A CLINICAL REPORT ON Prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in cattle calves in three districts of Bangladesh

Abstract

The intra-cellular protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium sp is one of the major causes of diarrhoea in calves and other animals worldwide. While cryptosporidiosis in cattle is commonly asymptomatic, young cattle calves may bear an enteric disease associated with persistent diarrhoea and delayed weight gain. The pathogen also has zoonotic significance. There is limited information about the prevalence of cryptosporidial diarrhoea in cattle calves in Bangladesh. Various diagnostic tools are used for detection of Cryptosporidium in field level. Among them special stains like Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique is known to be the best suitable one for screening in the laboratory. During the present study, we have used microscopy with Ziehl-Neelsen stain to identify and characterize the Cryptosporidium sp. from diarrheic feces of cattle calves. A total of 50 diarrhoeic feces samples were collected from three districts of Bangladesh namely Pabna, Sirajganj and Chittagong. A total of 5 samples (10%) were found positive in microscopic study. Further analyses to identify different risk factors like age, sex and breed were also attempted. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Cryptosporidium spp in calf in Bangladesh that indicates the prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis in cattle calves.