Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic; Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
Eur J Protistol. 2020 Aug;75:125718. doi: 10.1016/j.ejop.2020.125718. Epub 2020 Jun 4.
Cryptosporidium is a genus of apicomplexan parasites that inhabit the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts of vertebrates. Research of these parasites is limited by a lack of model hosts. This study aimed to determine the extent to which infection at the embryo stage can enhance the propagation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in chickens. Nine-day-old chicken embryos and one-day-old chickens were experimentally infected with different doses of Cryptosporidium baileyi and Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Post hatching, all chickens had demonstrable infections, and the infection dose had no effect on the course of infection. Chickens infected as embryos shed oocysts immediately after hatching and shed significantly more oocysts over the course of the infection than chickens infected as one-day-olds. In chickens infected as embryos, C. baileyi was found in all organs except the brain whereas, C. parvum was only found in the gastrointestinal tract and trachea. In chickens infected as one-day-olds, C. baileyi was only found in the gastrointestinal tract and trachea. Chickens infected as embryos with C. baileyi died within 16 days of hatching. All other chickens cleared the infection. Infection of chickens as embryos could be used as an effective and simple model for the propagation of C. baileyi and C. parvum.
隐孢子虫是顶复门的寄生虫，栖息在脊椎动物的呼吸道和胃肠道内。对这些寄生虫的研究受到缺乏模型宿主的限制。本研究旨在确定胚胎期感染在多大程度上可以增强隐孢子虫卵囊在鸡体内的繁殖。将不同剂量的贝氏隐孢子虫和微小隐孢子虫卵囊感染给 9 日龄的鸡胚和 1 日龄的鸡。出壳后，所有的鸡都有明显的感染，感染剂量对感染过程没有影响。作为胚胎感染的鸡在出壳后立即排出卵囊，并且在感染过程中排出的卵囊数量明显多于作为 1 日龄感染的鸡。在作为胚胎感染的鸡中，除了大脑，贝氏隐孢子虫都可以在所有器官中找到，而微小隐孢子虫仅在胃肠道和气管中找到。在作为 1 日龄感染的鸡中，贝氏隐孢子虫仅在胃肠道和气管中找到。感染贝氏隐孢子虫的鸡胚在出壳后 16 天内死亡。所有其他的鸡都清除了感染。用贝氏隐孢子虫感染鸡胚可以作为一种有效的、简单的模型，用于繁殖贝氏隐孢子虫和微小隐孢子虫。
