Prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium parvum in dairy cattle in Sardinia, Italy
2011
Alonso De Vega, F., Università di Murcia, Spagna (Italy). Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Dipartimento di Sanità Animale | Pipia, A.P., Università degli Studi di Sassari (Italy). Dipartimento di Biologia Animale | Mula, P., Università degli Studi di Sassari (Italy). Dipartimento di Biologia Animale | Sanna, G., Università degli Studi di Sassari (Italy). Dipartimento di Biologia Animale | Solinas, C., Università degli Studi di Sassari (Italy). Dipartimento di Biologia Animale | Caccio, S., Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma (Italy) | Scalla, A., Università degli Studi di Sassari (Italy). Dipartimento di Biologia Animale
The zoonotic nature of Cryptosporidium parvum is widely demonstrated (Cacciò et al., 2005, Smith et al., 2006), with water and food as the most important transmission elements. In cattle farms, adults animals are asymptomatic carriers that maintain a low level of infection in the farm, whereas younger animals, between 4-30 days of age, with or without diarrhea, are those that eliminate high numbers of oocysts and contaminate the environment. Given the zoonotic nature of cryptosporidiosis, a way to control the infection in man, must to be through an unavoidable control of animals. It is important to properly manage colostrum to newborn animals, separate affected from healthy animals, to detect possible carriers and to control of rodents, birds and other animals present in cattle farms as dogs and cats. The disinfection of farms with water vapour, formaldehyde or ammonia disinfectants through hygienic measures, avoiding the coexistence of different species and susceptible to disease, separating animals by age and generally maintain good health and hygiene measures in the management of farms are suggested for the control of this parasite. In conclusion, Cryptosporidium parvum is highly prevalent in cattle farms in the study area of Sardinia, thus suggesting a possible role of animals in zoonotic human cryptosporidiosis. Further studies are needed to investigate in more details the environmental contamination and the health risk caused by this parasite.
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