Veterinary Science & Technology

Back ground: Cryptosporidiosis is a disease caused by a variety of Cryptosporidium species and causes gastrointestinal illness in a wide variety of mammals including humans, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses worldwide.

Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from December 2021 to July 2022 to estimate the prevalence, identify associated risk factors and estimate infection intensity of the parasite in cattle and sheep in Central Oromia. Fecal flotation sheathers’ solution and modified acid fast techniques were used to identify Cryptosporidium oocysts from fecal samples.

Results and Discussion: Out of 687 fecal samples examined, 182 (34.2%) cattle and 30(19.4%) sheep were found to be infected with Cryptosporidium. There was a significant difference (P< 0.05) in the Cryptosporidium infection between age groups of cattle, with higher prevalence in young (43.4%) than adult age group (28.4%). Similarly, there was a significant difference (P< 0.05) in Cryptosporidium infection among study sites. There was a considerable difference in Cryptosporidium infection between production systems, with higher prevalence in the intensive production system (38.7%) than the extensive system (21.6%). There was also a significant difference in the intensity of infection of Cryptosporidium (P= 0.000) between the age groups of cattle, with more burden of illness in the young age category than the adult age group. Body condition was found to be the only risk factor associated with Cryptosporidium infection in sheep.

Conclusion: The present study indicated that Cryptosporidium is widely distributed in cattle and sheep in the study areas. Many adult animals were infected with this parasite, meaning that adult animals could also play a significant role in parasite transmission. The majority of Cryptosporidium infections in both cattle and sheep were mild.