Investigation into the Prevalence of Cryptosporidium Infection in Calves among Small-Holder Dairy and Traditional Herds in Tanzania

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine prevalence and risk factors of cryptosporidiosis in bovine from two contrasting production system in and around Tanga municipality between May 2003 and January 2004. The study populations comprised 117 calves aged ≤3 months, randomly selected from 44 smallholders dairy and traditional managed herds, respectively. Individual calf and herd-level information was collected using a structured questionnaire and feacal samples were screened for Cryptosporidium spp oocysts using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen method. Overall, 35% of the calves in the study were shedding Cryptosporidium spp oocysts, with at least one positive calf detected in 54.5% of herds. Independent risk factors for cryptosporidiosis were: age ≥1 to ≤2 months and level of cleanness of calf house floor categorized as dirty (P < .05). Similarly an increases risk of Cryptosporidium spp infection was found in calves from smallholder dairy units compared to traditional herds (P < .05). The finding highlights that Cryptosporidium spp is prevalent among calves in the area under study. The high prevalence of cryptosporidiosis detected in this study suggests that it may have a significant impact on livestock industry and that the close interaction between cattle and human may play a role in zoonotic transmission to humans.

[1]  M. Esbroeck,et al.  Negative Staining Technique of Heine for the Detection of Cryptosporidiumspp.: A Fast and Simple Screening Technique , 2010 .

[2]  M. Esbroeck,et al.  Negative Staining Technique of Heine for the Detection of Cryptosporidium spp.: A Fast and Simple Screening Technique~!2009-11-13~!2009-01-06~!2010-02-11~! , 2010 .

[3]  B. Beerntsen,et al.  Cryptosporidiosis in people: it's not just about the cows. , 2010, Journal of veterinary internal medicine.

[4]  D. Zarlenga,et al.  A multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay to simultaneously distinguish Cryptosporidium species of veterinary and public health concern in cattle. , 2009, Veterinary parasitology.

[5]  P. Karanis,et al.  Genetic polymorphism in Cryptosporidium species: an update. , 2009, Veterinary parasitology.

[6]  U. Emanuelson,et al.  Prevalence and associated management factors of Cryptosporidium shedding in 50 Swedish dairy herds. , 2009, Preventive veterinary medicine.

[7]  J. Basualdo,et al.  Cryptosporidium infection in calves from a rural area of Buenos Aires, Argentina. , 2008, Veterinary parasitology.

[8]  J. Ongerth,et al.  Sensitive and specific detection of Cryptosporidium species in PCR-negative samples by loop-mediated isothermal DNA amplification and confirmation of generated LAMP products by sequencing. , 2008, Veterinary parasitology.

[9]  Lihua Xiao,et al.  Zoonotic cryptosporidiosis. , 2008, FEMS immunology and medical microbiology.

[10]  N. Malla,et al.  Evaluation of staining techniques, antigen detection and nested PCR for the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis in HIV seropositive and seronegative patients. , 2008, Acta tropica.

[11]  T. Randolph,et al.  Investigation into the prevalence of bovine cryptosporidiosis among small-holder dairy households in Dagoretti Division, Nairobi, Kenya. , 2008, East African medical journal.

[12]  A. Ayadi,et al.  Cryptosporidium parvum (Eucoccidiorida: Cryptosporiidae) in calves: results of a longitudinal study in a dairy farm in Sfax, Tunisia. , 2007, Parasite.

[13]  E. Karimuribo,et al.  Prevalence and determinants of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in smallholder dairy cattle in Iringa and Tanga Regions of Tanzania. , 2007, The Onderstepoort journal of veterinary research.

[14]  C. Waldner,et al.  An examination of the prevalence of and risk factors for shedding of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in cows and calves from western Canadian cow-calf herds. , 2006, Veterinary parasitology.

[15]  D. Calfee,et al.  ASYMPTOMATIC CRYPTOSPORIDIUM HOMINIS INFECTION AMONG HUMAN IMMUNDEFICIENCY VIRUS–INFECTED PATIENTS IN TANZANIA , 2005 .

[16]  D. Calfee,et al.  Short report: asymptomatic Cryptosporidium hominis infection among human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients in Tanzania. , 2005, The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene.

[17]  Srinand Sreevatsan,et al.  A review of the biology and epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis in humans and animals. , 2004, Microbes and infection.

[18]  R. Fayer,et al.  Prevalence and age-related variation of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes in dairy calves. , 2004, Veterinary parasitology.

[19]  A. Gabr,et al.  The use of Ziehl-Neelsen stain, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and nested polymerase chain reaction in diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis in immuno-competent, -compromised patients. , 2002, Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology.

[20]  E. Ares-Mazás,et al.  Prevalence of and risk factors involved in the spread of neonatal bovine cryptosporidiosis in Galicia (NW Spain) , 2002, Veterinary Parasitology.

[21]  C. Chartier,et al.  Détection des oocystes de Cryptosporidium dans les fèces de caprins : comparaison entre un test d'agglutination au latex et trois autres techniques conventionnelles , 2002 .

[22]  J. Nizeyi,et al.  Cattle near the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Uganda, as a reservoir of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis for local community and free-ranging gorillas , 2002, Parasitology Research.

[23]  M. McIntyre,et al.  Acid-fast bodies in faecal smears stained by the modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique. , 2001, British Journal of Biomedical Science.

[24]  D. Schwartz,et al.  Cryptosporidium, enterocytozoon, and cyclospora infections in pediatric and adult patients with diarrhea in Tanzania. , 1999, Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

[25]  E. Atwill,et al.  Prevalence of and risk factors for shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum in Holstein Freisian dairy calves in central México. , 1998, Preventive veterinary medicine.

[26]  R. Kazwala,et al.  Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in cattle and wildlife in Morogoro region, Tanzania. , 1997, Preventive veterinary medicine.

[27]  R. Fayer,et al.  Cryptosporidium and Cryptosporidiosis , 1997 .

[28]  D. Kambarage,et al.  Intestinal Protozoan Parasites of Pigs Reared Under Different Management Systems in Morogoro, Tanzania , 1996 .

[29]  H. Smith,et al.  An epidemiological study of Cryptosporidium parvum in two herds of adult beef cattle. , 1995, Veterinary parasitology.

[30]  D. Waltner-Toews,et al.  A case-control study of selected pathogens including verocytotoxigenic Escherichia coli in calf diarrhea on an Ontario veal farm. , 1992, Canadian journal of veterinary research = Revue canadienne de recherche veterinaire.

[31]  D. Casemore.  ACP Broadsheet 128: June 1991. Laboratory methods for diagnosing cryptosporidiosis. , 1991, Journal of clinical pathology.

[32]  D. Moodley,et al.  A comparative assessment of commonly employed staining procedures for the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis. , 1991, South African medical journal = Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde.

[33]  B. Chomel,et al.  [Veterinary epidemiology]. , 1991, Revue d'epidemiologie et de sante publique.

[34]  K. Angus.  Cryptosporidiosis in ruminants. , 1990 .

[35]  R. Fayer,et al.  Cryptosporidium spp. and cryptosporidiosis. , 1987, Microbiological reviews.

[36]  T. Landsverk,et al.  Cryptosporidiosis in Tanzanian Goat Kids: Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopic Observations , 1984, Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica.