Detection of Cryptosporidium spp. (Tyzzer, 1907) (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) in dogs in southern Brazil

• Autores: Ferraz, Alexsander, Tavares Barwaldt, Eugênia, Santos Bierhals, Eduarda, Fontes Ongaratto, Renata, Porciúncula dos Santos, Victória, Loíde Damasio, Ellen, Batistin Nascente, Gabriele, Porto de Oliveira, Wesley, Fadrique da Silva, Janaína, Pascoti Bruhm, Fábio Raphael, Quintana Nizoli, Leandro
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2025
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs2.revistas.unfv.edu.pe:article/2024
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.unfv.edu.pe/NH/article/view/2024
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: cryptosporidiosis; diagnosis; protozoan; zoonosis

Cryptosporidium spp. is a protozoan of the phylum Apicomplexa that affects the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. Infection occurs mainly through the fecal-oral route, by ingesting infectious oocysts present in contaminated water or food. The clinical signs of cryptosporidiosis are usually nonspecific and include profuse, watery, yellowish diarrhea with a foul odor. This study aimed to determine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in the municipality of Pelotas, in the extreme south of Brazil. A total of 150 canine fecal samples were analyzed, with 75 from domiciled dogs and 75 from stray or semi-domiciled dogs. Oocyst detection was performed using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique. Of the analyzed samples, 5.3% (8/150) were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. Among stray or semi-domiciled dogs, 8% (6/75) were positive, while in domiciled dogs, the rate was 2.7% (2/75). Due to its zoonotic potential and the close contact between animals and humans, the results suggest that dogs may act as a potential source of human cryptosporidiosis infection