cryp·to·spor·id·i·um  (krĭp'tō-spə-rĭd'ē-əm)  n. A protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium that is an intestinal parasite in humans and other vertebrates and sometimes causes diarrhea that is especially severe in immunocompromised individuals. [New Latin Cryptosporidium, genus name : crypt(o)- + spor(o)- + Latin -idium, diminutive suff. (from Greek -idion).] |
Cryptosporidium Cryp·to·spo·rid·i·um (krĭp'tō-spô-rĭd'ē-əm)
n.
A genus of parasitic coccidian protozoans that infect the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal tract in vertebrates and flourish in humans under conditions of intense immunosuppression.