Cryptosporidium infection in nursing, weaning and post-weaned piglets and sows in the Belgrade district

Abstract

The study of the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs was carried out in a rural area in the Belgrade district. Nursing, weaning and post-weaned piglets and sows kept in intensive breeding conditions were examined using two coprological procedures. Sheather's sugar flotation was employed for concentration of oocysts. A modified Ziehl-Neelsen technique was used as the staining procedure. Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 45.5% nursing, weaning and post-weaned piglets aged up to 3 months, in 32.8% post-weaned piglets aged 3 to 12 months and 15.5% sows older than 12 months. The highest prevalence of positive animals was detected among the weaning and post-weaned piglets aged 30 to 90 days (62.5%). All of the nursing piglets, positive for Cryptosporidium infection, had diarrhea. In post-weaned piglets (aged 3 to 12 months) and adult pigs Cryptosporidium infection was asymptomatic. Adult asymptomatic carriers may play an important role as a source of infection. These findings indicate the potential role of such pigs as reservoirs of cryptosporidia for young piglets, other livestock and humans.