Molecular identification of Cryptosporidium baileyi in Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata domesticus) in free-range production systems

Abstract

Cryptosporidiosis is considered an infection with impact on animal health. It has been associated with high morbidity and mortality rates, leading to significant economic losses to the poultry industry. This study investigated the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in domestic ducks of family Anatidae (Cairina moschata) from two rustic commercial aviaries located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A total of 315 fecal samples were collected from domestic ducks in two different areas (N=186 in area A and N=129 in area B). The microscopic analysis was conducted using a sugar centrifugal flotation technique for the identification of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts, followed by PCR/sequencing analyses of the partial sequence of the 18S rDNA gene to determine the Cryptosporidium species. Of the 315 samples collected, only 10 (186/5.38%) from area A were positive for Cryptosporidium. The nucleotide sequence and phylogenetic analyses identified that all samples were identical (100%) and belonged to Cryptosporidium baileyi species, which is closely related to gastric species and of importance in animal health.

Detection of Natural Infection with Cryptosporidiosis in Domestic Poultry from Sulaymaniyah Province/ Iraq

“…Besides that, higher prevalence of 39.9% and 50% was reported in ducks by some researchers [34,35]. However lower prevalence of 11% and 5.38% was found by others [36,37] from Spain and Brazil respectively. Furthermore, Egypt.…”

“…In areas where different avian species are raised together for production, there is a possibility of recurrent infection of birds via contamination of the environment. Nevertheless, the opportunity of potential contamination by wild birds should be taken into account, especially those of the Columbiforme order [37].…”