Coccidia. Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium parvum

• Grant number: 97/01177-7
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• Duration: November 01, 1997 - December 31, 2001
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Solange Maria Gennari
• Grantee: Solange Maria Gennari
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia (FMVZ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated grant(s): 99/03431-3 - Antibodies levels detected by indirect fluorescent anibody test,latex agglutination and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in caprines infected with toxoplasma gondii., AR.EXT

Abstract

The thematic project will focus on two coccidia of importance in animal and in public mental health, namely: toxoplasmosis and cryptosporidiosis. In relation to Toxoplasma gondii, the infection in caprines and sheep species is becoming more serious due to the increase in caprine and pig breeding in the country. The projects 1 and 2 will focus on the comparison of different techniques of serological diagnosis, in addition to immunohistochemical and biotest techniques in mice, in the caprine species, through experimental infections with oocysts. In pigs a study will be undertaken of immunization with the T. gondii antigen incorporated in immunostimulant complexes (sub-project 3). Cryptosporidiosis has played an important role in HIV positive and immunosuppressed patients, being associated with serious symptoms of diarrhea in those patients, possibly proving fatal to them, given that there is no effective medicine for their treatment. Alternative methods have been tried in their control, almost all based on the improvement in the patient. The use of colostrum of bovines hyperimmunized with C. parvum appears to be capable of increasing the patient's natural defenses. In sub-project 4 a pilot test will be carried out, obtaining hyperimmune colostrum and administering it to HIV patients with diarrhea through C. parvum and clinical supervision of the same. (AU)