GiardiaandCryptosporidiumon Dairy Farms and the Role these Farms May Play in Contaminating Water Sources inPrinceEdwardIsland,Canada

Abstract

Background Cattle represent a reservoir for Giardia and Cryptosporidium and may contaminate water sources. Objectives To determine the distribution of Cryptosporidium and Giardia on dairy farms and in water bodies near the farms. Farms and Water Sources Twenty dairy farms and 20 wells and 13 surface water samples associated with dairy farms. Methods Proportions of samples positive for Cryptosporidium or Giardia were determined by a direct immunofluorescence assay. Fecal and water samples were taken at different times. Results Thirty‐two (95% CI: 29–35%) and 14% (95% CI: 12–17%) of fecal samples, and 100 (95% CI: 96–100) and 55% (95% CI: 32–77%) of herds, were positive for Giardia and Cryptosporidium, respectively. Giardia duodenalis assemblage E was detected in high proportions (90%) of fecal samples. Cryptosporidium bovis predominated (51%) in all cattle. C. andersoni predominated in adult cattle (53%), whereas the predominant species in animals < 2 months and 2–6 months was C. bovis, respectively. Only calves < 2 months of age were positive for C. parvum. In 46% (95% CI: 19–75%) and 85% (95% CI: 55–98%) of surface water, concentrations of Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts were higher in downstream, than in upstream, locations of farms, whereas only 1 groundwater sample was positive for Cryptosporidium. Conclusions This sample of dairy cattle was predominantly infected with nonzoonotic species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium, Giardia, or both. More studies are needed to determine if the presence of Giardia or Cryptosporidium in surface water was associated with shedding in animals from nearby farms.

Cryptosporidiumspecies in humans and animals: current understanding and research needs

“…Like earlier observations in the UK and New Zealand, C. hominis was more prevalent in autumn, and C. parvum was more prevalent in spring in some more recent studies conducted in Canada, Ireland and the Netherlands (Wielinga et al 2008;Zintl et al 2009;Budu-Amoako et al 2012b). In the Netherlands, C. hominis was more commonly found in children and C. parvum more in adults (Wielinga et al 2008).…”

“…In developing countries C. bovis is the dominant species in pre-weaned calves, in addition to C. parvum, C. ryanae and C. andersoni (Silverlås et al 2010;Meireles et al 2011;Muhid et al 2011;Wang et al 2011a;Budu-Amoako et al 2012b;Venu et al 2012;Amer et al 2013;Silva et al 2013;Silverlås and Blanco-Penedo, 2013;Zhang et al 2013a). A small number of these studies subtyped C. parvum (Amer et al 2010;Imre et al 2011;Meireles et al 2011;Muhid et al 2011;Wang et al 2011a;Silva et al 2013), with C. parvum IId subtypes identified as the dominant C. parvum in China and Malaysia (Muhid et al 2011;Wang et al 2011a;Zhang et al 2013a) and both IIa and IId dominant in Egypt (Amer et al 2010;.…”

Waterborne Giardia and Cryptosporidium: contamination of human drinking water by sewage and cattle feces

“…Bovine cryptosporidiosis can occur in all age groups, in both beef and dairy cattle, in which the prevalence rate varies considerably across studies, with a tendency to decrease with increasing animal age (SANTÍN et al, 2008;BUDU-AMOAKO et al, 2012). The Cryptosporidium species identified in cattle include C. parvum, C. bovis, C. ryanae, and C. andersoni (XIAO, 2010).…”

“…Despite the low prevalence of C. parvum in steers and adults, some studies have identified this species in this age group (FAYER et al, 2007;BUDU-AMOAKO et al, 2012;WELLS et al, 2015). In Brazil, C. parvum was also more frequently identified in calves up to 2 months of age (THOMAZ et al, 2007;MEIRELES et al, 2011;COUTO et al, 2014).…”

“…Studies in different countries have identified G. duodenalis in the feces of beef and dairy cattle with a prevalence rate ranging from 5.1% to 100% of animals across different countries (SANTÍN et al, 2009;OTERO-NEGRETE et al, 2011;TIRANTI et al, 2011;BUDU-AMOAKO et al, 2012;HERNÁNDEZ-GALLO;CORTÉZ-VECINO, 2012;OUCHENE et al, 2014), and7.5-25.56% in Brazil (MARQUES et al, 2005;SILVA JÚNIOR et al, 2011;PAZ E SILVA et al, 2012). G. duodenalis has been found to be highly prevalent in young calves, especially those aged between 2 and 3 months of age, when stress and lower immunity are observed because of the weaning process (TROUT et al, 2005;MADDOX-HYTTEL et al, 2006;SILVA JÚNIOR et al, 2011).…”