Validation of Baboon Infant Cryptosporidium Infection Model

Ngalla Jillani of the Institute of Primate Research in Kenya will build an infectious infant baboon model of cryptosporidiosis that mimics the disease in human infants under two years old to help identify new treatments. Childhood Cryptosporidium infections are common in developing countries and cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Current models in small animals fail to fully recapitulate the course of infection and disease symptoms in humans, making them less valuable for studying the disease and identifying effective treatments. They will inoculate small groups of infant baboons with different doses of a strain of Cryptosporidium that naturally infects these animals, and evaluate disease manifestation.