Cryptosporidiosis in eight‐month‐old weaned alpacas

Wessels, Julie; Wessels, Mark; Featherstone, C. A.; Pike, Robert E

doi:10.1136/vr.f6395

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…Historically, C. parvum has been the most frequently recorded species of Cryptosporidium in molecular surveys of alpaca in the USA [35] and the UK [10, 18], and both C. parvum and C. ubiquitum have been detected in Peru [17]. However, the present study is the first report of C. cuniculus from alpacas.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

“…Most published investigations have exclusively examined young crias (few days to several weeks of age) (cf. [16]) for the purpose of detecting pathogens associated with neonatal diarrhoea and with high morbidity [4, 9] or mortality [8, 10, 11]. The average age of the animals sampled here from each herd was 4.8 years; thus, broad sampling across ages is likely to have contributed to low prevalences.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Past studies have suggested that a high pathogen prevalence is correlated with wetter seasons, as seen in the Pacific Northwest of the USA [13], and after periods of heavy rainfall in the UK [10], although other studies (cf. [9]) have found no correlation with season and that infection can occur year-round.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First cross-sectional, molecular epidemiological survey of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in Australia

et al. 2018

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BackgroundEukaryotic pathogens, including Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon, have been implicated in neonatal diarrhoea, leading to marked morbidity and mortality in the alpaca (Vicugna pacos) and llama (Lama glama) around the world. Australia has the largest population of alpacas outside of South America, but very little is known about these pathogens in alpaca populations in this country. Here, we undertook the first molecular epidemiological survey of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in V. pacos in Australia.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 81 herds, comprising alpacas of 6 weeks to 26 years of age, were sampled from the six Australian states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia) across the four seasons. PCR-based sequencing was employed, utilising genetic markers in the small subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA (SSU) and 60-kilodalton glycoprotein (gp60) genes for Cryptosporidium, triose-phosphate isomerase (tpi) gene for Giardia duodenalis and the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) for Enterocytozoon bieneusi.ResultsPCR-based analyses of 81 faecal DNA samples representing 1421 alpaca individuals detected Cryptosporidium, Giardia and/or Enterocytozoon on 15 farms in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, equating to 18.5% of all samples/herds tested. Cryptosporidium was detected on three (3.7%) farms, G. duodenalis on six (7.4%) and E. bieneusi on eight (9.9%) in two or all of these three states, but not in Queensland, Tasmania or Western Australia. Molecular analyses of selected faecal DNA samples from individual alpacas for Cryptosporidium, Giardia and/or Enterocytozoon consistently showed that alpacas of ≤ 6 months of age harboured these pathogens.ConclusionsThis first molecular investigation of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in alpaca subpopulations in Australia has identified species and genotypes that are of likely importance as primary pathogens of alpacas, particularly young crias, and some genotypes with zoonotic potential. Although the prevalence established here in the alpaca subpopulations studied is low, the present findings suggest that crias are likely reservoirs of infections to susceptible alpacas and/or humans. Future studies should focus on investigating pre-weaned and post-weaned crias, and on exploring transmission patterns to establish what role particular genotypes play in neonatal or perinatal diarrhoea in alpacas and in zoonotic diseases in different states of Australia.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-3055-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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First cross-sectional, molecular epidemiological survey of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in Australia

et al. 2018

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“…[20] Additionally, C. parvum was associated with the death of three eight-month-old weaned alpacas in England in 2012. [23] There are no documented reports of zoonotic transmission of C. parvum from alpacas to humans in England and Wales, but in the USA an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis amongst alpaca crias was putatively associated with Cryptosporidium infection in people involved in their care. Three people were confirmed to have cryptosporidiosis and three others were suspected cases.…”

Section: Mycobacterium Microti Mycobacterium Microti Infection Occursmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zoonotic diseases in South American camelids in England and Wales

et al. 2017

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General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Summary (150-200 words)The number of South American camelids (SAC) in England and Wales is increasing and with this comes a risk of new and emerging infections. Although classified as livestock, these animals are also treated as pets and may be in regular contact with humans. This paper reviews zoonotic diseases that have been identified in SAC in England and Wales, and which pose a potential risk to human health. We also highlight the importance of surveillance continuing to capture information on infections in SAC for the protection of both public and animal health.2

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“…Cryptosporidium has been detected in diarrheic alpacas [11,[23][24][25] and has been recognized as diarrheacausing pathogen in preweaning crias younger than 3 weeks of age. Subclinical infection with Cryptosporidium has also been reported in alpacas [26].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outbreak of diarrhea among preweaning alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in the southern Peruvian highland

Rojas

Manchego

Rocha

et al. 2016

J Infect Dev Ctries

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Introduction: Infections, particularly diarrheal infections, are a major cause of neonatal death in South American camelids. The aim of this study was to identify the pathogens that could have caused the recent diarrhea outbreak among the alpacas in Silli, Cusco, located in the southern Peruvian highland. Methodology: Spleen, kidney, and intestine tissue along with fecal and intestinal lavage samples were obtained from 50 one-to five-week-old alpacas and analyzed for the presence of parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Results: Laboratory testing of the 50 crias included in this study revealed that 80% were infected with Eimeria spp., 40% with coronavirus, 34% with E. coli, 32% with rotavirus, 22% with Clostridium spp., and 20% with Cryptosporidium spp. Of these 50 alpaca crias, 20 presented with a single infection (19 positive for Eimeria spp. and 1 positive for rotavirus). Co-infections with up to four pathogens occurred in 60% of the samples. The significance of such infections is not clear, but it is noteworthy that the animals suffering from necrotic and/or hemorrhagic enteritis presented with quadruple infections. It is likely that co-infections increase the severity of the disease. Conclusions: These data show that multiple pathogens circulate among young alpaca crias and could be associated with diarrheal disease in these animals. The findings from this study warrant the provision of subsidies for future assessment of the potential economic impact of these infections on the productivity of the Peruvian alpaca industry.

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Cryptosporidiosis in eight‐month‐old weaned alpacas

Cited by 7 publications

References 5 publications

First cross-sectional, molecular epidemiological survey of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in Australia

First cross-sectional, molecular epidemiological survey of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in Australia

Zoonotic diseases in South American camelids in England and Wales

Outbreak of diarrhea among preweaning alpacas (Vicugna pacos) in the southern Peruvian highland

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