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J Med Microbiol 57 (2008), 1099-1105; DOI: 10.1099/jmm.0.2008/001461-0
© 2008 Society for General Microbiology
ISSN 1473-5644

Detection and differentiation of Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum by dual TaqMan assays

N. Jothikumar1, A. J. da Silva1, I. Moura1,2, Y. Qvarnstrom1 and V. R. Hill1

1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Zoonotic, Vector-borne, and Enteric Diseases, Division of Parasitic Diseases, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA

2 Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, Decatur, GA, USA

Correspondence
N. Jothikumar
JIN2{at}cdc.gov

Received 26 February 2008
Accepted 14 May 2008

Rapid identification of the two major species of Cryptosporidium associated with human infections, Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum, is important for investigating outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis. This study reports the development and validation of a real-time PCR TaqMan procedure for detection of Cryptosporidium species and identification of C. hominis and C. parvum in stool specimens. This procedure comprised a generic TaqMan assay targeting the 18S rRNA for sensitive detection of Cryptosporidium species, as well as two other TaqMan assays for identification of C. hominis and C. parvum. The generic Cryptosporidium species assay can be duplexed with the C. parvum-specific assay. The generic Cryptosporidium species assay was able to detect ten Cryptosporidium species and did not cross-react with a panel of ten other protozoan parasites. The generic Cryptosporidium species assay could detect 1–10 oocysts in a 300 µl stool specimen, whilst each of the species-specific TaqMan assays had detection sensitivities that were approximately tenfold higher. The 18S rRNA assay was found to detect Cryptosporidium species in 49/55 DNA extracts from stool specimens containing either C. hominis or C. parvum. The C. hominis TaqMan assay correctly identified C. hominis in 24/31 validation panel specimens containing this species. The C. parvum-specific assay correctly identified C. parvum in 21/24 validation panel specimens containing this species. This real-time PCR procedure was used to detect and identify C. hominis and C. parvum in stool specimens from outbreak investigations in the USA and Botswana, resulting in identification of C. hominis and/or C. parvum in 66/67 stool specimens shown to be positive for these species using other techniques. From the outbreak specimens tested, the TaqMan procedure was found to have a specificity of 94 %. This TaqMan PCR procedure should be a valuable tool for the laboratory diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis caused by C. hominis and C. parvum during outbreak investigations.

Abbreviations: COWP, Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein; DFA, direct fluorescent antibody.




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