Multiple heterogenous isolates of Cryptosporidium serpentis from captive snakes are not transmissible to neonatal BALB/c mice (Mus musculus)
Fayer, R.; Graczyk, T.K.; Cranfield, M.R.
Journal of Parasitology 81(3): 482-484
1995
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-3395 PMID: 7776138 Document Number: 447420
Oral inoculations of 9 litter-groups of 3 5-day-old suckling BALB/c mouse pups (Mus musculus) with 6.7 times 10-3 to 1.2 times 10-5 per pup of viable, Cryptosporidium serpentis oocysts from snakes resulted in no transmission. Mice showed normal development; the litter group weight gain was not altered significantly (P gt 0,05) relative to the total number of C. serpentis oocysts inoculated or to the initial group weight (P gt 0.05). Histological sections of stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum, and colon 4 days postinoculation did not contain life-cycle stages of Cryptosporidium in any inoculated mice. Because these neonatal, C. parvum-susceptible BALB/c mice were resistant to infection it is unlikely that C. serpentis transmission to the snakes "via infected prey" results when captive snakes are maintained on a diet of BALB/c mice.