Cryptosporidium spp. has emerged as an important cause of diarrheal
disease in humans and animals, with a global distribution. The epidemiology of
cryptosporidiosis is complex, and transmission occurs through both direct (human-tohuman,
animal-to-human) and indirect (through water and food) routes. In humans, the
majority of infections are caused by C. hominis and C. parvum, but a number of other
species have been recognized as human pathogens. The burden of disease is
particularly high among young children in developing regions of the world, where
cryptosporidiosis is one of the major causes of moderate-to-severe diarrhea and is
associated with an increased risk of death. In developed countries, contamination of
drinking water has caused several large waterborne outbreaks. Effective drug
treatments and vaccines are not yet available, but the partial immunity after exposure
suggests the potential for developing vaccines. Routine diagnostic methods for
Cryptosporidium often have a low sensitivity, and those based on antigen or DNA
detection, that greatly improve sensitivity, are underused. Recent advances in nextgeneration
sequencing techniques will significantly improve our knowledge of the
transmission of Cryptosporidium. However, increased funding will be essential to
combat this important pathogen.
Keywords: Cryptosporidiosis, Cryptosporidium, Diagnostic methods,
Epidemiology, Genomics, Genotyping, Human infection, Immunology, Intestinal
disease, Molecular epidemiology, Pathogenesis, Risk factors, Transmission
routes, Treatment.
