A Survey on frequency of equine Cryptosporidiosis in Ahvaz

Cryptosporidia are protozoan parasites that have worldwide distribution and can cause diarrhea and mal-absorption in young horses. Sometimes, it can cause illness in neonatal foals, too. In present study, the frequency of equine Cryptosporidiosis in Ahvaz was investigated. The samples were taken from 100 horses during spring and summer 2009. The ages of horses were from 1 month to 27 years old. Fecal samples were stained by modified Ziehl-Neelsen method. Results were analyzed with Chi-square Test and Fisher’s exact test. The results showed that the rate of infection to Cryptosporidium was 18%. There was no significant correlation between infection to Cryptosporidium and sex, age and fecal thickness. The rate of infection to Cryptosporidium in studied horses is very similar to studies done in other countries.