The scientists have tested more than 500 new compounds since the late 1980s and say several developed to fight Cryptosporidiosis have promise. I hope we'll have human trials for drugs to co mbat Cryptosporidiosis by next year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that half of all dairy calves shed the parasite, with Cryptosporidium parvum present on more than 90 percent of the nation's dairy farms. Water runoff from farm ponds and streams provid es an easy path for the protozoan to enter the nation's lakes and rivers. Cryptosporidiosis leads to watery diarrhea and stomach cramp s, which can sometimes be severe.
Victims can also suffer weight loss, nausea, vomiting and fever.
There is no cure, but those with normal immune systems are usually able to overcome the disease in a few days. The disease can be deadly for HIV-positive in dividuals and others with weakened immune systems, such as the elderly and the very young. The pathogen also impacts the cattle industry, slowing the growth rate of beef and dairy cows. Success in the laboratory at Auburn will mean a benefit to both human and veterinary medicine.