African Journal of Parasitology Research

African Journal of Parasitology Research | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 573–580

DOI: 10.46882/AJPR/170545

Article Type: Full Length Research Paper

Title: Zoonotic potential and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium species in commercial poultry and livestock farming systems in the Nile Delta, Egypt

Names of Authors: Tarek M. El-Sayed¹, Ahmed R. Mahmoud², Fatma S. Abdel-Hadi¹

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. ²Animal Health Research Institute, Diagnostic Virology and Parasitology Division, Dokki, Egypt.

Abstract: Cryptosporidiosis is a significant diarrhoeal pathogen causing substantial economic losses in livestock and severe gastrointestinal illness in humans. This molecular epidemiological survey investigated the prevalence, species distribution, and zoonotic transmission hazards of Cryptosporidium species across 68 intensive livestock and poultry farming operations in the Nile Delta, Egypt. Stool and litter samples (n = 1120) collected from calves, sheep, and broiler chickens were screened using modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining followed by nested polymerase chain reaction amplification targeting the small subunit rRNA and gp60 genes. An overall Cryptosporidium prevalence of 22.8 percent was recorded across all agricultural facilities. Molecular typing identified Cryptosporidium parvum as the dominant species in pre-weaned calves (64.2 percent), while Cryptosporidium bovis and Cryptosporidium ryanae predominated in older cattle. In poultry assets, Cryptosporidium baileyi and Cryptosporidium meleagridis were identified in 18.4 percent of samples. Sequence analysis of the gp60 gene in Cryptosporidium parvum isolates revealed the dominance of the hyper-transmissible, zoonotic IIaA15G2R1 subtype family. Multivariable logistic regression associated high oocyst shedding with high stocking densities (odds ratio = 3.12, 95 percent confidence interval [1.88 to 5.16]) and shared water sources between domestic species (odds ratio = 2.44, 95 percent confidence interval [1.35 to 4.41]). The widespread identification of anthropozoonotic subtypes emphasizes the critical role of commercial farms as environmental reservoirs, requiring stringent biosecurity measures and improved waste management protocols to protect public health.

Keywords: Cryptosporidium, Zoonosis, Molecular epidemiology, gp60 subtyping, Intensive farming, Egypt

Manuscript Timeline: Received: 11 May 2026; Revised: 14 June 2026; Accepted: 18 July 2026; Published: 18 August 2026

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