New aspects of parasitic zoonoses

Selected parasitic zoonoses are discussed with emphasis on epidemiological, diagnostic and some chemotherapeutic aspects. Pneumocystosis, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis and microsporidiosis are briefly reviewed as "AIDS-related zoonoses". Up to now 5 genera of Microsporidia have been identified as causative agents of human infections, including Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Pleistophora sp. which were found in AIDS patients. From the many "other parasitic zoonoses", giardiasis, echinococcosis and taeniosis/cysticercosis are discussed as examples. Significant advances in the understanding of transmission dynamics, in strain characterisation and diagnosis of the diseases have been achieved.