Subtype analysis of Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium hominis isolates from humans and cattle in Iran.

Cryptosporidium is an intestinal parasite associated with severe acute diarrhea in humans and animals. To investigate subtypes of Cryptosporidium spp. isolated from humans and cattle in Iran, 47 Cryptosporidium parvum (22 from children and 25 from cattle) and three Cryptosporidium hominis from children were characterized by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene. Nine subtypes (two of C. hominis and seven of C. parvum) in four subtype families were identified. Cattle were mainly infected with C. parvum IIa subtypes and humans mostly with the C. parvum IIa and IId subtypes. Consequently, cattle could be a source of human infection with C. parvum IIa in Iran. However, the occurrence of subtype IId families in Iranian children, suggests that other infection sources might also be involved in C. parvum transmission. To our knowledge, this is the first published record and description of Cryptosporidium subtypes in Iran.