Cryptosporidium
genus of apicomplexan parasitic alveolate
Cryptosporidium, sometimes called crypto, is an apicomplexan genus of alveolates that are parasites that can cause a respiratory and gastrointestinal illness (cryptosporidiosis) that primarily involves watery diarrhea (intestinal cryptosporidiosis), sometimes with a persistent cough (respiratory cryptosporidiosis).
Treatment of gastrointestinal infection in humans involves fluid rehydration, electrolyte replacement, and management of any pain. For cryptosporidiosis, supportive treatment and symptom management are the primary treatments for immunocompetent individuals. Anti-diarrheal medication, such as Loperamide, may be effective in slowing the rate of diarrhea. Nitazoxanide is the only drug approved for the treatment of cryptosporidiosis in immunocompetent persons. Supplemental zinc may improve symptoms, particularly in recurrent or persistent infections or in others at risk for zinc deficiency. Cryptosporidium oocysts are 4–6 μm in diameter and exhibit partial acid-fast staining. They must be differentiated from other partially acid-fast organisms including Cyclospora cayetanensis.
General characteristics
Cryptosporidium causes cryptosporidiosis, an infection that may present as a diarrhea, sometimes with a persistent cough in immunocompetent hosts. Other apicomplexan pathogens of humans include the malaria parasite Plasmodium and the toxoplasmosis parasite Toxoplasma.
“Cryptosporidium” enters the record as genus of apicomplexan parasitic alveolate. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Cryptosporidium, genus and apicomplexan can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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“Cryptosporidium” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Cryptosporidium, genus and apicomplexan provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 6, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q133078. The Library of Congress control number is sh91004854. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
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This entry incorporates text from “Cryptosporidium” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.