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5.         Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidium infections have been around for a long time. Cryptosporidium parvum causes most of the human infections, although other species such as C. muris, C. felis and C. meleagridis have been reported to cause some infections.  In acute cases, it induces only a self-limiting diarrheal disease, but it is a leading chronic life-threatening disease chronic diarrheal disease in immunocompromised patients such as AIDS patients.  Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of mortality among AIDS patients. Cryptosporidium organisms have been isolated from the feces of dogs and cats, so it’s a safe bet that one should be careful if an immunocompromised situation exists.