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Review
. 2017 Jul;33(7):561-576.
doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.02.006. Epub 2017 Mar 20.

Pathogenic Mechanisms of Cryptosporidium and Giardia

Gabriela Certad  1 , Eric Viscogliosi  2 , Magali Chabé  2 , Simone M Cacciò  3
Affiliations
Review

Pathogenic Mechanisms of Cryptosporidium and Giardia

Gabriela Certad et al. Trends Parasitol. 2017 Jul.

Abstract

Intestinal protozoa are important etiological agents of diarrhea, particularly in children, yet the public health risk they pose is often neglected. Results from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS) showed that Cryptosporidium is among the leading causes of moderate to severe diarrhea in children under 2 years. Likewise, Giardia infects approximately 200 million individuals worldwide, and causes acute diarrhea in children under 5 years. Despite this recognized role as pathogens, the question is why and how these parasites cause disease in some individuals but not in others. This review focuses on known pathogenic mechanisms of Cryptosporidium and Giardia, and infection progress towards disease.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium; Giardia; parasite–host factor interaction; virulence.

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