Lack of detectable shedding of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts by periparturient dairy cattle.
We examined whether periparturient dairy cattle shed Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts within 12 hr of calving on 3 commercial dairy farms endemic for calfhood cryptosporidiosis. Using a diagnostic method that can detect as few as 1 oocyst per gram of feces, we found no evidence of C. parvum oocysts in 86 fecal samples collected within 12 hr of calving from 43 dairy cows.
Atwill
E R
ER
Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, Tulare, California 93274, USA. ratwill@vmtrc.ucdavis.edu
Pereira
M das G C
Md
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D016785:Cryptosporidium parvum / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D018189:Immunomagnetic Separation / Q000662:veterinary; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity