Subtypes of Cryptosporidium spp. in mice and other small mammals.

DNA sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene has been used extensively in subtyping Cryptosporidium hominis in humans and Cryptosporidium parvum in humans and ruminants. In this study, nucleotide sequences of the gp60 gene were obtained from seven Cryptosporidium species and genotypes related to the two species. Altogether, seven subtype families were detected, including four new subtype families. These data should be useful in studies of the transmission and zoonotic potential of cryptosporidiosis in mice and small wild mammals.