Abstract: Cryptosporidium parvum is a ubiquitous zonootic protozoan parasite which is associated with severe acute diarrhoea in humans and animals. Diarrhoiec fecal samples collected from young cattle calves at different localites in Behira Province, Egypt were coproscopically examined concerning the presence of Cryptosporidium spp., oocysts. Small sized Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected of typical shape and measurements of the C. parvum oocysts with a total prevalence of 54.4% (higher prevalence 61.6% in calves less than 1 month of age while lower 38.2% in calves aged 1-2 month). Molecular characterization was done using nested PCR amplification and partial sequence analysis. The nested PCR gave the expected 1st (1325 bp) and the 2nd (825 bp) PCR products from all the examined Egyptian isolates. The DNA sequence alignments and BLAST search analysis of the of Egyptian isolates of Cryptosporidium revealed 100% homology between the 825 bp amplified fragment of Egyptian isolates and the counterpart of the 18S rDNA sequences of C. parvum deposited in Gene bank and proved that the 10 positive PCR isolates were Cryptosporidium parvum. The high prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum among calves obtained by this investigation has pointed to the existence of this zoonotic genotype and suggesting that there is a potential risk of Cryptosporidiosis as a zoonotic transmission between calves and humans in this region.
M.A. Hassanain, Fathia A.M. Khalil, K.A. AbdEl-Razik and R.M. Shaapan, 2011. Prevalence and Molecular Discrimination of Cryptosporidium parvum in Calves in Behira Provinces, Egypt. Research Journal of Parasitology, 6: 101-108.
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