Answer to Case 721

 Answer to theParasite Case of the Week 721:Cryptosporidiumsp. oocysts. These oocysts are a parasite, even though they stain with the non-specific calcofluor white fluorescent dye. Also, the abbreviation " crypto " is often used to refer to eitherCryptosporidium(parasite) orCryptococcus(fungus), so it ' s always good to make sure you audience know what you were talking about!Cryptosporidiumspp. oocysts are one of several intestinal parasites that stain red with the modified acid fast stain;Cyclosporaspp. andCystoisospora belli are the other two. Note that these 3 parasite genera are commonly referred to as coccidian parasites (i.e., member of teh Coccidia group). However, evidence now indicates thatCryptosporidiummore closely related to the Gregarinasina group. I ' ve purposely shown these 3 organisms in my last 3 cases for comparison. Here is a composite image of the 3 parasites together:Thanks again to Dr. Nazia Nagi for donating theC. bellicase.
Source: Creepy Dreadful Wonderful Parasites - Category: Parasitology Source Type: blogs