1. Follow-up investigation into Cryptosporidium prevalence and transmission in Western European dairy farms
- Author
-
Sumaiya Hoque, Pedro Pinto, Cláudia A. Ribeiro, Evi Canniere, Yvonne Daandels, Martine Dellevoet, Anne Bourgeois, Ourida Hammouma, Paul Hunter, Eleni Gentekaki, Martin Kváč, Jérôme Follet, Anastasios D. Tsaousis, University of Kent [Canterbury], Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto (FEUP), Universidade do Porto = University of Porto, University of Algarve [Portugal], Inagro, Biological Data Analysis ['s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands], PamGene International B.V. ['s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands], Affectations Mineralisantes du Systeme Cardiovasculaire : Calcifications Arterielles et Valvulaires Aortiques, Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM), Transfrontalière BioEcoAgro - UMR 1158 (BioEcoAgro), Université d'Artois (UA)-Université de Liège-Université de Picardie Jules Verne (UPJV)-Université du Littoral Côte d'Opale (ULCO)-Université de Lille-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-JUNIA (JUNIA), Université catholique de Lille (UCL)-Université catholique de Lille (UCL), JUNIA (JUNIA), Université catholique de Lille (UCL), University of Lille, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), University of East Anglia [Norwich] (UEA), Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University [Halifax], Mae Fah Luang University [Thaïlande] (MFU), Institute of Parasitology [České Budějovice] (BIOLOGY CENTRE CAS), Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences (BIOLOGY CENTRE CAS), Czech Academy of Sciences [Prague] (CAS)-Czech Academy of Sciences [Prague] (CAS), University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Agriculture, Studentska 13, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice, Bio-Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems - IEMN (BIOMEMS - IEMN), Institut d’Électronique, de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie - UMR 8520 (IEMN), Centrale Lille-Université de Lille-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF)-JUNIA (JUNIA), Université catholique de Lille (UCL)-Université catholique de Lille (UCL)-Centrale Lille-Université de Lille-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France (UPHF)-JUNIA (JUNIA), and no information
- Subjects
[PHYS]Physics [physics] ,[SPI]Engineering Sciences [physics] ,General Veterinary ,Belgium ,Epidemiology ,Dairy cows ,Prevalence ,Cryptosporidium ,Parasitology ,The Netherlands ,General Medicine ,France ,Diarrhoea - Abstract
International audience; AbstractCryptosporidium parvum is an enteric parasite and a major contributor to acute enteritis in calves worldwide, causing an important economic burden for farmers. This parasite poses a major public health threat through transmission between livestock and humans. Our previous pilot study in Western Europe revealed a high prevalence of Cryptosporidium in calves of dairy farms. In the sequel study herein, 936 faecal samples were collected from the same 51 dairy farms across Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. Following DNA extraction, Cryptosporidium screening was carried out using nested-PCR amplification targeting the SSU rRNA gene. All positive samples were sequenced, and phylogenetic analyses were used to identify the Cryptosporidium spp. present. The 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene was also sequenced to determine the C. parvum subtypes present. Prevalence of Cryptosporidium ranged from 23.3% to 25%, across the three countries surveyed. The parasite was found in most of the farms sampled, with 90.2% testing positive. Cryptosporidium parvum, C. bovis, C. ryanae and C. andersoni were all identified, with the former being the most predominant, representing 71.4% of all infections. Cryptosporidium parvum was associated with pre-weaned calves, while other species were associated with older animals. Subtyping of gp60 gene revealed nine subtypes, eight of which have previously been reported to cause clinical disease in humans. Similarly to the first study, vertical transmission was not a major contributor to Cryptosporidium spread. Our study highlights the need for further investigation into cryptosporidiosis transmission, and future studies will require a One Health approach to reduce the impact of this disease.
- Published
- 2023