~ 1064 ~ The Pharma Innovation Journal 2018; 7(4): 1064-1067 ISSN (E): 2277- 7695 ISSN (P): 2349-8242 NAAS Rating: 5.03 TPI 2018; 7(4): 1064-1067 © 2018 TPI www.thepharmajournal.com Received: 17-02-2018 Accepted: 18-03-2018 Krutanjali Swain Department of Veterinary Parasitology College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Sukhdeep Vohra Department of Veterinary Parasitology College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Arun K Sangwan Department of Veterinary Parasitology College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Pradeep Kumar Department of Veterinary Parasitology College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Suresh Kumar Department of Veterinary ParasitologyCollege of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Abhilash Routray Department of Veterinary Public Health and Epidemiology, College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Correspondence Krutanjali Swain Department of Veterinary Parasitology College of Veterinary Sciences, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar Haryana India Epidemiological factors influencing in prevalence of cryptosporidium in buffalo calves of Haryana Krutanjali Swain, Sukhdeep Vohra, Arun K Sangwan, Pradeep Kumar, Suresh Kumar and Abhilash Routray Abstract The present study report the influence of epidemiological factors like age, sex, season, faecal consistency and rearing system on prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in buffalo calves below three month of age from Haryana state. A total of 402 faecal samples from the calves were stained by Modified Ziehl- Neelsen staining (MZN) method. Thirty five samples were found positive with prevalence percent of 8.7%. Age wise comparison showed a significantly high prevalence in calves between the age group of 16-30 days. Prevalence of cryptosporidiosis was higher during rainy (12%) season as compared to autumn (9.3%), winter (7.9%) and summer (6.8%) seasons. Depending on the consistency of dung, the highest prevalence was observed in mucus filled bloody samples. Female calves (10.17%) showed slightly higher prevalence rate than male animals(7.6%). In relation to rearing system, significantly (p<0.05) higher prevalence was observed in organized farms (26.7%) as compared to unorganized farms (6.44%). In conclusion, the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in dairy calves should be correlated with the factors like age, sex, season, dung consistency and rearing system of the animal to arrive at a reliable epidemiological data on bovine cryptosporidiosis in Haryana. Keywords: Cryptosporidium, Buffalo calves, MZN staining, Prevalence, Haryana Introduction Cryptosporidium is an obligate protozoan parasite that commonly infects calves and other mammalian hosts. Cryptosporidiosis posses a significant problem in dairy calves where the prevalence of infection is high, with losses due to increased treatment costs and occasionally causes mortality. Cattle and buffaloes are the most important animal groups which are predominantly recognized to be infected with Cryptosporidium [2] . Calf diarrhoea associated with Cryptosporidium was for the first time reported by Nooruddin and Sarma (1987) in India and the first confirmed case of C. parvum was reported in Uttar Pradesh [5] . Cryptosporidiosis is characterized by acute gastrointestinal disturbances, mucoid or haemorrhagic watery diarrhoea, fever, lethargy, anorexia and loss of condition [14] , leading to significant losses in farm animals [24] . Affected calves do not respond to antibiotic therapy and in more severe cases, dehydration and cardiovascular collapse occurs leading to mortality [17] . Cryptosporidium is progressively inviting attention as a zoonotic protozoan, largely due to its overriding involvement in worldwide waterborne outbreaks [8] . There is limited data on national prevalence of zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. in dairy calves in India. In the context of the clinical importance, avoiding losses in the production and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium, more information about its prevalence is required. Therefore, there is an urgent need to conduct research on this aspect. In India, several studies have documented the prevalence of Cryptosporidium from different parts of the country based on microscopic detection of oocysts in faecal specimens. The present study was under taken to observe the actual status of cryptosporidiosis in buffalo calves of Haryana with special emphasis on different influencing factors like age, sex, season, management system, etc. Materials and Methods Sample Collection To study the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis, a total of 402 faecal samples of buffalo calves aged less than 3 month were collected from four districts (Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Hisar and Sirsa) in and around Hisar, Haryana. The faecal samples were collected directly from the rectum in a polythene pouch with a detailed history about their age group, breed and sex and then labeled with particulars of