First Molecular Genotyping of Cryptosporidium felis in Cattle, Iraq

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first Iraqi study to detect C. felis in cattle by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and to confirm the local isolates in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Overall, 130 diarrheic calves of different ages and sexes were selected randomly from rural and sub-urban areas in Wasit province (Iraq) from February to April (2021) and subjected to direct collection of fresh fecal samples for DNA extraction and PCR examination. Targeting the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene of C. felis showed that 17.69% of the animals were positive. Findings from clinical examination revealed no significant differences in values of temperature, pulse, or respiratory rates between the positive and negative calves. The association between the positive results and demographic risk factors showed no significant differences in the prevalence rate of infection and risk of exposure to C. felis between the rural and sub-urban areas; however, higher significant values were reported in calves aged 6 months than in calves aged 12 months, as well as in females than in males. Five of the local C. felis isolates were documented under the accession numbers MZ964600.1, MZ964601.1, MZ964602.1, MZ964603.1, and MZ964604.1. Finally, the data presented here provide epidemiological and molecular evidence that the range of C. felis in cattle is wider than expected globally, with a high probability of infection transmission from cattle to humans.