Cryptosporidia-Positive Rates of Avian Necropsy Accessions Determined by Examination of Auramine O-Stained Fecal Smears

Abstract

Fecal smears from 112 avian necropsy accessions representing 431 birds were stained with auramine O and examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts by fluorescence microscopy. Stained Cryptosporidium oocysts fluoresced bright yellow-green and were easily differentiated from extraneous material by their uniform small size (approx. 5 micron) and morphology. The rates of cryptosporidia-positive accessions were 27.3% (9/33) of broilers, 10% (3/30) of broiler breeders, and 5.9% (1/17) of layers. Further analyses of available data for various risk factors that may have influenced rates of cryptosporidia-positive samples in broilers, broiler breeders, and layers failed to show significant relationships. However, it was apparent that positive samples were clustered within accessions and not scattered throughout the population sampled. This survey also resulted in the first reported identification of Cryptosporidium oocysts from a budgerigar, macaw, and tundra swan.

Large-scale survey ofCryptosporidiumspp. in chickens and Pekin ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) in Henan, China: prevalence and molecular characterization

“…In comparison with broilers, there are few studies concerning Cryptosporidium infection in layer chickens. Two previous studies showed the infection rates were 5.9% (1/17) and 36.8% (25/68) in the USA and Japan, respectively (Itakura et al, 1984;Ley et al, 1988). In the present study, a 10.6% (163/1542) infection rate was observed in layer chickens.…”

“…In Pekin ducks, Cryptosporidium infection was found only in the age group of 11 to 50 days (Table 2). Ley et al, 1988;Snyder et al, 1988;Goodwin et al, 1996). In European countries such as Scotland and Greece, the infection rates in broilers were 18.7% (26/139) and 24.3% (17/70), respectively (Randall, 1982;Papadopoulou et al, 1988).…”

First Detection of Cryptosporidium Spp. In Broiler Chickens in Syria

“…Although there are intensive studies and huge amount of information about the cryptosporidiosis prevalence in chickens from Europe, united states, American Latin countries and Japan [9,10,11,12,13] , we found no previous studies on Cryptosporidium infections of chickens in Syria.…”

Cryptosporidiosis in birds ‐ A review

“…Serological evidence for Cryptosporidium infection was found in 88% (22/25) of tested chickens in Scotland (Tzipori and Campbell, 1981), 30% of chickens in the USA . Up to 27% of chickens excreted Cryptosporidium oocysts (Ley et al, 1988), and 6.4% of histology case accessions at one diagnostic laboratory had a microscopical diagnosis(es) of cryptosporidiosis (Table 2). In the latter survey, Cryptosporidium was the second most common histologically-diagnosed protozoal infection in chickens.…”

“…DIAGNOSIS Infections with Cryptosporidium are routinely diagnosed by histological and cytological methods. Although examination of paraffin-embedded, haematoxylinand eosin-stained sections of organs has been the diagnostic method of choice (Luna, 1988), differential visible-light stain of respiratory epithelium and exudate (Henriksen and Pohlenz, 1981;Garcia et al, 1983) or fluourescent light stain of faecal smears (Ley et al, 1988) can help rapidly identify the organisms in cytological preparations. In addition, Nomarsky differential interference microscopy is useful for rapid examination of fresh (wet) cytological preparations for the presence of oocysts (Current, 1985b;Current and Snyder, 1988).…”