Cryptosporidiosis in Cattle and Sheep in Duhok City / Kurdistan Region / Iraq

Abstract

The study was performed to detect cryptosporidiosis in animals in Duhok city /Kurdistan region of Iraq by examining 348 fecal samples of cattle and 280 of sheep using Modified Ziehl Neelsen Method (MZNM) to detect the oocysts of Cryptosporidium. A total of 233 fecal samples (129 cattle, 104 sheep) were randomly chosen to detect coproantigen of Cryptosporidium by Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). By MZNM, the total rate of cryptosporidiosis was 26.15% , 11.07% in cattle and sheep respectively. The infection rates were 28.99%, 24.29% in diarrheic and non-diarrheic groups of cattle respectively. While in sheep; the infection rates were 23.26% and 5.67% in diarrheic and non-diarrheic groups, respectively. Out of 129 fecal samples of cattle, 31(24.03%), and 37 (28.68%) were positive by MZNM, and ELISA respectively. A total of 104 fecal samples of sheep, 23(22.12%), and 24(23.08%) were positive by MZNM, and ELISA, respectively. The highest infection rate by MZNM, and ELISA was among the age group 1-2 months in diarrheic cattle and sheep, while in non-diarrheic cattle and sheep, it was among 3-6 months age group. This study indicated that infection was associated with diarrhea in all ages and it decreased with increasing of age.