First detection of cryptosporidium spp. in broiler chickens in Syria

Abstract EN

Fifty nine samples of feces were collected from broiler flocks farms located in Hama and Aleppo provinces of Syria, which suffered from diarrhea or respiratory problem or both.

For the first time, this study confirmed the infection of the broiler flocks with Cryptosporidium in Syria with a rate of 8.4 %.

The infection has been demonstrated by detecting the Cryptosporidium oocysts in the fecal by using direct smear method and Formol-Ether concentration method, then stained by Kinyoun acid fast stain.

The result of tests based on morphology and size of Cryptosporidium oocysts showed that the parasite is probably C.

baileyi which ranged between (6 μm X 4 μm).

This study showed a difference in the percentages of infection according to the methods in which Cryptosporidium oocysts has been detected, as the Formol-Ether method detected the oocysts in 8.4 % of all samples, while the direct smear method detected the oocysts in 6.7 %.