Cryptosporidium avium

Koehler, Anson V., Scheelings, T. Franciscus & Gasser, Robin B., 2020, Cryptosporidium cf. avium in an inland-bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) - A case report and review of the literature, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 13, pp. 150-159 : 152

3.3. Literature survey of the C. avium clade

In total, 24 studies recorded species/genotypes of Cryptosporidium belonging to the C. avium clade – three from reptiles, one from a bat and all others from birds ( Table 2). Most studies involved animals from the pet trade (61%), followed by animals from farms (26%), wildlife (17%) and zoos (9%). Studies were from eight countries, including Brazil (n = 7), China (n = 4), Japan (4), Czechia (n = 3). The commonest genetic marker used was SSU, followed by the actin and hsp70 genes. In cases associated with C. avium or C. cf. avium infection, clinical signs ranged from gastrointestinal symptoms, such as diarrhoea ( Makino et al., 2018), renal cryptosporidiosis ( Curtiss et al., 2015), conjunctivitis ( Lewis et al., 2020) and cloacal prolapse ( Santos et al., 2005; Curtiss et al., 2015). For 12 of 24 of the cases, no pathological changes were detected; for 4 of 24 cases, no pathological investigation was mentioned.