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Tropical animal health and production2023; 55(6); 361; doi: 10.1007/s11250-023-03773-3

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in a working horse population in Egypt.

Abstract: Working horses support the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Egypt. No previous study has investigated the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in working horses in Egypt. Faecal samples were collected from 607 working horses recruited from thirty-seven villages/areas in two Egyptian governorates and examined for Cryptosporidium spp. infection using the modified Zielh-Neelsen staining technique. Data on signalment, history of recent diarrhoea, and strongyle burden were collected. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection was calculated using a bootstrap method and potential risk factors for infection were investigated using mixed-effects logistic regression models that included sampling location as a random-effects variable. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection was 28.7% (95% confidence interval = 23.5-33.9). None of the variables investigated, which include age, sex of the animals, and strongyle burden, were associated with risk of infection. This study provided evidence-based information on the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in the study area. However, the potential zoonotic risk of Cryptosporidium cannot be confirmed until further studies are conducted to genotype these parasites.
© 2023. The Author(s).
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Publication Date: 2023-10-18 PubMed ID: 37851181PubMed Central: PMC10584700DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03773-3Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research article investigates the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in working horses in Egypt, with the findings showing an infection prevalence of 28.7%. Factors such as the horse’s age, sex, and strongyle burden were not associated with the risk of infection. The impact of Cryptosporidium as a potential zoonotic risk could not be confirmed, suggesting the need for further studies.

Background and Methodology

  • The focus of this research was set on working horses in Egypt, a population crucial to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. There is a lack of prior study into the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis, which is an intestinal disease caused by microscopic parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium, in this demographic.
  • Faecal samples were sourced from 607 working horses located across thirty-seven villages/areas in two different Egyptian governorates, providing a representative population for the region.
  • The researchers used the modified Zielh-Neelsen staining technique for examining the samples for Cryptosporidium spp. infection. This is a special stain used in microbiology that can identify acid-fast organisms such as cryptosporidia.

Results and Findings

  • The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection amongst the working horses was determined to be 28.7%, with a confidence interval of 23.5-33.9.
  • Interestingly, the risk of infection showed no correlation with any of the tested variables which included the age of the horses, their sex, or their strongyle burden.

Implications and Consideration for Further Research

  • This study adds a crucial piece of evidence-based information regarding the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in this particular demographic.
  • However, the study does raise further questions; specifically, it does not definitively determine if Cryptosporidium carries a zoonotic risk. Zoonotic risks refer to infectious diseases that can be transferred between animals and humans.
  • To address this, the researchers indicate the need for further studies dedicated to genotyping these parasites, which would help in understanding their potential to pose a zoonotic risk.

Cite This Article

APA
Salem SE, Abd El-Ghany AM, Elsheikh HA, Abdel-Ghany EM, Ras R. (2023). Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection in a working horse population in Egypt. Trop Anim Health Prod, 55(6), 361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-023-03773-3

Publication

Tropical animal health and production
ISSN: 1573-7438
NlmUniqueID: 1277355
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 55
Issue: 6
Pages: 361
PII: 361

Researcher Affiliations

Salem, Shebl E
  • Department of Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt. sisalem@vet.zu.edu.eg.
Abd El-Ghany, Amany M
  • Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
Elsheikh, Hussein A
  • The Veterinary Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
Abdel-Ghany, Enas M
  • Genetic and Cytology Department, Biotechnology Research Institute, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt.
Ras, Refaat
  • Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, 44519, Egypt.
  • Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Badr University in Cairo (BUC), Badr City, Cairo, Egypt.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cryptosporidiosis / epidemiology
  • Cryptosporidium
  • Egypt / epidemiology
  • Prevalence
  • Feces / parasitology

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Muñoz-Caro T, Gavilán P, Villanueva J, Oberg C, Herrera C, Fonseca-Salamanca F, Hidalgo A. Endoparasitism and risk factors in horses from ethnic communities in Andean areas of southern Chile. Trop Anim Health Prod 2024 Sep 25;56(8):281.
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