Cryptosporidium serpentis
Cryptosporidium serpentis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Clade: | Diaphoretickes |
Clade: | SAR |
Clade: | Alveolata |
Phylum: | Apicomplexa |
Class: | Conoidasida |
Order: | Eucoccidiorida |
Family: | Cryptosporidiidae |
Genus: | Cryptosporidium |
Species: | C. serpentis
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Binomial name | |
Cryptosporidium serpentis Norman D. Levine, 1980
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Cryptosporidium serpentis is a protozoal parasite that infects the gastrointestinal tract of
No proven cure exists for C. serpentis, but some drugs, such as Paromomycin, have proven promising results in the treatment of captive
Recent anecdotal evidence suggests the overall animals microbiome plays a key role in asymptomatic animals, with those being born in captivity or treated for other ailments at higher risk of symptomatic disease making probiotics an area of interest for further studies. This would explain why wild animals rarely appear sick from the infection while captives often struggle significantly. Other areas identified as needing further research include examination of possible vertical transmission, identifying specific strains, tracing the distribution of such strains and the comparison of strains in long term asymptomatic animals against highly pathogenic strains.
Mammal associated Cryptosporidium, such as C. parvum and C. muris have been found in the gastrointestinal tracts of snakes (due to consuming infected rodents), however the mammal equivalent appears non-infectious in serpentine hosts.[10] C. serpentis cannot infect humans or other mammals.
References
- ^ Purdue University. Cryptosporidiosis in Snakes. 1996. https://www.addl.purdue.edu/newsletters/1996/summer/snakes.shtml
- ^ Molecular Analysis of the 18S rRNA Gene of Cryptosporidium serpentis in a Wild-Caught Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata) and a Five-Species Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism- Based Assay That Can Additionally Discern C. parvum from C. wrairi L. M. Kimbell III, D. L. Miller, W. Chavez, N. Altman Applied and Environmental Microbiology Dec 1999, 65 (12) 5345-5349; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.65.12.5345-5349.1999
- ^ CRYPTOSPORIDIUM SPP. IN WILD AND CAPTIVE REPTILES Steve J. Upton ; Chris T. McAllister ; Paul S. Freed ; Susan M. Barnard J Wildl Dis (1989) 25 (1): 20–30. https://doi.org/10.7589/0090-3558-25.1.20
- ^ Cryptosporidium serpentis in snakes. Cryptosporidium serpentis in snakes By Eric Snook, DVM, PhD. July 9, 2018. https://tvmdl.tamu.edu/2018/07/09/cryptosporidium-serpentis-in-snakes/
- ^ Yimming, Benjarat et al. “Molecular Identification of Cryptosporidium Species from Pet Snakes in Thailand.” The Korean journal of parasitology vol. 54,4 (2016): 423-9. doi:10.3347/kjp.2016.54.4.423
- ^ Anne E. Rivas, Donal M. Boyer, Kevin Torregrosa, William J. Orrico, Jean A. Paré "TREATMENT OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM SERPENTIS INFECTION IN A KING COBRA (OPHIOPHAGUS HANNAH) WITH PAROMOMYCIN," Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 49(4), 1061-1063, (1 December 2018)
- PMID 9561700.
- ^ Christman, Kristin. "THE STORY OF SLACKITH THE SNAKE". Synertek Colostrum. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
- ^ Understanding the vertebrate immune system: insights from the reptilian perspective L. M. Zimmerman, L. A. Vogel, R. M. Bowden Journal of Experimental Biology 2010 213: 661-671; doi: 10.1242/jeb.038315
- ^ Xiao, Lihua et al. “Genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in captive reptiles.” Applied and environmental microbiology vol. 70,2 (2004): 891-9. doi:10.1128/aem.70.2.891-899.2004