Eurofins Biomnis code

MCRBM

Synonyms

• Cryptosporidiose
• Cryptosporidium spp.
• Encephalitozoon intestinalis
• Enterocytozoon bieneusi
• Microsporidies
• Microsporidiose

Specialty

Infectious

Clinical significance

- Cryptosporidiosis : Cryptosporidiosis is a cosmopolitan parasitosis. Humans become infected by ingesting infectious oocysts of a protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium. Cryptosporidiosis can occur in sporadic or epidemic form (reservoirs of drinking water, swimming pools, direct human-to-human contamination, infected animals, etc.). There is a close link between the patient's immune status and the severity and prognosis of Cryptosporidium spp. infection. In immunocompetent patients, the infection is asymptomatic or benign, manifesting itself as trivial gastroenteritis. When it occurs in immunocompromised patients, severe febrile diarrhoea, sometimes choleriform, may occur, threatening the patient's vital prognosis.- Microsporidiosis: Microsporidiosis is a digestive parasitosis; several genera of microsporidia have been identified in humans: Encephalitozoon and Enterocytozoon are the most common. Contamination probably occurs through ingestion of spores contained in water or food. Direct human-to-human contamination is also possible. Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis can cause chronic diarrhoea; stools are semi-liquid, rarely mucusy and not bloody. Diarrhoea may be accompanied by abdominal pain or epigastralgia, deficits in absorption and significant weight loss. E. intestinalis can also cause extra-intestinal infections, mainly affecting the kidneys. The disease affects immunocompromised individuals (HIV, bone marrow transplants, organ transplants) and much more rarely immunocompetent patients.Diagnosis: Diagnosis of these infections is based on the detection of oocysts or spores in the faeces by microscopic techniques using specific stains. The detection of cryptosporidia and microsporidia by PCR is more sensitive than microscopy. The real-time PCR technique used enables the joint detection of DNA from Cryptosporidium spp. and Encephalitozoon bieneusi and Enterocytozoon intestinalis (the microsporidia most frequently isolated from humans). Searching for the genus Cryptosporidium spp. allows the detection of all species that parasitise humans, in particular Cryptosporidium hominis (infecting only humans) and Cryptosporidium parvum (parasitising humans and several animal species). Other species have also been found in humans, including C. bovis, C. felis, C. muris and C. meleagridis.

Preanalytics

• Stools Digestive biopsies
•   Refrigerated

• A tube specifically for this analysis : No

Further information

Enclose the specific request form B18 : Bacteriology-Parasitology-Mycology
The use of the S14UK transport bag is Mandatory.
Biopsies should be placed in a sterile tube with a drop of sterile physiological water.

Documents to download

• Specific request form (B18-INTGB)
• information note (N23-INTGB)

Methodology

PCR

Turnaround time

7 days