Cryptosporidiosis in deer calves

Authors: Suttie JM, Orr MB, Mackintosh CG
Publication: New Zealand Veterinary Journal, Volume 33, Issue 9, pp 151-152, Sep 1985
Publisher: Taylor and Francis

Animal type: Deer, Livestock, Production animal, Ruminant
Subject Terms: Abdomen, Alimentary system/gastroenterology, Protozoa, Zoonosis, Infectious disease, Disease/defect, Parasites - internal, Public health
Article class: Correspondence

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Abstract: Cryptosporidium sp. is a small ubiquitous protozoan parasite which lacks host-specificity. Clinical infections with diarrhoea and sub-clinical infections have been reported in many species.  The organisms are pathogenic for much younger animals than those affected by other coccidia, and housed artificially reared calves, lambs and fawns seem particuarly susceptible. Infection is diagnosed histologically or by the demonstration of oocysts (about 4µm diam.) in Giemsa stained faecal smears. The oocysts are very resistant to many commonly used disinfectants, but are destroyed by exposure to household ammonia or 10% formal saline. In New Zealand, cryptosporidiosis is said to be widespread. However there is only one published report of cryptosporidiosis, and that in a ten week old pig. A further article alludes to cryptosporidia in calves in Northland. We report here two outbreaks of diarrhoea and deaths attributed to cryptosporidiosis in housed, artificially reared red deer calves. The first oubreak occurred in Central Otago. It involved the calves of hinds which had been captured in the wild when heavily pregnant. Such hinds usually…

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