1: J Parasitol
2000 Jun;86(3):631-2
Successful hyperimmune bovine colostrum
treatment of Savanna monitors (Varanus exanthematicus) infected with
Cryptosporidium sp.
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.
Publication Types:
Clinical trial
Randomized controlled trial
PMID: 10864270 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Articles
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