Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Cryptosporidiosis among Calves in the North Region of Cameroon
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Cattle rearing, one of the main activities of the people of the North Cameroon Region, is limited by cryptosporidiosis, gastrointestinal disease of calves. A study was carried out in 458 calves from the North Cameroon Region during the period August 2022 to January 2023 to determine its prevalence, distribution, and risk factors. A total of 217/458 faecal samples were positive, giving an overall prevalence of 44.56%. This prevalence was significantly higher in the rainy season (59.18%) (p<0.001), and on diarrheic animals (51.44%) (p<0.001). The prevalence of infection is significantly higher in calves aged < 3 (69.28%) (p<0.001), on calves of semi-intensive (55.15%) and intensive (31.25%) farms (p<0.001). The prevalence varied significantly between 35.51% in Mayo-Rey and 53.84% in Mayo-Louti (p<0.05), and between 37.68% in calves from NEC= [3; 5] and 64.28% in those from BCN= [0; 1] (p<0.01). According to risk of infection, calves aged <3 months and 3-6 months were respectively 11.69 and 3.19 at risk to be infected (OR=11.694; p<0.001; OR=3.193; p<0.001 respectively). At the same time, the risk of infection is higher on diarrheic calves (OR=4.43; p<0.001), in the rainy season (OR=4.298; p<0.001), on calves of BCN= [0; 1] (OR=2.76; p<0.05), in the intensive system (OR=0.499; p<0.05). Cryptosporidiosis is present and very distributed among calves of this region. The disease could be a major animal and human health problem considering his impact and the zoonotic oocyst capacity of transmission.
Authors: Augustin Siama, Radaiwa Radaiwa, Rodrigue Simonet Poueme Namegni, Samuel Abah, Alexandre Michel Njan Nloga
Language: English
Subfield: Parasitology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408208195