Prevalence, Molecular Characterization and Public Health Importance of Cryptosporidium spp. in Tirupati Region of Andhra Pradesh
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/ijvsbt.22.5.14Keywords:
Cattle, Cattle handlers, Cryptosporidium, Faecal samples, PCR, Phylogenetic analysis, Risk factorsAbstract
Diarrheal diseases are a leading cause of illness and death in children under five years old around the world. Cryptosporidium is one of the most commonly found parasites that cause gastrointestinal illness in humans and animals. The present study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and to compare the diagnostic performance of modified Ziehl-Neelsen (mZN) staining with PCR for detection of Cryptosporidium spp. In addition, the study also aimed to assess the genetic diversity and evaluate the zoonotic transmission potential of Cryptosporidium spp. circulating in the Tirupati region. Out of 2000 samples, viz., 1000 cattle faecal samples and 500 each of human stool samples and water samples screened, modified ZN staining detected 225 positive samples, whereas nested PCR confirmed 246 positives for Cryptosporidium spp. When compared with PCR, mZN staining demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.65 %, specificity of 99.89 % and an overall accuracy of 98.75 %. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium detected by mZN staining was 15.9 %, 5.6 % and 7.6 % in cattle faecal, human stool and water samples, respectively. In comparison, nested PCR detected higher positivity rates of 17.3 %, 6.2 % and 8.4 % in cattle faecal, human stool and water samples, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of sequenced isolates revealed that the majority belonged to C. parvum (n=7), followed by C. hominis (n=2) and C. ryanae (n=1). Detection of zoonotic species, particularly C. parvum, indicates the potential for zoonotic transmission of Cryptosporidium spp. in and around Tirupati.
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