title: Cryptosporidium andersoni is the predominant species in post-weaned and adult dairy cattle in China.
abstract: Dairy industry plays an important role in the agricultural economy of China. To estimate the prevalence and public health significance of cryptosporidiosis in post-weaned and adult dairy cattle in China, during four consecutive years (from 2006 to 2009), a total of 1315 fecal samples from 22 dairy cattle farms in ten prefectures in Henan Province were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium was 7.9%, with the highest infection rate (11.3%) in 3 to 11-month-old calves and the lowest infection rate (1.0%) in >2-year-old cows (p<0.01). Cryptosporidium-positive samples (n=104) were analyzed by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, and 25 representative samples were further analyzed by DNA sequencing of the PCR products. Cryptosporidium bovis and Cryptosporidium andersoni were identified. C. andersoni (84/104) was the predominant species and was found in all age groups, whereas C. bovis (20/104) was only detected in 3 to 11-month-old calves. Thus, C. andersoni appears to be the dominant species in weaned dairy calves and heifers in China, in contrast with its common occurrence in adult cattle in other parts of the world.
authors.affiliation: The College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
authors.forename: Rongjun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Guangpeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qingbin
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Helei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Longxian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fuchun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Jian
authors.forename: Changshen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000469:parasitology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005838:Genotype; D033661:Oocysts; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014886:Weaning
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan