Cryptosporidium fragile

{{Short description|Species of single-celled organism}}

{{Speciesbox

| taxon = Cryptosporidium fragile

| authority = Jirků, 2008

}}

Cryptosporidium fragile is a parasite which infects amphibians.{{cite book|last1=Kváč|first1=M|last2=McEvoy|first2=J|last3=Stenger|first3=B|last4=Clark|first4=M|editor1-last=Cacciò|editor1-first=SM|editor2-last=Widmer|editor2-first=G|title=Cryptosporidium: parasite and disease|date=2014|publisher=Springer Vienna|location=Vienna|isbn=978-3-7091-1562-6|page=239|chapter=Chapter 5: Cryptosporidiosis in other vertebrates. 5.2.1: Anura}} The oocysts have an irregular, shape (subspherical to elliptical) and surface. The developing parasite is found in the gastric epithelial cells.{{cite journal|last1=Jirků|first1=M|last2=Valigurová|first2=A|last3=Koudela|first3=B|last4=Krízek|first4=J|last5=Modrý|first5=D|last6=Slapeta|first6=J|title=New species of Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1907 (Apicomplexa) from amphibian host: morphology, biology and phylogeny.|journal=Folia Parasitologica|date=June 2008|volume=55|issue=2|pages=81–94|doi=10.14411/fp.2008.011|pmid=18666410|doi-access=free}}{{open access}}

It was first discovered in a black-spined toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) originating from Malaysia.{{cite book|last1=Pessier|first1=AP|editor1-last=Mader|editor1-first=DR|editor2-last=Divers|editor2-first=SJ|title=Current therapy in reptile medicine & surgery|date=2014|isbn=978-1-4557-0893-2|pages=246–254|chapter=Chapter 21: Infectious diseases of amphibians: It isn't just Redleg anymore|publisher=Elsevier Saunders }} C. fragile is not associated with disease in humans.{{cite book|last1=Certad|first1=G|last2=Osman|first2=M|last3=Benamrouz|first3=S|editor1-last=Singh|editor1-first=SK|title=Human Emerging and Re-emerging Infections|date=2016|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=9781118644843|page=375|chapter=Chapter 20: Pathogenesis of Cryptosporidium in humans}}