ABSTRACT
This chapter provides state-of-the-art overviews on foodborne diseases caused by Cryptosporidium in relation to their etiology, biology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Cryptosporidium is a genus of parasitic protozoans belonging to the phylum Apicomplexa, which infect a wide range of hosts including humans, birds, reptiles, and fish. There is no effective treatment for cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised populations, and no vaccine is available. Humans are susceptible to a wide range of Cryptosporidium species, with Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum the main species infecting humans globally. The major public health importance of Cryptosporidium lies in the potential for outbreaks to occur when drinking water, recreational water, or food becomes contaminated with infectious Cryptosporidium oocysts. The life cycle of Cryptosporidium is complex, involving distinct asexual and sexual phases of development, which occurs mainly in/on the enterocytes of one host and culminates in the production of fully sporulated oocysts containing four mononucleated sporozoites.
