The objective of the present study was to evaluate the presence of Cryptosporidium parvum as a risk factor to the occurrence of diarrhea in alpacas younger than 15 days of age from peasant communities in the area of Cusco, using a case–control study design. Stool samples were collected from animals with (n=248) and without diarrhea (n=231) during the 2006 calving season. The presence of C. parvum was determined by the Modified Ziehl Neelsen stain technique (MZN). The results were analyzed using a logistic regression model, adjusting potentially confusing variables as age, sex, breed and location of alpacas. The Odds Ratio was 4.3 (C.I. = 2.3–7.9). The study demonstrated that neonatal alpaca positives to C. parvum have 4.3 times higher predisposition to suffer diarrheas in relation to the animals negative to MZN. In addition, significant association was observed between the animals MZ...

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar si la presencia de Cryptosporidium parvum es un factor de riesgo de diarrea en alpacas neonatas menores de 15 días de edad, provenientes de diversas unidades alpaqueras del departamento de Cusco. Se empleó el diseño epidemiológico de Caso-Control para establecer si existe una relación causal. Se tomaron 248 y 231 muestras fecales de animales con y sin diarrea, respectivamente, durante la temporada de parición del 2006. Se determinó la presencia de C. parvum mediante le técnica de tinción de Ziehl Neelsen Modificado (ZNM). Los datos se analizaron empleando una regresión logística, que ajustó variables potencialmente confundentes como edad, sexo, raza y lugar de origen de las alpacas. Se encontró un Odds Ratio de 4.3 (I.C. = 2.3–7.9). El estudio demuestra que las alpacas positivas a C. parvum tienen 4.3 veces mayor predisposiciÃ...