Cryptosporidium parvum Genotype 2 infections in free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda

For behavioral research and due to growing ecotourism, some populations of free-ranging mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) have become habit uated to humans. Molecular analysis of two Cryptosporidium sp. oocyst isola tes originating from two human-habituated gorilla groups and two oocyst iso lates from non-habituated gorillas yielded positive identification of C. pa rvum Genotype 2 (G2; i.e., "cattle", "animal-adapted", or "zoonotic"). As G 2 is cross-transmissible between humans and animals, C. parvum infections c an be propagated in the habitats of human-habituated, ti-ee-ranging gorilla s through both zoonotic and anthroponotic transmission cycles.