Detection and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium species in Recreational Waters of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiyari Province of Iran using nested-PCR-RFLP

The aim of this study was to detect and characterize Cryptosporidium spp. in water sam­ples collected from recreational ponds of Chaharmahal va Bakhtiyari Province of Iran. Meth­ods: Thirty water samples were collected from November 2009 to May 2010. Each sample con­tained 10 liters of water. We used the SSU rRNA-based PCR-RFLP technique. Out of thirty samples examined, 6 (20%) were positive for different Cryptosporidium spp. Restriction pattern analysis showed that C. parvum has been the most prevalent genotype, fol­lowed by C. hominis and C. canis, respectively. In this area, the higher prevalence of C. par­vum compared with other genotypes is consistent with the distribution of cattle. Farm animals, particularly cattle are the main source of cryptosporidial contamina­tion for recreational waters in this area.