchlin{at}hpa.org.uk Received 19 July 2005 Accepted 5 February 2006 The characterization of Cryptosporidium using DNA extracted from whole faecal samples collected from 2414 humans with diarrhoea in England between 1985 and 2000 where cryptosporidial oocysts were detected using conventional methods is described. Characterization was achieved by PCR/RFLP and DNA sequencing of fragments of the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein and the 18S rDNA genes. Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in 56.1 % of cases, Cryptosporidium hominis in 41.7 % and a mixture of C. parvum and C. hominis in 0.9 %. In the remainder of cases, Cryptosporidium meleagridis (0.9 %), Cryptosporidium felis (0.2 %), Cryptosporidium andersoni (0.1 %), Cryptosporidium canis (0.04 %), Cryptosporidium suis (0.04 %) and the Cryptosporidium cervine type (0.04 %) were detected. Abbreviations: COWP, Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein gene. Present address: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Umbria e Marche, Sezione di Ancona, via Cupa di Posatora 3, 60100 Ancona, Italy. Present address: Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040-Madrid, Spain. The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the sequences described in this study are DQ116568 , DQ116569 , DQ116570 , DQ116571 and DQ116572 .