[Morphological identification of cryptosporidia in the intestines of calves using light and scanning electron...

Small and large intestines of ten calves of the age from 7 to 21 days, suffering from cryptosporidiosis were examined. It is recommended to perform the histopathological identification of cryptosporidia by prolongation of the basic staining with haematoxylin to one hour and by additional staining with tartrazine. Out of the special methods the most suitable are as follows: Wolbach's modification of Giems' staining method or staining with toluidine or polychromous blue. Mucopolysaccharides are in the granules and in the capsules of some developmental stages of cryptosporidia. By means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) cryptosporidia are clearly visible. As a rule, they are more or less immersed in the microvilli of enterocytes. In the intestines destructed by inflammation they occur even outside the epithelium, in the cases studied in the necrotic matter obstructing the outlets of the crypts of Lieberkühn in the caecum of the calves.