Role of calves and lambs in transmitting cryptosporidiosis to children in west Delta region of Egypt.

摘要

A total of 688 faecal and stool samples were collected from calves, lambs and children throughout all seasons of the year including: 248 (62/season) faecal samples of pre-weaned calves collected from diarrhoeic and apparently healthy animals from individually owned animals attending the veterinarian clinics in rural areas of Alexandria and Behera Provinces; 200 (50/season) faecal samples of pre-weaned lambs were collected from diarrhoeic lambs and 240 (60/season) stool samples were collected from children under 6 years old (the age of school entry) attending paediatric hospitals in Alexandria and Behera Provinces during the period from December 2008 to November 2009. All collected samples were subjected to microscopic examination by using Modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) staining technique for detection of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts. Moreover, all positive samples were confirmed by using RIDASCREEN Cryptosporidium ELISA kits supplied by GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany. It was found that the overall percentage of C. parvum infection in faecal samples of calves, lambs and children was 9.3, 13.5 and 11.7%, respectively and the incidence of C. parvum was higher in Behera Province than in Alexandria Province due to its rural nature. The effects of age, health condition and season of the year on the incidence of infection with C. parvum were studied and the public health significance of cryptosporidiosis was discussed.