Cryptosporidium parvum is a parasite which can cause severe diarrhea. It is often spread through contaminated drinking water and unpasteurized juices. A reagent and method for the specific and highly sensitive detection of C. parvum in which the regent is an antibody for a soluble C. parvum sporozoite antigen. The assay allows recognition and detection of C. parvum in turbid samples. Since there exists a lack of crossreactivity with other Cryptosporidium species, the assay is also highly specific for C. parvum contamination or infection.   

Inventors: Victor Tsang, Jeffrey Call, Yeuk-Mui Lee, Patrick Johnson, Michael J Arrowood, Long-Ti Xie, and Kathy Hancock

CDC Reference Number: I-039-98/0

USPTO Serial Number: 09/857,539

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