Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium isolates obtained from humans in France

Cryptosporidium parvum is usually considered the agent of human cryptospori diosis. However, only in the last few years, molecular biology-based method s have allowed the identification of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes, and only a few data are available from France. In the present work.:, we c ollected samples of whole feces from 57 patients from France (11 immunocomp etent patients, 35 human immunodeficiency virus [HIV]infected patients, 11 immunocompromised but non-HIV-infected patients) in whom Cryptosporidium oo cysts were recognized by clinical laboratories. A fragment of the Cryptospo ridium ISS rRNA gene encompassing the hypervariable region was amplified by PCR and sequenced. The results revealed that the majority of the patients were infected with cattle (29 of 57) or human (18 of 57) genotypes of Crypt osporidium parvum. However, a number of immunocompromised patients were inf ected with C. meleagridis (3 of 57), C. felis (6 of 57), or a new genotype of C. muris (1 of 57). This is the first report of the last three species o f Cryptosporidium in humans in France. These results indicate that immunoco mpromised individuals are susceptible to a wide range of Cryptosporidium sp ecies and genotypes.