E Pozio

Publications (200)391.02 Total impact

• Article: Echinococcus multilocularis in north Italy.

  M T Manfredi, A Casulli, G La Rosa, A R Di Cerbo, K Trevisio, C Genchi, E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: Alveolar echinococcosis is a zoonotic infection caused by the metacestode of the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. Fox populations living in the Alpine regions of Italy had been considered free from this parasite until 2002, when two infected foxes were detected in Bolzano province (Trentino Alto Adige region) near Austrian border. A modified nested PCR analysis was used to detect E. multilocularis DNA in faecal samples belonging to red fox populations from five Italian regions. A total of 522 faecal samples were analysed from foxes shot in Valle d'Aosta (N = 65), Liguria (N = 44), Lombardy (N = 105), Veneto (N = 67), and Trentino Alto Adige (N = 241) regions. Among these, 24 samples, all from the Trentino Alto Adige region, were found positive. Moreoever, 1406 faecal samples of red foxes were analyzed by CA-ELISAs commercial test kit. This paper provides an update of the epidemiological knowledge of this parasite in north Italy.
  Parassitologia 07/2006; 48(1-2):43-6.
• Source

  Available from: pnas.org

  Article: Post-Miocene expansion, colonization, and host switching drove speciation among extant nematodes of the archaic genus Trichinella.

  D S Zarlenga, B M Rosenthal, G La Rosa, E Pozio, E P Hoberg
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  ABSTRACT: Parasitic nematodes of the genus Trichinella cause significant food-borne illness and occupy a unique evolutionary position at the base of the phylum Nematoda, unlike the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. Although the forthcoming genome sequence of Trichinella spiralis can provide invaluable comparative information about nematode biology, a basic framework for understanding the history of the genus Trichinella is needed to maximize its utility. We therefore developed the first robust and comprehensive analysis of the phylogeny and biogeographic history of Trichinella using the variation in three genes (nuclear small-subunit rDNA, and second internal transcribed spacer, mitochondrial large-subunit rDNA, and cytochrome oxidase I DNA) from all 11 recognized taxa. We conclude that (i) although Trichinellidae may have diverged from their closest extant relatives during the Paleozoic, all contemporary species of Trichinella diversified within the last 20 million years through geographic colonization and pervasive host switching among foraging guilds of obligate carnivores; (ii) mammalian carnivores disseminated encapsulated forms from Eurasia to Africa during the late Miocene and Pliocene, and to the Nearctic across the Bering Land Bridge during the Pliocene and Pleistocene, when crown species ultimately diversified; (iii) the greatest risk to human health is posed by those species retaining an ancestral capacity to parasitize a wide range of hosts; and (iv) early hominids may have first acquired Trichinella on the African savannah several million years before swine domestication as their diets shifted from herbivory to facultative carnivory.
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 06/2006; 103(19):7354-9. · 9.68 Impact Factor
• Article: Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella pseudospiralis mixed infection in a wild boar (Sus scrofa) of Germany.

  K Nöckler, S Reckinger, E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: A wild boar (Sus scrofa) from the island Usedom in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (north-east Germany) was detected as Trichinella-positive during routine meat inspection. Encapsulated and non-encapsulated larvae were detected in the muscle tissue by trichinoscopy. In the diaphragm, 922 larvae per g were detected by artificial digestion. Muscle larvae displayed two different sizes of about 700 and 1100 microm. By a multiplex PCR analysis, larvae with a large size were identified as Trichinella spiralis, whereas those of a smaller size were identified as Trichinella pseudospiralis. This is the first finding of a mixed infection of T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis in a naturally infected animal and it supports the tendency of more frequent detection of the non-encapsulated species T. pseudospiralis in Europe.
  Veterinary Parasitology 05/2006; 137(3-4):364-8. · 2.58 Impact Factor
• Article: Trichinella in pork: current knowledge on the suitability of freezing as a public health measure.

  E Pozio, C M O Kapel, A A Gajadhar, P Boireau, J Dupouy-Camet, H R Gamble
  Euro surveillance: bulletin europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 02/2006; 11(11):E061116.1. · 6.15 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Pascal Boireau

  Article: Meat inspection for Trichinella in pork, horsemeat and game within the EU: available technology and its present implementation.

  P Webster, C Maddox-Hyttel, K Nöckler, A Malakauskas, J van der Giessen, E Pozio, P Boireau, C M O Kapel
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  ABSTRACT: A new EU directive relating to meat inspection for Trichinella, expected to come into force in 2006, imposes important modifications to current legislation. Nevertheless, several issues need more attention. Optimisation of methods, especially concerning sensitivity and digestibility of the meat to be inspected, along with further simplification of the legislation with regard to the number of techniques accepted, is recommended to guarantee that all member states of the EU will be given tools to perform inspection of consumer meat at the same high level. Additionally, there is a need for guidelines and protocols regarding optimal proficiency testing procedures. This paper presents an overview of the current methods for Trichinella meat inspection and their implementation in the EU, listing advantages and disadvantages for each method, including some suggestions for specific points of improvement.
  Euro surveillance: bulletin europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin 02/2006; 11(1):50-5. · 6.15 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: usda.gov

  Article: Recent advances on the taxonomy, systematics and epidemiology of Trichinella.

  E Pozio, D S Zarlenga
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  ABSTRACT: Since Owen first described Trichinella as a human pathogen in 1835, the number of organisms comprising this genus has grown dramatically. Where it was once thought to be a monospecific group, this genus is now comprised of eight species and three additional genotypic variants that have yet to be taxonomically defined. Along with the growth in the genus and description of the parasites has come a concomitant increase in our understanding of the epidemiology and geographical distribution of these organisms. Recent expansion of the non-encapsulated group to include three species biologically defined by their unique host ranges encompassing mammals, birds and reptiles, has raised substantial questions as to the term, 'Trichinella-free' as it applies to geographical localities. A true appreciation of the adaptability of this genus to host and environmental selection factors, as well as its dissemination to the far reaches of the world can best be appreciated by reviewing what we know and what we hope to know about this ancient and elusive parasite. The review herein consolidates our current understanding of the taxonomy, epidemiology, and phylogeny of the genus Trichinella, and identifies areas where data are lacking and our knowledge requires additional clarification.
  International Journal for Parasitology 11/2005; 35(11-12):1191-204. · 3.39 Impact Factor
• Article: Echinococcus multilocularis in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) of the Italian Alpine region: is there a focus of autochthonous transmission?

  A Casulli, M T Manfredi, G La Rosa, A R Di Cerbo, A Dinkel, T Romig, P Deplazes, C Genchi, E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: Alveolar echinococcosis, caused by the metacestode of Echinococcus multilocularis, is a zoonosis with a wider distribution area than described in the past. Fox populations living in the Alpine regions of Italy had been considered free from this parasite until 2002, when two infected foxes (Vulpes vulpes) were detected in the Bolzano province (Trentino Alto Adige region) near the Austrian border. The aim of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of infection in red fox populations from five Italian regions. A modified nested PCR analysis was used to detect E. multilocularis DNA in faecal samples. Amplicons were confirmed by sequencing. Of 500 faecal samples from foxes shot in Valle d'Aosta (n=57), Liguria (n=44), Lombardy (n=102), Veneto (n=56), and Trentino Alto Adige (n=241) regions, 24 animals, all from the Trentino Alto Adige region, were found positive. Twenty-two positive animals originated from the Bolzano province and two positive animals from the Trento province. Several localities of the Bolzano province, in which positive foxes were detected, are the same as those where alveolar echinococcosis had been described in humans in the second half of the 19th century, suggesting an old endemicity for the investigated area, which is adjacent to endemic areas of Austria. Therefore, the question arises if we are observing an increase and expansion of foci, or if the new records are due to the more sensitive and specific methods used to detect the worm DNA.
  International Journal for Parasitology 10/2005; 35(10):1079-83. · 3.39 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: inta.gov.ar

  Article: The broad spectrum of Trichinella hosts: from cold- to warm-blooded animals.

  E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: In recent years, studies on Trichinella have shown that the host range is wider than previously believed and new Trichinella species and genotypes have been described. Three classes of vertebrates are known to act as hosts, mammals, birds and reptiles, and infected vertebrates have been detected on all continents but Antarctica. Mammals represent the most important hosts and all Trichinella species are able to develop in this vertebrate class. Natural infections with Trichinella have been described in more than 150 mammalian species belonging to 12 orders (i.e., Marsupialia, Insectivora, Edentata, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Cetacea, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Artiodactyla, Tylopoda and Primates). The epidemiology of the infection greatly varies by species relative to characteristics, such as diet, life span, distribution, behaviour, and relationships with humans. The non-encapsulated species Trichinella pseudospiralis, detected in both mammals (14 species) and birds (13 species), shows a cosmopolitan distribution with three distinguishable populations in the Palearctic, Nearctic and Australian regions. Two additional non-encapsulated species, Trichinella papuae, detected in wild pigs and saltwater crocodiles of Papua New Guinea, and Trichinella zimbabwensis, detected in farmed Nile crocodiles of Zimbabwe, can complete their life cycle in both mammals and reptiles. To the best of our knowledge, T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis are the only two parasites known to complete their entire life cycle independently of whether the host is warm-blooded or cold-blooded. This suggests that these two Trichinella species are capable of activating different physiological mechanisms, according to the specific vertebrate class hosting them.
  Veterinary Parasitology 10/2005; 132(1-2):3-11. · 2.58 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: unl.edu

  Article: Trichinella pseudospiralis from a wild pig in Texas.

  H R Gamble, E Pozio, J R Lichtenfels, D S Zarlenga, D E Hill
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  ABSTRACT: In December 2001, the routine inspection of a wild boar intended for human consumption revealed the presence of Trichinella ssp. larvae. Biological, morphological and genetic analyses demonstrated the parasite to be Trichinella pseudospiralis. This is the second report of T. pseudospiralis in the United States and the first report of the parasite in a food animal species in the U.S.
  Veterinary Parasitology 10/2005; 132(1-2):147-50. · 2.58 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: inta.gov.ar

  Article: Evaluation of the infectivity of Trichinella papuae and Trichinella zimbabwensis for equatorial freshwater fishes.

  E Pozio, G La Rosa
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  ABSTRACT: The discovery of Trichinella species infecting poikilotherm vertebrates has opened new possibilities in the epidemiology of this parasite group. The aim of the present work was to investigate the infectivity of the two non-encapsulated species of Trichinella infecting both mammals and reptiles, Trichinella papuae and Trichinella zimbabwensis, for equatorial freshwater carnivore fishes. To this end, two species of piranhas, four Serrasalmus nattereri and four Serrasalmus rhombeus, were each inoculated per os with the two species of Trichinella larvae. Six days post infection (p.i.), one fish of each species inoculated with one of the two species of Trichinella was sacrificed. The intestines and celomatic cavities were searched for worms using dissection microscopy, and the presence of muscle larvae was evaluated by artificial digestion. The other 4 inoculated fish were sacrificed 60 days p.i. and similarly searched for the presence of worms. No larva or adult worms were detected in any organ or tissue at 6 or 60 days p.i. The lack of infectivity of T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis for fish suggests that the entozoic habitat of this animal does not represent a suitable environment for these two Trichinella species. More importantly, these data indicate that freshwater fishes, one of the food resources for crocodiles, caimans and alligators, are unlikely to play a role in the epidemiology of the known species of the genus Trichinella.
  Veterinary Parasitology 10/2005; 132(1-2):113-4. · 2.58 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Pascal Boireau

  Article: Experimental studies in pigs on Trichinella detection in different diagnostic matrices.

  K Nöckler, F J Serrano, P Boireau, C M O Kapel, E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: A total of 72 specific pathogen-free (SPF) and Iberian pigs (three animals per group) were inoculated with 200, 1000 or 20,000 muscle larvae of T. spiralis, T. nativa, T. britovi and T. pseudospiralis. For each animal, the muscle larva burden was evaluated in nine muscle samples by digestion. The anti-Trichinella IgG kinetics in blood samples, taken twice prior and at days 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 and 60 post-inoculation, and in muscle juice, obtained at necropsy, was evaluated by an ELISA using an excretory/secretory antigen. The mean larval recovery rate in SPF/Iberian pigs corresponded with the level of inoculum dose, and tongue, diaphragm and masseter were identified as predilection muscles. In SPF and Iberian pigs receiving 20,000 larvae of T. spiralis, an earlier seroconversion was detected from day 25 post-inoculation. At a 10-fold dilution, the muscle juice showed a good test agreement with blood serum.
  Veterinary Parasitology 10/2005; 132(1-2):85-90. · 2.58 Impact Factor
• Article: Trichinella britovi etiological agent of sylvatic trichinellosis in the Republic of Guinea (West Africa) and a re-evaluation of geographical distribution for encapsulated species in Africa.

  E Pozio, P Pagani, G Marucci, D S Zarlenga, E P Hoberg, D De Meneghi, G La Rosa, L Rossi
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  ABSTRACT: In West Africa, Trichinella infection was documented in humans and animals from Senegal in the 1960s, and the biological characters of one isolate showed a lower infectivity to domestic pigs and rodents when compared with that of a Trichinella spiralis pig isolate from Europe. To identify the Trichinella species present in West Africa, a survey was conducted in a total of 160 wild animals in the Republic of Guinea. Three Viverridae, one true civet (Viverra civetta) and two African palm civets (Nandinia binotata) from the Fouta Djallon Massif, Pilimini Subprefecture, were found positive by artificial digestion of muscle samples. Trichinella larvae from these three viverrids were identified as Trichinella britovi and no difference was detected in three examined sequences from these African isolates and the reference strain of T. britovi from Europe, indicating common ancestry, an historically continuous geographic distribution, and recent isolation for African and European populations. The detection of T. britovi in West Africa modifies our knowledge about the distribution of encapsulated species of Trichinella in Africa. Thus, Trichinella nelsoni is now considered to have a distribution limited to the Eastern part of the Afrotropical region from Kenya to South Africa. This provides a plausible explanation for the presence of Trichinella T8 in Namibia and South Africa, and further suggests that T. britovi could be the Trichinella species circulating among wild animals of Northern Africa.
  International Journal for Parasitology 09/2005; 35(9):955-60. · 3.39 Impact Factor
• Article: Dientamoeba fragilis is more prevalent than Giardia duodenalis in children and adults attending a day care centre in Central Italy.

  D Crotti, M L D'Annibale, G Fonzo, M Lalle, S M Cacciò, E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: Giardia duodenalis is a well recognised enteropathogen, while Dientamoeba fragilis is rarely detected and consequently it is not recognised as an important human pathogen. In 2002-2003, a survey has been carried out on enteroparasites in faecal samples of outpatients attending a day care centre in the town of Perugia (Central Italy). To improve the detection level, at least three samples from each patient were collected at different days and within two hours from defecation. The coproparasitological examination has been carried out by direct microscopic examination, faecal concentration, and Giemsa and modified Ziehl-Nielsen stainings of faecal smears. The genotypes of Giardia duodenalis isolates were determined by PCR of the beta-giardin gene. Of 1,989 enrolled people (966 children, 1,023 adults), 165 persons (8.3%; 153 adults, 15.0%; 12 children, 1.2%), were positive for parasites, but only 1 12 adults (73.2% of those infected) and eight children (66.7% of those infected) harboured D. fragilis and G. duodenalis. Both the Assemblages A and B were detected in 18 G. duodenalis isolates examined at the beta-giardin gene. The higher prevalence of D. fragilis infections than that of G. duodenalis is probably related to the method used, a procedure, which is rarely followed in laboratories for the diagnosis of enteric parasites. These epidemiological data suggest that when faecal samples are examined after a period of time and without Giemsa staining, most D. fragilis infections goes undetected.
  Parasite (Paris, France) 07/2005; 12(2):165-70. · 1.00 Impact Factor
• Article: Infection with human immunodeficiency virus, herpes simplex virus type 2, and human herpes virus 8 in remote villages of southwestern Papua New Guinea.

  B Suligoi, R T Danaya, L Sarmati, I L Owen, S Boros, E Pozio, M Andreoni, G Rezza
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  ABSTRACT: To investigate the spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and other sexually transmitted viruses, two serosurveys (the first in 1999 among 56 adults and the second in 2001 among 351 adults) were conducted in remote villages of the southwestern part of Papua New Guinea. Only one individual was positive for antibodies to HIV. In 2001, the seroprevalence of human herpes virus 8 (HHV-8) was 32.2%, and the seroprevalence of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was 27.4%. Both prevalence rates increased with age, and were lower in the villages near the Bensbach River. The seropositivity of HSV-2 was independently correlated with HHV-8 infection. Our data show that the inhabitants of the southwestern region of Papua New Guinea currently experience an extremely low circulation of HIV. However, the high prevalence of infectious agents that can be sexually transmitted, such as HSV-2 and to a lesser extent HHV-8, indicates the presence of behavioral patterns that may facilitate the spread of HIV in this area of currently low endemicity.
  The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 02/2005; 72(1):33-6. · 2.59 Impact Factor
• Article: Pilot vaccination project for the control of hydatid disease in Matera province (southern Italy).

  A Casulli, G Vitelli, G Santagada, E Pozio
  Parassitologia 01/2005; 46(4):421.
• Article: Copro-diagnosis of Echinococcus multilocularis by a nested PCR in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from northern Italy.

  A Casulli, G La Rosa, M T Manfredi, A R Di Cerbo, A Dinkel, T Romig, P Deplazes, C Genchi, E Pozio
  Parassitologia 01/2005; 46(4):419-20.
• Article: Trichinella pseudospiralis foci in Sweden.

  E Pozio, D Christensson, M Stéen, G Marucci, G La Rosa, C Bröjer, T Mörner, H Uhlhorn, E Agren, M Hall
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  ABSTRACT: In Sweden, the prevalence of Trichinella infection in domestic pigs has greatly decreased since the 1970s, with no reports in the past 4 years. However, infected wild animals continue to be found. The objective of the present study was to identify the species of Trichinella present in animals of Sweden, so as to contribute to the knowledge on the distribution area and hosts useful for the prevention and control of this zoonosis. In the period 1985-2003, Trichinella larvae were detected in the muscles of 81/1800 (4.5%) red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 1/6 (16.7%) arctic fox (Alopex lagopus), 1/7 (14.3%) wolf (Canis lupus), 10/200 (5.0%) lynxes (Lynx lynx), 4/8000 (0.05%) wild boars (Sus scrofa), and 27/66 x 10(6) (0.000041%) domestic pigs. All four Trichinella species previously found in Europe were detected (Trichinella spiralis, T. nativa, T. britovi and T. pseudospiralis). The non-encapsulated species T. pseudospiralis was detected in three wild boars from Holo (Stockholm area) and in one lynx from Froso (Ostersund area), suggesting that this species is widespread in Sweden. These findings are consistent with those of a study from Finland, both for the unexpected presence of T. pseudospiralis infection and the presence of the same four Trichinella species, suggesting that this epidemiological situation is present in the entire Scandinavian region. The widespread diffusion of T. pseudospiralis in the Scandinavian region is also important in terms of it potential impact on public health, given that human infection can occur and the difficulties to detect it by the trichinelloscopic examination.
  Veterinary Parasitology 12/2004; 125(3-4):335-42. · 2.58 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Adriano Casulli

  Article: Trichinella papuae and Trichinella zimbabwensis induce infection in experimentally infected varans, caimans, pythons and turtles.

  E Pozio, G Marucci, A Casulli, L Sacchi, S Mukaratirwa, C M Foggin, G La Rosa
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  ABSTRACT: The discovery of Trichinella zimbabwensis in farm crocodiles of Zimbabwe has opened up a new frontier in the epidemiology of the Trichinella genus. The objective of the present study was to investigate the infectivity of encapsulated species (T. spiralis, T. nativa, T. britovi, T. murrelli and T. nelsoni) and non-encapsulated species (T. pseudospiralis, T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis) in caimans (Caiman crocodilus), varans (Varanus exanthematicus), pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) and turtles (Pelomedusa subrufa) raised at their natural temperature range (26-32 degrees C). Mice and chickens were used as controls. At 6 days post-infection (p.i.), adult worms were detected in the small intestine of reptiles infected with T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis, of chickens infected with T. pseudospiralis and of mice infected with all encapsulated and non-encapsulated species. At 60 days p.i., T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis adult worms were collected from the intestine of varans and caimans and larvae from muscles of the four reptile species, T. pseudospiralis larvae from muscles of chickens, and larvae of all Trichinella species from mouse muscles. The highest reproductive capacity index of both T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis was observed in varans. The results show that T. papuae and T. zimbabwensis are able to complete their entire life-cycle in both poikilothermic and homoiothermic animals.
  Parasitology 04/2004; 128(Pt 3):333-42. · 2.96 Impact Factor
• Article: International Commission on Trichinellosis: recommendations on the use of serological tests for the detection of Trichinella infection in animals and man.

  H R Gamble, E Pozio, F Bruschi, K Nöckler, C M Kapel, A A Gajadhar
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  ABSTRACT: The use of serological tests to detect Trichinella infection in domestic and wild animals and in humans has not been standardised yet. This review provides an uniform set of recommendations for the development and use of serological tests to detect circulating antibodies in serum samples. The recommendations are based on the best scientific published information and on the unpublished data from laboratories with a great expertise in this field and represent the official position of the International Commission on Trichinellosis regarding acceptable methods and the evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity. These recommendations are subject to change as new scientific information becomes available.
  Parasite (Paris, France) 04/2004; 11(1):3-13. · 1.00 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Fabio Tosini

  Article: Detection and counting of Cryptosporidium parvum in HCT-8 cells by flowcytometry.

  R Mele, Morales M Gomez, F Tosini, E Pozio
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  ABSTRACT: The objective of the present study was to evaluate flowcytometry analysis (FCA) as a tool for rapidly and objectively estimating the percentage of cells infected with Cryptosporidium parvum in an in vitro model. We compared the results to those obtained with immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and evaluated the intra-assay variability of both assays and the inter-assay variability of IFA. Human ileocecal adenocarcinoma cells (HCT-8) were infected with different doses of excysted oocysts. After 24 hours, cells were analysed by FCA and by IFA using a monoclonal antibody that recognises a C. parvum antigenic protein and a lectin that binds with glycoproteins present in the parasitophorous vacuoles. The coefficient of variability in terms of the percentage of infected cells was lower for FCA (i.e., 13-14%) than for IFA (i.e., 27-38% when performed by a single operator and 19-22% when performed by three operators), suggesting that FCA is more accurate, in that it is not subject to operator expertise. FCA also has the advantage of allowing the entire culture to be examined, thus avoiding problems with heterogeneity among microscopic fields. In light of these results, this method could also be used to test new anti-Cryptosporidium drugs.
  Parasite (Paris, France) 01/2004; 10(4):297-302. · 1.00 Impact Factor