Cryptosporidium Prevalence in Calves and Geese Co-Grazing on Four Livestock Farms Surrounding Two Reservoirs Supplying Public Water to Mainland Orkney, Scotland.

Wells Wells,Shaw Shaw,Plowman Plowman,Katzer Katzer,Bacchetti Bacchetti,Stewart Stewart,Paton Paton,Innes Innes

doi:10.3390/microorganisms7110513

Wells Wells, Shaw Shaw + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7110513

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Abstract

The parasite Cryptosporidium parvum represents a threat to livestock health and production, water quality and public health. Cattle are known to be significant reservoirs of C. parvum, but transmission routes are complex and recent studies have implicated the potential role of wildlife in parasite transmission to cattle and water sources. On the Orkney Isles, high densities of Greylag geese (Anser anser) cause widespread faecal contamination of cattle pastures, where cryptosporidiosis is known to be the main cause of neonatal calf diarrhoea and Cryptosporidium contamination frequently occurs in two reservoirs supplying Mainland Orkney’s public water. This study aimed to determine the Cryptosporidium species and subtypes present in geese and calves co-grazing on four farms surrounding two reservoirs on Mainland Orkney. Results indicated a high level of C. parvum prevalence in calves, geese and water samples. gp60 analysis illustrated that higher genotypic diversity was present in the goose population compared with calves, but did not yield sequence results for any of the water samples. It can be concluded that the high levels of C. parvum evident in calves, geese and water samples tested represents a significant risk to water quality and public health.

Highlights

Cryptosporidium parvum is an environmentally ubiquitous parasite, responsible for causing the disease cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves, as well as lambs, deer calves and humans, where it can cause particular problems in the young, elderly or immuno-compromised
Farm 1 was the only farm where C. andersoni was isolated in both calves and geese, whereas calves on Farm 4 had a higher prevalence of C. parvum and C. parvum mixed infection
C. parvum was detected in 92.3% of the Cryptosporidium-positive samples from geese, suggesting either that geese are more susceptible to this species, or that this is a reflection of high C. parvum environmental contamination

Summary

Introduction

Cryptosporidium parvum is an environmentally ubiquitous parasite, responsible for causing the disease cryptosporidiosis in neonatal calves, as well as lambs, deer calves and humans, where it can cause particular problems in the young, elderly or immuno-compromised. In particular, calves, are known to be the main reservoirs of Cryptosporidium parvum, a zoonotic species known to be responsible for 40%. The environmental stage of the parasite, the oocyst, is extremely tough and can survive for prolonged periods in favourable climatic conditions, such as damp and humid climates [11]. For these reasons, water is considered an important mechanism in the transmission of Cryptosporidium [12]

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