Perturbation of the intestinal microbiome of mice infected with Cryptosporidium parvum

Background. Understanding the interaction between the intestinal microbiome and enteric pathogens is of interest to the development of alternative treatments which do not rely on chemotherapy and do not lead to drug resistance. We undertook research in a rodent model of cryptosporidiosis to assess whether the bacterial gut microbiome is impacted by the infection with the protozoan pathogen Cryptosporidium parvum. Methods. The profile of the fecal bacterial microbiome in infected and uninfected animals was compared using 16S amplicon sequencing.