Occurrence and factors associated with faecal shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts in small ruminants in Potiskum local government area, Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cryptosporidium is an enteric protozoan pathogen associated with neonatal diarrhoea and mortality in small ruminants. Faecal samples of two hundred small ruminants were examined for Cryptosporidium oocysts using formol-ether concentration and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique. Fifty seven (28.5%) out of the 200 faecal samples examined were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. The occurrence was higher in sheep (33.0%) than goats (24.0%), in male (32.8%) than female (26.6%), in those with loose/watery faeces (74.4%) than those with well-formed faeces (17.4%), in those between age 4-6 months (39.2%) than 0-3 months (22.2%) and those within 7 months and above (21.1%), in those that drank borehole water (28.7%) than those that drank well/stream water (20.0%), in those raised under semi-intensive/extensive (29.9%) than those under intensive system (21.1%). There was significant association between the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and age of small ruminants (OR = 2.368, 95% CI on OR: 1.251 < OR < 4.484). On the other hand, there were no significant associations between the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and sex, breed, faecal consistencies, source of water and management practices of small ruminants (P > 0.05). The species of Cryptosporidium infecting small ruminants identified in this study were C. parvum (50.9%), C. ryanae (26.3%), C. xiaoi (12.3%), C. bovis (8.8%) and C. andersonii (1.8%). The high prevalence of C. parvum observed in this study is of public health importance because of it zoonotic nature. This study shows that age influence the occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts and C. parvum is the predominant species in small ruminants in Potiskum, Yobe State.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium, Factors, Occurrence, Potiskum, Small ruminants