Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic parasite causing a gastrointestinal disease called cryptosporidiosis. It can be transmitted from person to person, or from farm livestock to humans, through the fecal-oral route. Ingestion of drinking water contaminated with oocysts is the major mode of transmission. Cryptosporidium has a complex life cycle, completed in one to eight days in the host body. Cryptosporidium is excreted in the feces of an infected host in the form of an oocyst and life cycle is repeated when infected sporulated oocysts are ingested by a new host. Oocysts can survive for months in soil under cool, dark conditions and for up to one year in low-turbidity water. Symptoms reported by individuals afflicted with cryptosporidiosis include abdominal cramps, vomiting, lethargy and general malaise. Variability in clinical symptoms is appreciable and may include renal failure and liver disease. It is a major health concern in children under the age of five and in immunocompromised individuals. The public health concern is worsened by the resistance of Cryptosporidium to commonly used water disinfection practices such as chlorination. Monitoring for this organism in water is currently difficult and expensive.

Norgen’s Cryptosporidium tyzzer TaqMan PCR Kit is designed for the detection of Cryptosporidium tyzzer specific DNA in a real-time PCR based on the use of TaqMan technology. This kit is designed for research use only and not for use in diagnostic procedures. The detection of Cryptosporidium tyzzer specific DNA is based on TaqMan PCR providing a simple, reliable and rapid result for the detection of Cryptosporidium tyzzer infection. Norgen’s Cryptosporidium tyzzer TaqMan PCR Kit includes a PCR control to monitor for PCR inhibition, and to validate the quality of the sample and the detection result. The Cryptosporidium tyzzer TaqMan PCR Kit comprises Master Mix for the target and PCR control detection, Primer & Probe Mix, as well as a positive control and a negative control (nuclease-free water) to confirm the integrity of the kit reagents.

Norgen’s Cryptosporidium tyzzer TaqMan PCR Kit was developed and validated to be used with the following PCR instruments:

• Qiagen Rotor-Gene Q
• BioRad CFX96 Touch™ Real-Time PCR Detection System
• QuantStudio™ 7 Pro Real-Time PCR System