Prevalence and analysis of potential risk factors for Cryptosporidium parvum infection in lambs in Zaragoza (northeastern Spain)

An epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of and to identify factors associated with the risk of Cryptosporidium infection in sheep in Zaragoza (northeastern Spain). Faecal samples from 583 lambs aged from 1 day to 3 months and 205 ewes older than 1 year were collected at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Veterinary parasitology 2002-04, Vol.104 (4), p.287-298
Main Authors: Causapé, A.C, Quı́lez, J, Sánchez-Acedo, C, del Cacho, E, López-Bernad, F
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Age Factors
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Cross-Sectional Studies
Cryptosporidiosis - epidemiology
Cryptosporidiosis - parasitology
Cryptosporidiosis - veterinary
Cryptosporidium parvum
Cryptosporidium parvum - isolation & purification
Diarrhea - veterinary
Epidemiology
Feces - parasitology
Female
Parasite Egg Count - veterinary
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Sheep
Sheep Diseases - epidemiology
Sheep Diseases - parasitology
Sheep-protozoa
Spain - epidemiology
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Summary:An epidemiologic study was carried out to investigate the prevalence of and to identify factors associated with the risk of Cryptosporidium infection in sheep in Zaragoza (northeastern Spain). Faecal samples from 583 lambs aged from 1 day to 3 months and 205 ewes older than 1 year were collected at 89 farms in the two regions of the province of Zaragoza with the highest sheep population (Zaragoza and Ejea de los Caballeros). In every sheep farm, data of the factors potentially associated with the likelihood of C. parvum infection were analysed: geographical location, season, size of herd, number of lambs in the herd at sampling time, lambing period, cleaning of lambing area and presence of diarrhoeic lambs in the farm. C. parvum oocysts were identified by using the Ziehl–Neelsen technique in 344 lambs (59%) from 75 farms (84.4%). Infected lambs ranged from less than 7 days to 90 days of age, although the percentage of animals shedding oocysts peaked at 8–14 days of age (76.2%). Statistical analysis showed that infection rates were significantly higher in lambs aged between 1 and 21 days (66.4%) than in those aged between 22 and 90 days (23%) ( P
ISSN:0304-4017
1873-2550
DOI:10.1016/S0304-4017(01)00639-2