Which organism can cause cryptosporidiosis if cysts are ingested?

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Multiple Choice

Which organism can cause cryptosporidiosis if cysts are ingested?

Cryptosporidiosis occurs when the infectious cysts, called oocysts, of the parasite Cryptosporidium are ingested. Cryptosporidium is a protozoan that lives in the intestine and sheds oocysts in feces. If someone drinks or eats something contaminated with these cysts, the parasites invade the intestinal lining and cause watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and dehydration. Among the options, Cryptosporidium is the one specifically associated with cryptosporidiosis after cyst ingestion. Giardia lamblia also forms cysts and can cause disease after ingestion, but that illness is giardiasis, not cryptosporidiosis. Shigella and pathogenic E. coli are bacteria that cause diarrheal illness through different mechanisms and do not produce the cryptosporidium cysts.

Cryptosporidiosis occurs when the infectious cysts, called oocysts, of the parasite Cryptosporidium are ingested. Cryptosporidium is a protozoan that lives in the intestine and sheds oocysts in feces. If someone drinks or eats something contaminated with these cysts, the parasites invade the intestinal lining and cause watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and dehydration. Among the options, Cryptosporidium is the one specifically associated with cryptosporidiosis after cyst ingestion. Giardia lamblia also forms cysts and can cause disease after ingestion, but that illness is giardiasis, not cryptosporidiosis. Shigella and pathogenic E. coli are bacteria that cause diarrheal illness through different mechanisms and do not produce the cryptosporidium cysts.

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