Abstract
Goats are a primary or additional income source for many families in resource-poor areas. Although often considered inferior to other livestock, the resilience of goats and their ability to thrive in a range of environments means that that they are of particular value. Furthermore, goats emit less methane than other livestock species. In these same areas, it is well-documented that cryptosporidiosis has a substantial impact on infant morbidity and mortality, as well as reducing child growth and development. As Cryptosporidium also causes diarrheal disease in goats, the question arises whether goats may represent a reservoir of infection to humans. Epidemiological studies regarding the potential for transmission of Cryptosporidium between goats and humans have largely concluded that Cryptosporidium species infecting goats are not zoonotic. However, these studies are mostly from developed countries, where goat husbandry is smaller, management routines differ greatly from those of developing countries, contact between goats and their owners is more limited, and cryptosporidiosis has less impact on human health. In this article, background information on goat husbandry in different countries is provided, along with information on Cryptosporidium prevalence among goats, at both the species and sub-species levels, and the potential for zoonotic transmission. The intention is to indicate data gaps that should be filled and to increase awareness of the role of goats as providers for low-income families, often living in areas where cryptosporidiosis is endemic and where appropriate baseline interventions could have a positive impact, regardless of species of goat or parasite.
Highlights
Goats are one of the species of livestock that were domesticated earliest, and are used worldwide for milk, meat, and hair/skin
C. ubiquitum is the most common species found in drinking water in rural USA, and human infections with this species has been detected mostly in developed countries, possibly due to the lower background of anthroponotic infections that predominate in developing countries [82], C. ubiquitum has been detected in feces from more animal species, and over a greater geographic range, than most Cryptosporidium species – with the exception of C. parvum [80]
Cryptosporidiosis is an important diarrheal illness; in people in developing countries it exerts a substantial burden on child health, growth, and development [35] and in ruminant livestock, including goats, it affects growth and production [28]
Summary
Goats are one of the species of livestock that were domesticated earliest, and are used worldwide for milk, meat, and hair/skin. In low-income countries of e.g., Asia, Africa, and LatinAmerica, locally adapted goat breeds are raised for milk and meat, and in dry and drought-prone areas, goat milk is often the only protein source in children’s diets [7]. The International Livestock Research Institute recognized that goats are more important than cattle to the livelihoods of the rural poor, so investments in goat health, productivity, and sales may greatly assist with poverty alleviation. Cryptosporidium is an intestinal protozoan parasite with a worldwide distribution, a fecal-oral lifecycle, and is generally associated with diarrheal disease. With and without diarrhea, has been associated with Cryptosporidium infections in goats aged between 9 and 15 months, including in asymptomatic goats, raising further questions regarding long-term effects of apparently asymptomatic infections [28]. A meta-analysis suggested that the true burden of cryptosporidiosis was probably underestimated in previous reports, as effects subsequent to the acute phase of infection (decreased growth and enhanced risk of subsequent infections) were not included [35]
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