Molecular Evidence of Cryptosporidiosis in Farmed Blue Foxes (Vulpes lagopus) and Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in Heilongjiang, China

• Published in: The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine
• Main Authors: Hussain, Shakeel, Wang, Lixin, Hou, Zhijun
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: Chula Digital Collections 2021
• Subjects: Cryptosporidiosis; nested-PCR; Norwegian Blue Fox; Raccoon Dog; China; Veterinary Medicine; Vulpes lagopus
• Online Access: https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/tjvm/vol51/iss2/19; https://doi.org/10.56808/2985-1130.3128; https://digital.car.chula.ac.th/context/tjvm/article/3128/viewcontent/openpdf.php

Cryptosporidium, an important zoonotic protozoan, causes Cryptosporidiosis in humans as well as in animals. This study aimed to identify Cryptosporidiosis in farmed fur animals (Blue Fox and Raccoon Dogs). A total of 283 specimens (223 foxes, 60 Raccoon dogs) were screened through nested-PCR by targeting the actin gene. The results showed the overall prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was 9.1% where the prevalence in foxes and raccoon dogs was 9.1% and 8.3%, respectively. The prevalence in males (15%) was significantly higher than that in females (5.7%). The findings of this study portrayed new knowledge that foxes and raccoon dogs are likely to play an important role in the spreading of this zoonosis.