• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.197-201
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• 2003

The present study was undertaken to determine the viability and infectivity of oocysts of Cryptosporidium baileyi that had been stored from 1 to 40 months at $4^{\circ}C$ preserved in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution. Oocysts of C. baileyi were purified from the feces of experimentally infected chickens using discontinuous sucrose gradients. Subsequently, the purified oocysts were suspended in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution at a concentration of $1{\;}{\times}10^7$ organism/ml, and their viabilities were assessed by nucleic acid staining, histologic examination, and infectivity to 2-day-old chickens. All chickens inoculated with oocysts that had been stored for 1-18 months developed patent infections, while chickens infected with older oocysts remained uninfected. Between 5.8% and 82.2% of the oocysts, stored at $4^{\circ}C$ in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution, were found to be viable, as determined by nucleic acid staining. Parasite colonization in the bursa of Fabricius was detected in the microvillus border of bursal epithelium. The finding that C. baileyi oocysts remain infective to chickens for at least 18 months offers important time-saving advantages to investigators who frequently require large numbers of oocysts.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2011

We investigate the resistance of Cryptosporidium (C.) parvum oocysts to commercial bleach treatment. The viability and infectivity of C. parvum oocysts suspended in 100, 50, 25, 12.5, 6.3 or 3.2% aqueous commercial bleach for 10, 30, 60, 120 or 180 min at room temperature were assessed by nucleic acid Syto-9 staining, histologic examination of ileum and infectivity to immunosuppressed neonatal C57BL/6N mice. Although the viability was decreased compared with normal oocysts, all oocysts in contact with serially diluted commercial bleach for 180 min were alive by nucleic acid dye Syto-9 staining. And, microscopic examination of ileum sections revealed developmental stages of C. parvum in all mice. The oocyst shedding patterns between mice infected with oocysts contacted with commercial bleach and normal control mice were not significantly different each other. Although commercial bleach is widely used as a bacterial and viral disinfectant, the present findings indicate that it is not an effective disinfectant for C. parvum oocysts under practical conditions. Authors conclude that, therefore, it is undesirable to recommend commercial bleach as a disinfectant for C. parvum oocysts.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.219-224
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• 2010

This study has been conducted to estimate the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in water supplies in the Metropolitan area of Seoul, South Korea, for 10 years from 2000 to 2009. Water samples were collected quarterly at 6 intakes in the Han River and its largest stream and 6 conventional Water Treatment Plants (WTPs) serving drinking water for 10 million people of Seoul. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in 22.5% of intake water samples and arithmetic mean was 0.65 oocysts/10 L (range 0-22 oocysts/10 L). Although the annual mean of oocyst number was as low as 0.04-1.90 oocysts/10 L, 3 peaks in 2004 and 2007 were observed and the pollution level was a little higher in winter. The lowest density was observed at Paldang intake and the pollution level increased at Kuui and Jayang intakes. At the end of the largest stream, oocysts were found in 70% of collected samples (mean 5.71 oocysts/10 L) and it seemed that its joining the Han River resulted in the increase at Kuui intake and downstream. Oocyst removal by physical process exceeded 2.0-2.3 log and then all finished water samples collected at 6 WTPs were negative for Cryptosporidium in each 100 L sample for 10 years. These results suggested that domestic wastewater from the urban region could be a source of Cryptosporidium pollution and separating sewage systems adjacent to the intakes could be meaningful for some intakes having weakness related to parasitological water quality.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.107-113
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• 1995

Four Holstein calves 7-day-old were infected with C parvum oocysts for parasitological and pathological investigations of bovine cryptosporidiosis. Of those calf 1 was orally administered with $7{\times}10^6$ oocysts of C parvum isolated from a Korean mouse (VRI-CN91), and calf 2 with same number of C parvum oocysts provided by Washington State University(WSU). The rest (calf 3 and 4) were orally administered with $1{\times}10^8$ oocysts of VRI-CN91 strain. Calf 1 commenced to discharge oocysts in feces at days 6 post inoculation(PI), and it reached a peak $1.4{\times}10^7$ oocysts per gram of feces(OPG) on day 8 PI. Calf 2 commenced to discharge oocysts in feces at day 4 PI, and it reached a peak $3.75{\times}10^6$ OPG on day 7 PI. Calf 3 and 4 commenced to discharge oocysts in feces at day 3 and day 4 PI, and it reached a peak on day 7 PI (calf 3, $7.8{\times}10^6$ OPG; calf 4, $1.7{\times}10^6$ OPG). Clinically, the calves began to show mucoid-watery diarrhea at day 3 to 5 PI, and the sign lasted 5 to 7 days. Calf 2 died on day 9 PI with a severe dehydration. On necropsy the intestine was found to be congested and hemorrhagic. Protozoan oocysts were observed mainly in the ileum and occasionally in jejunum. The results in the present study indicate that the Korean isolate was pathogenic in calves.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.57 no.6
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• pp.665-670
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• 2019

Sporulated oocysts from the feces of infected cats with Toxoplasma gondii can cause detrimental disease in both humans and animals. To investigate the prevalence of feral cats that excrete T. gondii oocysts in the feces, we examined fecal samples of 563 feral cats over a 3-year period from 2009 to 2011. Oocysts of T. gondii excreted into the feces were found from 4 of 128 cats in 2009 (3.1%) and one of 228 (0.4%) in 2010 while none of the 207 cats in 2010 were found positive with oocysts in their feces, resulting in an overall prevalence rate of 0.89% (5/563) between 2009 and 2011. Among the 5 cats that tested positive with T. gondii oocysts, 4 of the cats were male and 1 was a female with an average body weight of 0.87 kg. Numerous tissue cysts of 60 ㎛ in diameter with thin (<0.5 ㎛) cyst walls were found in the brain of one of the 5 cats on necropsy 2 months after the identification of oocysts in the feces. A PCR amplification of the T. gondii-like oocysts in the feces of the positive cats using the primer pairs Tox-5/Tox-8 and Hham34F/Hham3R confirmed the presence of T. gondii oocysts in the feces. This study provides a good indication of the risk assessment of feral cats in the transmission of T. gondii to humans in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.62 no.4
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• pp.30.1-30.6
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• 2022

In the study, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZNOPs) at concentrations of 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg were tested for their antimicrobial action against the oocysts of Eimeria tenella. The oocysts of E. tenella were isolated from the feces of broilers received at the veterinary hospital in Diwaniyah Province and initially diagnosed by compound optical microscopy. The oocysts were confirmed molecularly by polymerase chain reaction targeting the ITS1 gene with a molecular weight of 409 bp. The results in the first week showed that ZNOP concentrations of 20 and 40 mg/kg possess various activities against E. tenella, while 60 mg/kg was the most effective in reducing excreted oocysts compared to the positive control and amprolium group, along with the appearance of mild symptoms and a mortality rate of 0.8%. In the second week of infection, excreted oocysts and mortality rates generally decreased in all treated groups. A comparison of all groups showed that the 60 mg/kg ZNOP-treated group had a significantly lower number of excreted oocysts, and all birds in this group recovered during the second week of infection. These findings revealed the prospect of using ZNOPs against E. tenella in challenging situations of the appearance of resistance to anticoccidial agents.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 1990

Tests to evaluate the efficacy of disinfectant "Lysococ" against the oocfsts of Eimeria tenella were tested. In the sporulation test the sporulation of unsporulated oocysts of E. tenella was nearly suppressed by contact with "Lysococ" in 4% concentration after 30 minutes. In the suspension test with sporulated oocysts, "Lysococ" 4% disinfected sporulated oocysts of 5. tenella completely after a contact tune on 10 minutes. When using the oocyst-carrier test, the 4% solution was able to disinfect sporulated oocysts after a 90 minutes contact time.ter a 90 minutes contact time.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.295-299
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether sporulated Neospora caninum oocysts, which had been stored for 46 mo in a 2% sulfuric acid solution at $4^{\circ}C$, remain morphologically viable and infective to gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). Six gerbils were orally inoculated with doses of 400 or 1,200 oocysts. Two mo after inoculation, the animals did not show any clinical signs, had no histological lesions, and were seronegative for N. caninum at 1:50 in an immunofluorescent antibody test. PCR using the brain from each gerbil did not reveal N. caninum specific DNA. We conclude that oocysts preserved for 46 mo are not infective, despite being morphologically intact.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.155-157
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• 1996

We have successfully maintained Cyptospori, diam mons by cryopreservation. Oocysts were suspended in distilled water, stored at $-20^{\circ}C$ for 24 hrs, and then cryopreserved at $-70^{\circ}C$. Cryopreserved specimens were slowly thawed at $5^{\circ}C$. Oocysts, which had been cryopreserved for 1% months without cryoprotective agents. retained their infectivity by the mouse titration method. Oocysts stored at $5^{\circ}C$ in 2.5% potassium dichromate failed to retain their infectivity beyond 6.5 months.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.45 no.2 s.142
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• pp.133-137
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• 2007

For evaluation of the prevalence of Cryptosporidium sp. infection in diarrheic and non-diarrheic humans in Iran, fecal specimens from diarrheic (n = 129) and non-diarrheic humans (n = 271) were collected and examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts. The presence of Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts was determined by Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast staining. Humans were grouped according to their age as follows: younger than 15, 16-25, 26-35, 36-50, and over 51 years. The results showed that the overall prevalence of infection in all 400 samples was 10.8%, but the prevalence (25.6%) in diarrheic humans was higher than that (3.7%) in non-diarrheic humans. Oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. were detected in the feces of 21.4%, 9.3%, 8.8%, 6.7% and 5.7% of different age groups, respectively. The intensity of oocysts was significantly higher in diarrheic humans than in non-diarrheic ones. There was a significant association between Cryptosporidium sp. infection and occurrence of diarrhea (P < 0.05). The results indicate that Cryptosporidium sp. infection is prevalent in diarrheic humans in Iran.