title: Molecular characterization and assessment of zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium from dairy cattle in West Bengal, India.
abstract: Few studies in the past have examined the genetic diversity and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium in dairy cattle in India. To assess the importance of these animals as a source of human Cryptosporidium infections, fecal samples from 180 calves, heifers and adults and 51 farm workers on two dairy farms in West Bengal, India were genotyped by PCR-RFLP analysis of the 18S rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium followed by DNA sequencing of the PCR products. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out on the DNA sequences obtained in the study and those available in GenBank. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium in cattle was 11.7% though the infection was more prevalent in younger calves than in adult cattle. The occurrence of Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium bovis, Cryptosporidium ryanae and Cryptosporidium andersoni in cattle followed an age-related pattern. A Cryptosporidium suis-like genotype was also detected in a calf. Farm workers were infected with Cryptosporidium hominis, C. parvum and a novel C. bovis genotype. These findings clearly suggest that there is a potential risk of zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium infections between cattle and humans on dairy farms in India.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases, P-33, C. I. T. Road, Beliaghata, Scheme-XM, Kolkata 700010, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Shahbaz Manzoor
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Chanchal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Debnath
authors.forename: Amiya Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Pramanik
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Tomoyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.forename: Sandipan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganguly
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S