Jafari Rasool, Maghsood Amir Hossein, Fallah Mohammad
Department of Medical Parasitology, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
J Res Health Sci. 2012 May 29;13(1):86-9.
Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite causes cryptosporidial diarrhea, which is typically a short-lasting benign infection, but can become severe and non-resolving in immunocompromised individuals. The aim of the present study was to determinate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in livestock and humans that were in contact with livestock in Hamadan district, Iran.
In this cross sectional study a total of 660 fecal specimens were collected; 228, 195 and 237 from humans, whom raising livestock, their calves and lambs/goats, respectively in spring 2012. Samples were concentrated by formalin-ether concentration technique and examined using cold modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining method.
Two (0.87%) out of 228, 25 (12.8%) out of 195 and 6 (2.5%) out of 237 fecal samples of humans, calves and lambs/goats were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts, respectively. There was no significant relationship between the infection to Cryptosporidium and demographic variables of humans. However, Cryptosporidium infection rate was higher in diarrheic calves (OR=3.81; 95% CI: 1.30, 11.21; P=0.010).
Despite studies conducted in some regions of Iran that resulted in a relatively high rate of infection in humans in contact with livestock, our results showed low prevalence and low carrier status in the asymptomatic persons in Hamadan region. Because the infection in calves and lambs/goats was relatively high, these animals could be probable reservoir of infection for humans in this area.
隐孢子虫是一种原生动物寄生虫，可引起隐孢子虫性腹泻，通常为短期良性感染，但在免疫功能低下的个体中可能会变得严重且难以治愈。本研究的目的是确定伊朗哈马丹地区与牲畜接触的牲畜和人类中隐孢子虫感染的患病率。
在这项横断面研究中，共收集了660份粪便标本；分别于2012年春季从饲养牲畜的人类、他们的小牛和羔羊/山羊中采集了228份、195份和237份。样本通过福尔马林-乙醚浓缩技术进行浓缩，并使用冷改良齐尔-尼尔森染色法进行检查。
人类、小牛和羔羊/山羊的粪便样本中，分别有2份（0.87%）、25份（12.8%）和6份（2.5%）隐孢子虫卵囊呈阳性。隐孢子虫感染与人类人口统计学变量之间无显著关系。然而，腹泻小牛的隐孢子虫感染率较高（比值比=3.81；95%置信区间：1.30，11.21；P=0.010）。
尽管在伊朗一些地区进行的研究显示与牲畜接触的人类感染率相对较高，但我们的结果显示哈马丹地区无症状人群的患病率较低且携带状态较低。由于小牛和羔羊/山羊的感染率相对较高，这些动物可能是该地区人类感染的潜在传染源。
