Abstract

Cryptosporidiosis, caused by a protozoan parasite of the genus Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic disease that affects young animals and humans. The objective of the study was to estimate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in calves. A total of 30 faecal samples were collected from calves below six months of age and subjected to examination for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts using a modified Ziehl–Neelsen staining procedure. The overall prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was 16.60 per cent with infection significantly high in diarrhoeic calves. It is apparent that there is a lack of diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis in cattle in these regions, indicating a potentially high prevalence of infection..

Keywords : Cattle, Cryptosporidium parvum, Modified Ziehl–Neelsen, Prevalence