Abstract
Feces from 142 animals were collected on 15 farms in the region of Brittany, France. Each sample was directly collected from the rectum of the animal and identified with the ear tag number. Animals were sampled three times, at 5, 15 and 22 weeks of age. After DNA extraction from stool samples, nested PCR was performed to amplify partial 18S-rDNA and 60 kDa glycoprotein genes of Cryptosporidium. The parasite was detected on all farms. One hundred out of 142 calves (70.4%) were found to be parasitized by Cryptosporidium. Amplified fragments were sequenced for Cryptosporidium species identification and revealed the presence of C. parvum (43.8%), C. ryanae (28.5%), and C. bovis (27%). One animal was infected with Cryptosporidium ubiquitum. The prevalence of these species was related to the age of the animal. C. parvum caused 86.7% of Cryptosporidium infections in 5-week-old calves but only 1.7% in 15-week-old animals. The analysis of the results showed that animals could be infected successively by C. parvum, C. ryanae, and C. bovis for the study period. C. parvum gp60 genotyping identifies 6 IIa subtypes of which 74.5% were represented by IIaA15G2R1. This work confirms previous studies in other countries showing that zoonotic C. parvum is the dominant species seen in young calves.
Highlights
Cryptosporidium is a genus of protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts [1]
Cattle have been considered to be a primary reservoir for Cryptosporidium oocysts for zoonotic C. parvum [5]
No data are available on a molecular basis to study Cryptosporidium species in calf herds in that country
Summary
Cryptosporidium is a genus of protozoan parasites infecting a wide range of hosts [1]. All groups of vertebrates are susceptible to Cryptosporidium infection worldwide This parasite is the etiological agent of cryptosporidiosis, which is mainly characterized by diarrhea in humans and livestock. The prevalence and severity of infection increase in immunodeficient individuals such as AIDS patients. Cattle have been considered to be a primary reservoir for Cryptosporidium oocysts for zoonotic C. parvum [5]. These animals could described an age-related distribution of these aforementioned species in dairy cattle on the east coast of the United States [16,17,18], India, China, Georgia [19], Malaysia [20], and Denmark [21]. The most prevalent species were C. parvum in preweaned calves, C. ryanae and C. bovis in postweaned calves and C. andersoni in adult cows [16,17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
