Giardia and Cryptosporidium in mammalian wildlife – current status and future needs

Appelbee, A.J., Thompson, R.C.A. and Olson, M.E. (2005) Giardia and Cryptosporidium in mammalian wildlife – current status and future needs. Trends in Parasitology, 21 (8). pp. 370-376.

Abstract

Environmental pollution with human and domestic-animal fecal material is recognized as a potential pathogen pathway for wildlife infections with zooanthropomorphic protozoan parasites such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. In this article, we review current knowledge about the diversity of free-living and captive terrestrial and marine mammalian wildlife species infected with Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The combination of prevalence studies with modern molecular-genotyping techniques is providing valuable insights into the host specificity and possible transmission routes of these two important parasites.