Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasitic zoonotic pathogen responsible for diarrheal illness in huma... more Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasitic zoonotic pathogen responsible for diarrheal illness in humans and animals worldwide. We report an investigation of a cryptosporidiosis outbreak in raccoons and wildlife rehabilitation workers at a Virginia facility. Fifteen (31%) of 49 facility personnel experienced symptoms meeting the case definition, including four laboratory‐confirmed cases. Seven juvenile raccoons were reported to have diarrhoea; six had laboratory‐confirmed cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium parvum of the same molecular subtype (IIaA16G3R2) was identified in two human cases and six raccoons. Raccoon illness preceded human illness by 11 days, suggesting possible zoonotic transmission from raccoons to humans. This appears to be the first report of a human cryptosporidiosis outbreak associated with exposure to raccoons infected with C. parvum. Raccoons might be an under‐recognized reservoir for human C. parvum infections. Further study is needed to explore the prevalence of cryptosporidial species in raccoons and their role as a wildlife reservoir.
Patrick K. Mitchell Cornell University Mathias Martins Department of Population Medicine and Diag... more Patrick K. Mitchell Cornell University Mathias Martins Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Tara Reilly Virginia Zoo Leonardo C. Caserta Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Renee Anderson Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Brittany D. Cronk Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech Julia Murphy VA Department of Health Erin L. Goodrich Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Diego G. Diel ( dgdiel@cornell.edu ) Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medi...
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has claimed millions of human lives worldwide since the emerge... more Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has claimed millions of human lives worldwide since the emergence of the zoonotic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China in December 2019. Notably, most severe and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in humans have been associated with underlying clinical conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Here, we describe a case of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic cat (Felis catus) that presented with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a chronic heart condition that has been described as a comorbidity of COVID-19 in humans and that is prevalent in domestic cats. The lung and heart of the affected cat presented clear evidence of SARS-CoV-2 replication, with histological lesions similar to those observed in humans with COVID-19 with high infectious viral loads being recovered from these organs. The study highlights the potential impact of comorbidities on the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals an...
Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasitic zoonotic pathogen responsible for diarrheal illness in huma... more Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasitic zoonotic pathogen responsible for diarrheal illness in humans and animals worldwide. We report an investigation of a cryptosporidiosis outbreak in raccoons and wildlife rehabilitation workers at a Virginia facility. Fifteen (31%) of 49 facility personnel experienced symptoms meeting the case definition, including four laboratory‐confirmed cases. Seven juvenile raccoons were reported to have diarrhoea; six had laboratory‐confirmed cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium parvum of the same molecular subtype (IIaA16G3R2) was identified in two human cases and six raccoons. Raccoon illness preceded human illness by 11 days, suggesting possible zoonotic transmission from raccoons to humans. This appears to be the first report of a human cryptosporidiosis outbreak associated with exposure to raccoons infected with C. parvum. Raccoons might be an under‐recognized reservoir for human C. parvum infections. Further study is needed to explore the prevalence of cryptosporidial species in raccoons and their role as a wildlife reservoir.
Patrick K. Mitchell Cornell University Mathias Martins Department of Population Medicine and Diag... more Patrick K. Mitchell Cornell University Mathias Martins Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Tara Reilly Virginia Zoo Leonardo C. Caserta Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Renee Anderson Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Brittany D. Cronk Department of Biomedical Sciences & Pathobiology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech Julia Murphy VA Department of Health Erin L. Goodrich Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Animal Health Diagnostic Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University Diego G. Diel ( dgdiel@cornell.edu ) Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medi...
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has claimed millions of human lives worldwide since the emerge... more Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), has claimed millions of human lives worldwide since the emergence of the zoonotic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in China in December 2019. Notably, most severe and fatal SARS-CoV-2 infections in humans have been associated with underlying clinical conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. Here, we describe a case of severe SARS-CoV-2 infection in a domestic cat (Felis catus) that presented with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), a chronic heart condition that has been described as a comorbidity of COVID-19 in humans and that is prevalent in domestic cats. The lung and heart of the affected cat presented clear evidence of SARS-CoV-2 replication, with histological lesions similar to those observed in humans with COVID-19 with high infectious viral loads being recovered from these organs. The study highlights the potential impact of comorbidities on the outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals an...
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