Prevalence and Some Predisposing Factors Associated with Cryptosporidium Infections in Domestic Poultry in Enugu State, Nigeria

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Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that is of major public health and veterinary concerns. This study determined the prevalence and some predisposing factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection in domestic poultry kept in households and in the major live bird markets in the study area. Atotal of 314 fresh faecal samples were collected from domestic poultry in the randomly selected homes that keep poultry and live bird market in the study area. They were examined using the Formol-ether sedimentation method. Faecal smears were then stained by the Ziehl Neelson technique and examined under light microscopy. Cryptosporidium was identified using the staining characteristics of the oocysts. Results were analysed by descriptive statistics and GraphPad prism statistical package version 5.2.Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in the faeces of 90 (28.7%) of the 314 poultry sampled. There was a strong association (p < 0.05) between the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and age, sex, breed and faecal consistency. However, there was no significant association (p > 0.05) between the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and locality as well as the type of management practice used in keeping the birds. This study suggests that domestic poultry in Enugu State harbour and shed Cryptosporidium oocysts in the environment. The shedding of this oocyst in the environment is of zoonotic importance especially in poultry that do not show clinical signs and therefore were not treated. Hence, constituting a public health risk, especially to immune-compromised humans, considering that almost every household keep chicken for food or income and the poultry dung is popularly used to cultivate vegetables eaten by humans and animals in the study area.
 Keywords: Cryptosporidium, Poultry, Prevalence, Risk Factor