Detection of Intestinal Protozoa in Camels and their Breeders in Najef, Iraq

Abstract

| The study aimed to investigate the existence of intestinal protozoa in feces of the camels and their breeders in Najef province, Iraq because this province is having a large number of camels. One hundred fecal samples were collected from camels (33 males and 67 females) aged between >3 to 6≤ year and 25 fecal samples were collected from camels breeders (14 males and 11 females) aged between >30 to 60 years during November 2014 to May 2015. Samples were examined through direct wet smear and Lugal's iodine for cycts or trophzoite of Giardia spp. and Entameba spp. while modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique for oocycts of Cryptosporidium spp. The results showed that the infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp. and Entameba spp. in camels were 61%, 24%, and 20%, respectively. The corresponding infection rates in camel-breeders were 56%, 20%, and (16%), respectively. It can be concluded that the high prevalence values of the intestinal protozoa were detected in camels and camel-breeders. The prevalence values seems to be parallel between camels and camel-breeders who are mainly in touch with camels. This could be an evidence of the association of infection between camels and camel-breeders.

Investigations on Gastrointestinal Parasites in Camels Rearing in Nineveh Governorate

“…Similar results were obtained by other workers in camels [15,[17][18][19]. The rate of infections with intestinal parasites reported here were 79.4% and 80.9% in males and females animals respectively with non-significant difference (p≥0.05) coinciding with that of some authors [20,21] in other countries.…”

Gastrointestinal parasites of dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Algeria

“…The age group of camels has a significant effect on the presence of cryptosporidiosis infection that is observed in the present report as well as conducted in several other studies [ 26 , 28 , 29 ]. Notwithstanding, no statistical difference was found between the age of camels and the presence of Cryptosporidium spp.…”

“…The prevalence of the present study (1.81%) is slightly lower than those reported in Algeria and even in Egypt (3.4%) [26]. However, our prevalence is similar to that from Iran (1.9%) [7], whereas, it is significantly very low when compared to results from other some previous studies conducted in Iran (37.9%) and in Iraq (61%) [27,28].…”

Prevalence and risk factors for cryptosporidiosis: a global, emerging, neglected zoonosis

“…In a study in Iraq, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection was 61% in camels and 56% in the camel breeders [137]. This raises again the important issue of cross transmission of this parasite from animals to humans and from humans to animals.…”