The fate of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts ingested by dung beetles and their possible role in the dissemination of cryptosporidiosis

The fate of oocysts of Cryptosporidium parvum ingested by dung beetles and the possible role these beetles serve in the dissemination of cryptosporidi osis were tested on the following species: Anoplotrupes stercorosus, Aphodi us rufus. and Onthophagus fracticornis,. Ten specimens of each species were offered cattle dung supplemented with 5.9 X 106 oocysts of C. parvum. Afte r 24 hr of feeding, the beetles were examined for the presence of oocysts o n their external surfaces, in their gastrointestinal tracts, and in feces p assed during the experiment. Results indicate that although many oocysts pa ss safely through the mouthparts and gastrointestinal tracts of the beetles , the majority of them are destroyed. Coprophagous insects can, therefore, be considered an important aspect in the ecology of gastrointestinal diseas es of man and livestock, as both agents of control and dissemination.