Cryptosporidium

According to the World Health Organisation, cryptosporidiosis is a global diarrhoeal disease affecting millions of individuals; it is the second most common cause of infantile death in developing countries and is increasingly identified as an emerging cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The disease is also extremely severe in livestock, causing profuse diarrhea and considerable economic losses in farmed young animals. Given the lack of effective treatment (absence of vaccines and effective drugs) and the limited understanding of the causative parasite, cryptosporidiosis represents a major challenge in the battle against global diarrheal diseases. Currently, there are 45 described Cryptosporidium species infecting a whole spectrum of animals. In this book chapter we will present an overview of the parasite, focusing on its taxonomic status, its morphology, its prevalence and transmission. We will review both cell biological and molecular techniques currently used to investigate the biology of this parasite and we will introduce the new state-of-the-art techniques that have been established by several laboratories in the field. With the development of these new technologies, we will be able to further understand the unique biology of Cryptosporidium and its role in health and disease of its host.