Prevalence, species identification and genotyping Cryptosporidium from livestock and deer in a catchment in the Cairngorms with a history of a contaminated public water supply

Abstract

BackgroundThe apicomplexan parasite Cryptosporidium represents a threat to water quality and public health. An important zoonotic species involved in human cryptosporidiosis from contaminated water is Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum), the main reservoirs of which are known to be farm livestock particularly neonatal calves, although adult cattle, sheep, lambs and wildlife are also known to contribute to catchment loading of C. parvum. This study aimed to establish Cryptosporidium prevalence, species and genotype in livestock, deer and water in a catchment with a history of Cryptosporidium contamination in the public water supply.MethodsA novel method of processing adult ruminant faecal sample was used to concentrate oocysts, followed by a nested species specific multiplex (nssm) PCR, targeting the 18S rRNA gene, to speciate Cryptosporidium. A multilocus fragment typing (MLFT) tool was used, in addition to GP60 sequencing, to genotype C. parvum positive samples.ResultsA very high prevalence of Cryptosporidium was detected, with speciation identifying a predominance of C. parvum in livestock, deer and water samples. Four GP60 subtypes were detected within C. parvum with the majority IIaA15G2R1 which was detected in all host species and on all farms. Multilocus fragment typing further differentiated these into 6 highly related multilocus genotypes.ConclusionThe high prevalence of Cryptosporidium detected was possibly due to a combination of the newly developed sample processing technique used and a reflection of the high rates of the parasite present in this catchment. The predominance of C. parvum in livestock and deer sampled in this study suggested that they represented a significant risk to water quality and public health. Genotyping results suggested that the parasite is being transmitted locally within the study area, possibly via free-roaming sheep and deer. Further studies are needed to verify particular host associations with subtypes/MLGs. Land and livestock management solutions to reduce Cryptosporidium on farm and in the catchment are planned with the aim to improve animal health and production as well as water quality and public health.

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

“…In addition to sanitary sewage, contamination of supply sources by cattle feces is a constant concern, since these animals are reservoirs of the zoonotic genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp.. Additionally, they are responsible for environmental contamination, because they eliminate a large amount of oocysts in feces, with bovine cattle increasing the possibility of outbreaks in humans (MARTINS-VIEIRA et al, 2009;WELLS et al, 2015).…”

“…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).…”

“…have been documented as an important cause of neonatal enteritis in cattle farms (SANTÍN, 2013;SILVERLAS;BLANCO-PENEDO, 2013). Newborn calves with diarrhea caused by this protozoan can eliminate large amounts of oocysts in feces; in the first 2 weeks of life, an infected calf can eliminate >10 10 oocysts/ day, contributing to the infection of other animals as well as to environmental contamination, since oocysts can remain viable for a long time in the environment (ROBERTSON et al, 2014;WELLS et al, 2015WELLS et al, , 2016. In addition to age, factors related to management contribute to the occurrence of infection and/or clinical signs such as collective heifers, high population density, non-stratification of animals by age, low hygiene levels of the facilities and buckets used for breastfeeding and proximity from the heifers to the barns (FEITOSA et al, 2004;ALMEIDA et al, 2008;ROBERTSON et al, 2014;DELAFOSSE et al, 2015).…”

“…In the UK, the increase in cryptosporidiosis outbreaks has led to changes in the legislation regarding routine evaluation of the presence of this protozoan in water, according to the parameters that affect the survival of this protozoan. The presence of cattle near the basin poses a great risk, which further doubles if calves and lambs are involved (WELLS et al, 2015). As cattle is an important reservoir of this protozoan, the discharge of fecal material present in the pastures into water bodies can generate a higher concentration of oocysts than the discharge of domestic sewage, especially during months with higher rainfall (MARTINS-VIEIRA et al, 2009).…”

“…As cattle is an important reservoir of this protozoan, the discharge of fecal material present in the pastures into water bodies can generate a higher concentration of oocysts than the discharge of domestic sewage, especially during months with higher rainfall (MARTINS-VIEIRA et al, 2009). In a recent study by Wells et al (2015), in Scotland, it was possible to compare the high prevalence of C. parvum in cattle and deer that inhabit the region of the water resource with the history of outbreaks occurring after the ingestion of water from it, thereby suggesting cyclical and seasonal transmission.…”