title: Prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among livestock and humans in contact with livestock in Hamadan district, Iran, 2012.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite causes cryptosporidial diarrhea, which is typically a short-lasting benign infection, but can become severe and non-resolving in immunocompromised individuals. The aim of the present study was to determinate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in livestock and humans that were in contact with livestock in Hamadan district, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross sectional study a total of 660 fecal specimens were collected; 228, 195 and 237 from humans, whom raising livestock, their calves and lambs/goats, respectively in spring 2012. Samples were concentrated by formalin-ether concentration technique and examined using cold modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two (0.87%) out of 228, 25 (12.8%) out of 195 and 6 (2.5%) out of 237 fecal samples of humans, calves and lambs/goats were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts, respectively. There was no significant relationship between the infection to Cryptosporidium and demographic variables of humans. However, Cryptosporidium infection rate was higher in diarrheic calves (OR=3.81; 95% CI: 1.30, 11.21; P=0.010).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite studies conducted in some regions of Iran that resulted in a relatively high rate of infection in humans in contact with livestock, our results showed low prevalence and low carrier status in the asymptomatic persons in Hamadan region. Because the infection in calves and lambs/goats was relatively high, these animals could be probable reservoir of infection for humans in this area.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
authors.forename: Rasool
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jafari
authors.forename: Amir Hossein
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Maghsood
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fallah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000469:parasitology; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D058751:Livestock / Q000469:parasitology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission
keywords: Cryptosporidium; Human; Iran; Livestock; Modified Ziehl-Neelsen