الفهرس 
Introduction
Historical reviewOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Cryptosporidium is a ubiquitous enteropathogen protozoan infection affecting livestock worldwide. The importance of cryptosporidial infection in calves, so this study was carried out to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in different age groups of domesticated cattle and buffalo calves suffering from diarrhea or digestive problems or both in rural areas in Assiut from April 2016 to march 2017, and studying the comparison between the effect of some medicinal compounds (garlic extract and black seed extracts) on the infection with it. In the present study A 304 fecal samples were collected at random from small holders in Assiut. and examined using modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) staining under light microscope.
Fecal samples were collected from 162 and 142 calves for cattle and buffalos, respectably. 146 collected from male calves and 158 from female calves. The animals studied were classified into three age groups: <1 month (88); 1–3 months (160) and <3 month (56).
Oocytes of Cryptosporidium spp. were identified in 102 animals (33.55%) distributed throughout all of the age groups. 62 (38.27%) and 40 (28.16%) samples were found positive out of 162 and 140 for cattle and buffaloes, respectively.
The infection rate of Cryptosporidium was the highest in cattle and buffaloes calves above three months older animals (54.54%) and (29.41%), respectively. Then in cattle calves less than month old (39.13%) and buffalo calves less than month old (28.57%). The lowest was in cattle calves month to three month old (34.04%) and buffalo calves month to three month old (27.27%), respectively.
Regarding to the sex of cattle and buffaloes calves, the infection of Cryptosporidium varied from (26.19%) and (32.25%) in males to (51.28%) and (25%) in females, respectively. Sexwise, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium by mZN staining method in cattle calves, 22 male calves were found to be infected out of 84 tested with a prevalence of 26.19 percent. Among the females, 40 (51.28 %) were infected out of 78 fecal samples screened. While in Buffaloes, out of 62 and 80 fecal samples screened, 20 samples were found positive for both, the prevalence rate of 32.25 and 25 percent of Cryptosporidium infection was observed for male and female calves, respectively.
In cattles, the highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium was found during winter (52.63%), followed by spring (42.11%), summer (30.43%), while the lowest was in autumn (30%). While in buffalo, the infection was more frequent at Winter season (35%), followed with Spring (30%), then Autumn (23.52%) and Summer (21.42%).
Depending on the consistency of feaces, the highest rate of infection was observed with diarrhoeiccalves, Significant associations between parasitisation by Cryptosporidium and consistency of feaces in both cattle and buffaloes. In cattle calves, 56 diarrhoeiccalves were found to be infected out of 124 tested with a prevalence of 45.16 percent. Among non-diarrhoeiccalves, 6 (15.76 %) were infected out of 38 calves. While in Buffaloes, out of 106 and 36 feacal samples screened, 36 and 4 samples were found positive, the prevalence rate of 33.96 and 11.11 percent of Cryptosporidium infection was observed for diarrhoeicand non-diarrhoeiccalves, respectively. Infection was significantly associated with diarrhea.
The study showed that the percent of infection by Cryptosporidium was higher than the other parasites that was recognized at this study, the percent reached 33.55% while the infection by coccidia was 25.65%, by Giardia was 4.16% and by Toxocara worms was 6.57%.
Cryptosporidiosis emergence triggered the screening of many compounds for potential anti-cryptosporidial activity in which the majority were effective.An attempt was made to understand the efficacy of various combinations of drugs against cryptosporidiosis in calves. A comparative efficacy of (Garlic, Black seed and Nitazxanide) against cryptosporidiosis was observed based on comparison of fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts count.
The efficacy of black seed oil was (75.8%) followed by mixture of garlic and black seed oil (75.4%) then alcholic seed (75.1%) and alcholic arial (74.7%) the lowest was garlic juice (73.1%) when compared with Nitaxanide (76.1%).
This research has indicated that there is Cryptosporidium infection in cattle and buffaloes in Assiut. The findings suggested that control and prevention measures must be taken in order to reduce the infection among calves. It is highly important to control the infection since calves infected with parasites may serve as potential reservoirs of the infection to other animals and humans especially animal handlers. Good management practices and proper hygiene managements are the most effective weapons to combat Cryptosporidium spp. Infections.