Inquérito epidemiológico e parasitológico para avaliação da infecção por Cryptosporidium spp. em pequenos ruminantes da região Metropolitana de Recife e Zona da Mata de Pernambuco

Abstract

The sheep and goat farming is an activity quite explored around the world. This activity has significant economic importance for the Northeast of Brazil, especially in the state of Pernambuco. Parasitic diseases are noteworthy in these farming systems, especially those caused by protozoa, as is the case of cryptosporidiosis, which may cause diarrhea since the animal to death, with no drugs that can eradicate the infection. The disease has a zoonotic character, making it a public health problem in veterinary medicine. This study was developed aiming to evaluate the infection by Cryptosporidium spp. In small ruminants from the metropolitan area of Recife and Zona da Mata of Pernambuco state, Brazil. Fecal samples of 186 sheep and 63 goats were evaluated through the sedimentation technique in formalin-ether and Kinyon. A questionnaire to obtain information about husbandry and herd health was applied. Absolute and percentage distributions of the variables were obtained and the association between the frequency of infection by Cryptosporidium spp. and the factors analyzed in the questionnaire was assessed by the chi-square test and Fisher exact test, with significance level of 5%. The results showed infection rate of 11.3% (21/186) among sheep and 6.3% (4/63) in goats, with a significant association between the rate of infection and the scheme for sheep breeding.