PREVALENCE OF Cryptosporidium spp. AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS IN FEMALE CALVES IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF VERACRUZ, MEXICO

• Main Authors: Dora Romero Salas, Oscar Godoy Salinas, Zeferino García Vázquez, Felipe Montiel Palacios, Bernabé Chavarría Martínez
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán 2012-11-01
• Series: Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems
• Subjects: Prevalence; Cryptosporidium spp.; female calves; diarrhea.
• Online Access: http://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/ojs/index.php/TSA/article/view/1725
• ISSN: 1870-0462

The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and its associated risk factors in female calves in central Veracruz, Mexico. A cross-sectional study with a convenience sampling was conducted. One fecal sample was obtained from each of 120 female calves. The lateral flow immunochromatographic (LFIC) and the Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) tests were performed. A questionnaire was applied in each farm to obtain individual and herd information. Overall prevalence was 3.33% (CI95% 1-8) through LFIC and 12.50% (CI95% 8-20) through ZN. Prevalence by municipality was 0 to 9.1% (CI95% 0.03-0.24) through LFIC and 0 to 30.43% (CI95% 16-51) through ZN. Prevalence by age was 0% at 31-45 days and 9.10% at 1-15 days through LFIC, and 0% at 31-45 days and 18.8% at 1-15 days through ZN. The calves with diarrhea had the highest prevalence, which was 14.3% (CI95% 3-51) through LFIC and 57.1% (CI95% 25-84) through ZN. The protective factors were calves housed in individual stalls, compared with those in common stalls but separated one from the other (OR=0.27; 0.09-0.85, P