Prevalence Of Cryptosporidium In Calves Research Articles

Specific features of distribution and manifestation of cryptosporidiosis of calves on dairy complexes in Siberia

The results of the study of specific features of distribution and clinical manifestation of bovine cryptosporidiosis in association with pathogens of viral and bacterial nature are presented. From 2014 to 2023, 666 samples of biomaterial (tracheal mucosa, lungs, mediastinal and mesenteric lymph nodes, contents of rennet and intestine) collected from fallen and forcefully killed calves under 6 months of age with signs of enteritis and respiratory diseases were examined. 94 farms of six regions, two territories of the Siberian region and the Republic of Kazakhstan were surveyed. The findings confirm the widespread prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves. Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts were most frequently detected and were present in 34 (5.1%) samples of biological material from calves in 22 (23.4%) of the surveyed farms. It was found that oocysts were rarely (22.7%) present in monovariant in animals, more often (77.3%) they were found in associations with viruses and bacteria during outbreaks of viral-bacterial infections. Young animals under 30 days of age are most susceptible to infection. Newborn calves are most susceptible to infection with oocysts, and those animals that have had the disease become lifelong sources of the pathogen for susceptible animals. Cryptosporidiosis is an independent disease and runs independently of the presence of the viruses and bacteria in the body and has no synergistic interaction with them, but the presence and multiplication in the body of animals of this pathogen contributes to the severity of the course of enteritis in calves and leads to difficulties in the treatment and preventive measures. The presence of Cryptosporidium in animals should be taken into account when carrying out complex anti-epizootic measures.

Follow-up investigation into Cryptosporidium prevalence and transmission in Western European dairy farms

Cryptosporidium parvum is an enteric parasite and a major contributor to acute enteritis in calves worldwide, causing an important economic burden for farmers. This parasite poses a major public health threat through transmission between livestock and humans. Our previous pilot study in Western Europe revealed a high prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves of dairy farms. In the sequel study herein, 936 faecal samples were collected from the same 51 dairy farms across Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Following DNA extraction, Cryptosporidium screening was carried out using nested-PCR amplification targeting the SSU rRNA gene. All positive samples were sequenced, and phylogenetic analyses were used to identify the Cryptosporidium spp. present. The 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene was also sequenced to determine the C. parvum subtypes present. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium ranged from 23.3% to 25%, across the three countries surveyed. The parasite was found in most of the farms sampled, with 90.2% testing positive. Cryptosporidium parvum, C. bovis, C. ryanae and C. andersoni were all identified, with the former being the most predominant, representing 71.4% of all infections. Cryptosporidium parvum was associated with pre-weaned calves, while other species were associated with older animals. Subtyping of gp60 gene revealed nine subtypes, eight of which have previously been reported to cause clinical disease in humans. Similarly to the first study, vertical transmission was not a major contributor to Cryptosporidium spread. Our study highlights the need for further investigation into cryptosporidiosis transmission, and future studies will require a One Health approach to reduce the impact of this disease.

Prevalence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in young livestock and dogs in Magude District of Maputo Province, Mozambique.

BackgroundGiardia and Cryptosporidium species are significant zoonotic parasites of humans and domesticated animals.ObjectivesThe study aimed to determine the prevalence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium in livestock and dogs of the Magude District.MethodThe flotation technique (Willis), modified Ziehl-Neelsen (mZN) and direct and indirect immunofluorescence (DIF and IIF) techniques were applied to determine the prevalence of Giardia and Cryptosporidium species in faecal samples of dog pups (156), goat kids (60) and calves (480) from the Magude District of Mozambique from February to September 2015.ResultsUsing Willis, IIF and DIF, the prevalence of Giardia in calves was 0%, 8.1%, and 6.0%; in dogs 0.6%, 8.3% and 5.7% and for goats 0% and 13.3% (IIF was not performed), respectively. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves using Willis, mZN, IIF and DIF was 0%, 3.8%, 4.7% and 0.4% and in dogs 0%, 0.6%, 6.4% and 0.6%, respectively. The parasite was not detected in goats.ConclusionResults from the present study showed that IIF performed better diagnosis of Giardia and Cryptosporidium, and that the mZN can be used as an alternative for Cryptosporidium because of the high cost of IIF. There is a need for identification of genotypes or subtypes of these parasites through application of molecular techniques in order to determine their zoonotic potential, and we advocate a ‘one health’ approach in the control and prevention of these parasites.

Cryptosporidium in Calves, Lambs and Kids at Haramaya, eastern Ethiopia

A cross sectional study was carried out from November 2010 to April 2011 to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves, lambs and kids and to assess potential risk factors in Haramaya, eastern Ethiopia. Hence, fecal samples from a total of 237 study animals (133 calves, 63 lambs and 41 kids) were tested with Sheather’s flotation technique and Modified Ziehl-Neelsen Staining. Accordingly, the overall prevalence was found to be 23.6% (56/237) with the prevalence of 27.8% (37/133) in calves, 22.2% (14/63) in lambs and 12.2% (5/41) in kids. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium significantly (p = 0.047) varied with species of study animals being three times higher likelihood of occurrence in calves compared to its chance of occurrence in kids (OR = 2.8, 95%CI = 1.0, 7.6). No significant difference in prevalence was observed between kids and lambs. The occurrence of the disease was also assessed among the species of animals by taking into consideration different demographic characteristic of the animals including breed, age and sex. For caprine, the prevalence was higher in the cross breed animals (28.6%) followed by the breed of Hararge highland (25%) with no report of the disease in Boer and Ogaden breeds. In ovine, no association was observed between the infection occurrence and the potential risk factors. Analysis of the risk factors in bovine revealed a significant (p = 0.044) difference in disease occurrence among age groups with almost three times more likelihood of the disease occurrence in calves under 3 months than older age category(OR = 2.9, 95%CI = 1.0, 8.2). In conclusion, this study demonstrated the importance of Cryptosporidium in young ruminants with a higher prevalence among calves than lambs and kids. Key words : Cryptosporidium; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Calves, Lambs, Kids, Haramaya, Ethiopia

Study on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves and HIV infected humans in the periphery of river basins of Kathmandu valley

Introduction: Cryptosporidium is an important zoonotic pathogen transmitted primarily through water. This study was conducted to determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium in calves and humans in relation to the river water in the river basins of Kathmandu. Materials and Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted from Sept 2012 to Feb 2013. A total of 100 fecal samples (50 calves and 50 HIV/AIDS patients living near the river basins of Kathmandu) were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium by Ziehl-Neelsen Staining technique after Modified Sheather concentration method with centrifugation. Results: Overall 32% calves and 18% humans were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts, calves having higher chances of being infected than humans (P < 0.05). The prevalence was higher in Manohara River basin than Bagmati River basin (P >0.05). Among calves, the samples from Manohara periphery had higher prevalence than Bagmati periphery (P< 0.05). Likewise, the prevalence was higher in 4-6 months aged calves (P < 0.05) and in males (P < 0.05). Among the human samples, the females were at lower risk (odds ratio, 0.44) and 0-20 years of age group had highest prevalence (P < 0.05). Humans from periphery of Manohara were at higher risk than from Bagmati (Odds ratio, 4.94). Conclusions: Cryptosporidium has been identified in calves and HIV/AIDS patients residing in the periphery of Manohara and Bagmati river basins of Kathmandu valley suggesting the occurrence of zoonotic transmission. Cryptosporidiosis should be included in the differential diagnosis for the case of diarrhea in humans and domestic animals. DOI: http://doi.dx.org/10.3126/ijim.v2i1.8002 Int J Infect Microbiol 2013;2(1):7-11

Detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in calves and children in Mosul, Iraq

This study was carried out during May-October 2010 to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in calves and children in rural areas around Mosul, north of Iraq. A total of 78 faecal samples were taken from calves which were no more than one year old. Information about age, consistency of faeces (as diarrheic or normal) and contact with human were recorded. At the same time, 95 stool samples were taken from children aged one month to 12 years old suffering from diarrhea and living in the same farms where the samples of calves have been collected. All samples were stained with modified Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain and Auramine O techniques to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Results revealed that the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves and children were 43.56% and 18.9%, respectively. Comparison of results obtained with the two stain techniques showed no significant difference and being sensitive.

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves in the Ubaté - Chiquinquirá Valley (Colombia)

To contribute to the knowledge of cryptosporidiosis, recognize the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves and associate the presence of oocysts to the fecal consistence, a study was executed, collecting 170 samples of fecal material of calves, aged between five and 35 days, within 41 ranches located in the Ubate-Chinquinquira valley. In order to identify the Cryptosporidium oocysts the Heine technique was employed. Thirty seven (22%) of the 170 calves were positive and 18 (44%) of the 37 ranches showed at least one positive animal. The statistical analysis revealed an association between age and the presence of oocysts (X2 15; P 0.25). When comparing the fecal consistence with the infection intensity, no association was found (X2 1.7; P>0.42), result that confirms the high number of asymptomatic calves in the Ubate-Chiquinquira valley. The outcome of this research indicates an ample distribution of Cryptosporidium infection in the cattle ranches of the geographic area under survey.

A Bayesian approach for the evaluation of six diagnostic assays and the estimation ofCryptosporidiumprevalence in dairy calves

The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves and the test properties of six diagnostic assays (microscopy (ME), an immunofluorescence assay (IFA), two ELISA and two PCR assays) were estimated using Bayesian analysis. In a first Bayesian approach, the test results of the four conventional techniques were used: ME, IFA and two ELISA. This four-test approach estimated that the calf prevalence was 17% (95% Probability Interval (PI): 0.1-0.28) and that the specificity estimates of the IFA and ELISA were high compared to ME. A six-test Bayesian model was developed using the test results of the 4 conventional assays and 2 PCR assays, resulting in a higher calf prevalence estimate (58% with a 95% PI: 0.5-0.66) and in a different test evaluation: the sensitivity estimates of the conventional techniques decreased in the six-test approach, due to the inclusion of two PCR assays with a higher sensitivity compared to the conventional techniques. The specificity estimates of these conventional assays were comparable in the four-test and six-test approach. These results both illustrate the potential and the pitfalls of a Bayesian analysis in estimating prevalence and test characteristics, since posterior estimates are variables depending both on the data at hand and prior information included in the analysis. The need for sensitive diagnostic assays in epidemiological studies is demonstrated, especially for the identification of subclinically infected animals since the PCR assays identify these animals with reduced oocyst excretion, which the conventional techniques fail to identify.