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Title: Wide distribution of Cryptosporidium bovis and the deer-like genotype in bovines

Author
item FENG, YAOYU - CDC, ATLANTA, GA
item ORTEGA, YNES - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item HE, GUOSHENG - CHINESE ACAD.AG SCIENCES
item DAS, PRADEEP - RAJENDRA INST., INDIA
item XU, MEIQIAN - CHINESE ACAD.AG SCIENCE
item ZHANG, XICHEN - JILIN UNIV., CHINA
item Fayer, Ronald
item GATEI, WANGECI - CDC, ATLANTA, GA
item CAMA, VITALIANO - CDC, ATLANTA, GA
item XIAO, LIHUA - CDC, ATLANTA, GA

Submitted to: Veterinary Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2006
Publication Date: 1/1/2007
Citation: Feng, Y., Ortega, Y., He, G., Das, P., Xu, M., Zhang, X., Fayer, R., Gatei, W., Cama, V., Xiao, L. 2007. Wide distribution of Cryptosporidium bovis and the deer-like genotype in bovines. Veterinary Parasitology. 144:1-9.

Interpretive Summary: Recent studies in the United States reported that ~85 percent of pre-weaned dairy calves were infected with zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum whereas only 1-2 percent of post-weaned calves and 1-2 year-old heifers were infected with this species. Cryptosporidium bovis and the deer-like genotype were much more prevalent in the post-weaned animals. It is not clear whether the same infection pattern also occurs in other geographic areas. In this study, to determine whether the same Cryptosporidium infection pattern was present in other geographic areas, we genotyped Cryptosporidium specimens collected from two farms in China and India, using specimens from farms in Georgia, USA for comparison. Cryptosporidium bovis was the most common species found in pre- and post-weaned calves in all three areas. In Georgia, the deer-like genotype was found frequently in pre- and post-weaned calves, and C. andersoni was found in one post-weaned calf. Both C. bovis and the deer-like genotype were found in the few milking cows examined in Georgia. There were no molecular differences in C. bovis or deer-like genotype among the three areas. An adult yak in China was infected with a newly discovered species similar to C. bovis. In summary, both C. bovis and the deer-like genotype were found in all age groups of cattle in diverse geographic areas and host adaptation of C. bovis might have occurred in yaks.

Technical Abstract: We recently reported that on 14 dairy farms from Vermont to Florida ~85% of pre-weaned dairy calves were infected with zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum whereas only 1-2% of post-weaned calves and 1-2 year-old heifers were infected with this species. Cryptosporidium bovis and the deer-like genotype were much more prevalent in the post-weaned animals. Because it is not known if the same infection pattern occurs in other geographic areas we genotyped Cryptosporidium specimens collected from two farms in China and India, using specimens from farms in Georgia, USA for comparison. Cryptosporidium bovis was the most common species found in pre- and post-weaned calves in all areas. In Georgia, the deer-like genotype was found frequently in pre- and post-weaned calves, and C. andersoni was found in one post-weaned calf. Both C. bovis and the deer-like genotype were found in the few milking cows examined in Georgia. There were no differences in the small subunit rRNA gene sequences obtained from C. bovis or deer-like genotype among the three areas. One adult yak in China, however, was infected with a species similar to C. bovis, with only three nucleotide mutations in the target gene. All four common bovine Cryptosporidium spp. could be differentiated from each other by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis with enzymes SspI and MboII. Thus, both C. bovis and the deer-like genotype are found in all age groups of cattle in diverse geographic areas and host adaptation of C. bovis might have occurred in yaks.