Cryptosporidiosis in other vertebrates

Abstract

Cryptosporidium has adapted to a broad range of hosts in all major vertebrate classes, and the species associated with humans and livestock represent a small fraction of the diversity in the genus. This review focuses on Cryptosporidium and cryptosporidiosis in terrestrial vertebrates other than humans and livestock. As the known host range of Cryptosporidium continues to expand, major orders of amphibians (Anura), reptiles (Squamata and Testudines), avians (17 out of 26 orders), and mammals (18 out of 29 orders) are now represented. The greatest Cryptosporidium diversity appears to be in mammals, which may be an Artifact of undersampling in other classes, but more likely reflects a different mechanism of Cryptosporidium diversification in mammals relative to other classes.