Molecular Epidemiology of Cryptosporidiosis on Lamb and Goat Kid Farms in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain)

Molecular Epidemiology of Cryptosporidiosis on Lamb and Goat Kid Farms in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands (Spain)

The aim of this study was to analyse and characterise <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in sheep and goats in Gran Canaria (Spain) and to identify the risks and economic factors related to the disease. During sampling, a semi-structured survey was conducted with farmers, and faecal samples wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: María Cristina Del Río, Sergio Martín, Joaquín Quílez, José Manuel Molina, Otilia Ferrer, José Adrián Molina, Adrián Melián, Antonio Ruiz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Microorganisms
Subjects:
<i>Cryptosporidium</i>
sheep
goat
zoonosis
questionnaire
risk factors
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/13/3/644
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Summary:The aim of this study was to analyse and characterise <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in sheep and goats in Gran Canaria (Spain) and to identify the risks and economic factors related to the disease. During sampling, a semi-structured survey was conducted with farmers, and faecal samples were collected from lambs, goat kids, sheep, and adult goats from a total of 30 farms. Adult samples were examined microscopically for the presence of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. oocysts, with only three positive samples being found in sheep and one in goats. The PCR of the <i>SSU rRNA</i> gene was performed on all juvenile and adult samples, and positive samples from lambs (8.3%), sheep (6.9%), goat kids (23.3%), and goats (2.5%) were subjected to sequencing, detecting three of the most important species in small ruminants: <i>C. parvum</i>, <i>C. xiaoi</i>, and <i>C. ubiquitum</i>. By sequencing the <i>GP60</i> PCR products, two subtypes of <i>C. parvum</i> belonging to the IId family were identified, IIdA16G1 and IIdA23G1, with the latter being the most frequent. Although the prevalence of the disease was not very high, the zoonotic potential of <i>C. parvum</i> and the limited awareness of the parasite among farmers make surveillance and health education focused on the control of this member of Apicomplexa necessary.
ISSN:2076-2607

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