Graczyk TK, Cranfield MR, Bostwick EF.
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Hygiene and Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.
Therapy based on the protective passive immunity of hyperimmune bovine colostrum (HBC) (raised against Cryptosporidium parvum in cows) was applied to 4 Savanna monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) with gastric Cryptosporidium sp. infections. All lizards were moderately emaciated, and their fecal and gastric lavage samples contained moderate numbers of Cryptosporidium sp. oocysts. The first 3 of 7 gastric HBC treatments at 1-wk interval each decreased the numbers ofmoocysts in the fecal and gastric samples to undetectable levels. Neither feces nor lavages of the HBC-treated lizards contained Cryptosporidium sp. Oocysts after the HBC therapy, whereas such samples of a single control lizard remained positive for oocysts. Two of the HBC-treated lizards died spontaneously due to metastasized carcinoma and septicemia of unknown etiology, respectively, and 2 lizards treated and killed during the experiment were histologically negative for developmental stages of Cryptosporidium sp. The control lizard died spontaneously of septicemia of unknown etiology and contained developmental stages of Cryptosporidium sp. in the gastric region. The HBC therapy was efficacious in V. exanthematicus and is recommended for lizards with gastric cryptosporidiosis.
Clinical trial
Randomized controlled trial
PMID: 10864270 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Word Count: 208 Words