Occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis in healthy adult domestic ruminants

Abstract

To determine the prevalence and intensity of infection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in healthy adult domestic ruminants, faecal samples were collected from 379 cattle of between 3 and 13 years old, 446 sheep and 116 goats selected at random from 60 dairy farms and 38 and 20 herds, respectively, in Galicia (NW Spain). Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected in 32 cows (8.4%), 24 sheep (5.3%) and in nine goats (7.7%) from, respectively, 48.3% of the farms and 34.2 and 30.0% of the herds. The intensity of infection in cows ranged between 25 and 5,924 oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG), whereas in sheep and goats, the number of oocysts shed ranged from 8-515 OPG and from 17-782 OPG, respectively. Parasitization by Cryptosporidium spp. was significantly higher (P<0.05) in cows than in sheep and goats. G. duodenalis cysts were identified in 101 cows (26.6%), 86 sheep (19.2%) and 23 goats (19.8%) from, respectively, 96.6% of the farms and 92.1 and 90% of the herds. The number of cysts shed by cows ranged between 15 and 3,042 cyst per gram of faeces (CPG), whereas the intensity of infection in sheep and goats ranged from 16-3010 CPG and from 15-1845 CPG, respectively, and was significantly lower (P<0.05) than in cows and sheep. The number of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts isolated from sheep and goats was insufficient for successful polymerase chain reaction analysis. Nevertheless, gene sequence analysis of the hsp70 and 18SrRNA genes of Cryptosporidium revealed the presence of only C. parvum in faecal samples from cows. Genotyping studies of the beta-giardin and glutamate dehydrogenase genes of G. duodenalis revealed mainly assemblage E of Giardia in cows, sheep and goat faecal samples. Assemblage B of G. duodenalis was also detected in one sheep sample. These animals should be considered as a possible source of cryptosporidiosis and giardiosis, thereby maintaining the infections on farms and in herds.

Prevalence ofCryptosporidiuminfection in goats maintained under semi-extensive feeding conditions in the Southeast of Spain

“…There were found to be Cryptosporidium oocysts in 111 (19.1 %) of the 582 goats examined. The parasite was detected in all the farms included in the study, but especially in the first and third of the ages considered, a finding which is in line with those reported by other authors (Matos-Fernández et al, 1993;Llamas Trujillo et al, 1994;Castro-Hermida et al, 2007). According to the semi-quantitative analysis carried out, our results showed the infection intensity decreased with age, being this similar to that found in goats by Noorden et al (2000).…”

“…Since then, the infection has been diagnosed in outbreaks of diarrhoea and prevalence in goat kids has been reported in several European countries (Majewska et al, 2000). In Spain Cryptosporidium infection in small ruminants was first diagnosed in 1985 (Rojo Vázquez et al, 1985); subsequently, cryptosporidiosis was reported from different geographical areas (Rojo Vázquez et al, 1987; Matos-Fernández et al, 1993;Castro-Hermida et al, 2007). Taking into account this background and its relevance, the aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence in relation to age and kidding season of Cryptosporidium infection in goats at randomly selected farms in the southeast of Spain.…”

Risk factors associated with the occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum infection in calves

“…The high percentage of positive samples (45% of analyzed animals and 84.6% of visited farms) showed the high occurrence of the parasite and possible environmental contamination due to the infected animals. Results reported in different countries show values ranging from 13 to 100% of properties contamination and 0.9 to 61% of parasite-infected calves, with high prevalence in Brazil (Wade et al, 2000;Fayer et al, 2006;Park et al, 2006;Castro-Hermida et al, 2007;Almeida et al, 2009). …”

Epidemiological, parasitological and molecular aspects of Giardia duodenalis infection in children attending public daycare centers in southeastern Brazil

“…PCRs performed with fewer cysts (less than one per microscope field) lead to unsuccessful amplification due to the scantiness of genetic material extracted. 9 Floated material was transferred to the slide and examined by light microscopy. When cysts of G. duodenalis were observed, the slides were washed with 1 mL TE (10 mM Tris-HCL pH 8.0; 1 mM EDTA pH 8.0) in sterile Petri dishes.…”