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SUMMARYThe stool samples of 75 patients with gastroenteritis and/or loose and watery faeces at three hospitals and one clinic in Zaria were examined for Cryptosporidium. The stool samples were concentrated by the formol-ether method and stained with safranin-methylene blue. Sixteen (21 %) samples were positive. The rate of detection was higher among females (27%) than males (17%) and among adults (29%) than children (8%). The study confirmed the presence and possible significance of Cryptosporidium, which is a known zoonotic protozoan, in the aetiology of human gastroenteritis in Zaria, Nigeria.

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ObjectiveTo evaluate the occurrence ofCryptosporidiumspecies in ediblefrogs (Ranaspp) sold at the Hanwa frog market Zaria, Kaduna State,Nigeria.IntroductionSinceCryptosporidiumcan be transmitted by ingestion of infectedfood animals and poorly treated water and by direct contact1it ispossible for infection to occur through ingestion of under cookedfrogs and through handling and processing of infected frogs.In Burkina Faso frogs caught are sold to market-women who treatthe frogs by emptying their bowels and frying in oil before sellingthem, this is not always the case for the Nigerian frog markets wherefrogs are sometimes smoked or dried without necessarily been fried,before consumption2. This may pose a health risk for transmission ofcryptosporidiosis from infected frogs.Presence ofCryptosporidiumoocysts in frogs may by implicationreveal theCryptosporidiumstatus of water bodies from varioussources where the frogs were caught. Water management programmesfor treatment ofCryptosporidiumis difficult as the oocyst is resistantto several disinfectants including chlorine1. The consumption ofsuch treated water in urban areas and untreated water in mostrural communities may expose a great proportion of Nigerians tocryptosporidiosis. Owing to the number of HIV/AIDS patientswho commonly suffer from cryptosporidial enteritis and cough, thecontrol of cryptosporidiosis in animals and man is of public healthsignificance.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted between February andApril, 2016 using intestinal contents from wild capturedRanaspeciesof frogs (n=117), sourced from 8 different locations, from the frogcentral collection, sales and processing point at Hanwa in Zaria. Theintestinal contents from the frogs were examined by staining flotationand sedimentation smears with modified Ziehl-Neelsen stainsfollowed by microscopy and micrometry of the oocysts.ResultsOverall, 35.9% of frogs sampled from the Hanwa frog marketwere positive forCryptosporidiumoocysts. There were moreCryptosporidiumoocysts detected by sedimentation test (28.2%) thanflotation test (23.9%). Although there was no significant statisticalassociation between sex of frogs and oocyst detection (χ2=0.5349,p>0.05); sex wise, female frogs (40%) and frogs within the weightrange 170-219g were more infected withCryptosporidium(66.7%).Oocysts size ranging between 6.10μm -7.00μm, had the highestfrequency of 10 (23.8%). By size 28.2% of the oocysts detectedsuggest infection withC. parvumandC. maleagridis.ConclusionsWe present the first report ofCryptosporidiumoocysts in wildedible frogs (Ranaspp) sold at the Hanwa frog market Zaria, KadunaState, Nigeria. Frog consumption is on the increase in Nigeria, butbaseline information on associated zoonoses is rare. A cross-sectionalstudy conducted between February and April, 2016 using intestinalcontents from wild captured frogs (n=117), sourced from 8 differentlocations using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains and micrometryrevealed 35.9% were positive forCryptosporidiumoocysts.Of the oocysts detected 28.2% suggest infection withC. parvumandC. maleagridis,this may constitute a health risk for humans.

Objective:To determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in edible frogs (Rana spp.) sold at the Hanwa frog market, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Methods: A total of 117 frogs (Rana spp.) were randomly collected based on consent and availability at the market. The intestinal contents from the frogs were examined by staining flotation and sedimentation smears with modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique and microscopy of the oocysts. Results: Overall, 35.9% of frogs sampled from the Hanwa frog market were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. There were more Cryptosporidium oocysts detected by sedimentation test (28.2%) than flotation test (23.9%). There was no significant statistical association between sex of frogs and oocyst detection (χ 2 = 0.534 9, P > 0.05). Also, there was no correlation between the weights of frogs and the sizes of the Cryptosporidium oocysts detected (r = 0.010 9, P > 0.05). Nevertheless, female frogs (40%) and frogs within the weight range 170-219 g were more infected with Cryptosporidium (66.7%). Oocysts size range 6.10-7.00 µm had the highest frequency of 10 (23.8%). By size 28.2% of the oocysts detected suggested infection with Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium maleagridis. Conclusions: This study has established that edible frogs (Rana spp.) sold at the Hanwa frog market for human consumption were infected with Cryptosporidium spp. which constitutes a valid public health risk especially for immunocompromised individuals.