Cryptosporidium in wild birds in Zaria, Nigeria

1. THE PREVALENCE OF
CRYPTOSPORIDIUM OOCYSTS IN
WILD BIRDS IN ZARIA, NIGERIA
BAMAIYI, P.H.1*, UMOH, J.U.2, ABDU, P.A.3, LAWAL, I.A.4
1Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Adamawa State
University, Mubi, Nigeria
2Department of Veterinary Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, Nigeria
3Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria, Nigeria
4Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ahmadu
Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria
*Corresponding author: phbamaiyi@yahoo.com

2. Introduction
• Phylum: Apicomplexa
• Class: Conoidasida
• Sub-class: Coccidiasina
• Order: Eucoccidiorida
• Sub-order: Eimeriorina
• Family: Cryptosporidiidae
• Aetiology: Cryptosporidium parvum,
C. baileyi, C. meleagridis, C. galli

3. Introduction
• Protozoan zoonosis gaining prominence
• Infects over 170 hosts
• Worldwide distribution
• Wild birds
• C. baileyi, C. meleagridis implicated in
potential human infections (Plutzer & Tomor,
2009; Qi, et al., 2011)

4. Life-cycle

5. Transmission
• Feacal-oral route ( mainly food and water)

6. Objective
 Determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium
in wild birds in Zaria, Nigeria via coproculture

7. MATERIALS AND METHODS
• Wild birds trapped into cages
• 132 faecal samples were collected from wild
birds in Zaria (11°4'0"N/7°42'0"E), Nigeria
• 1gm of faecal sample processed according to
the method of Baxby et al( 1984)

8. Safranin-methylene blue staining
technique
• The slide examined- X 40 objective and oil
immersion objective
• Oocysts of Cryptosporidium-spherical to round
bright orange to reddish mass within a halo

9. Auramine phenol staining technique
• Specimens -screened at X 50 magnification
• Cryptosporidium oocysts -clearly visible as
yellowish discs against a dark background
(Casemore, et al., 1984).

10. Identifications
• safranin-methylene blue staining technique
+auramine phenol staining technique =+ve
• Positive slides provided by Dr. Bruce Anderson
of the University of Idaho U.S.A. and Dr. Liisa
Jokipii of Institutum Serobacteriologicum
Universitatis, Helsinki served as control
throughout the study.

11. Statistical analysis
• Data generated
• “SIGMASTAT” and “EPI INFO”

12. Table 1:The prevalence of Cryptosporidium oocysts among the
different species of wild birds sampled
Species of birds Sample Number %
size positive Positive
Speckled pigeons (Columba guinea) 41 1 2.4
Laughing doves (Streptopelia senegalensis) 37 2 5.4
Mourning doves (Streptopelia decipiens) 15 0 0
Village weavers (Ploceus cucullatus) 28 4 14.3
Brown babblers (Turdoides plebejus) 2 0 0
Black crakes (Limnocorax flavirostra) 3 0 0
Red bishops (Euplectes orix) 4 0 0
Bush fowls (Francolinus bicalcaratus) 2 0 0
Total 132 7 5.3
P>0.05

13. Plate 1: Scanned photomicrograph of Cryptosporidium oocysts isolated from
a wild bird using safranin-methylene blue staining technique (X 40)

14. Discussion
• Wild birds aerial water pollution
• Bird migrations
• Birds no difference due to similarities
• Low sample collection
• Cryptosporidiosis vs HIV AIDS

15. Conclusion
• Cryptosporidium infection in wild birds in
Zaria, Nigeria
• Zoonotic implications