J. Vet. Sci. Vol

Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Sciences 
https://ejvs.journals.ekb.eg/
Corresponding author: Zhala_Hasanova, Zhala Vasif, E-mail: [e-mail], Tel. [phone]
(Received 05/04/2022; accepted 23/05/2022) 
DOI. 10.21608/ejvs.2022.131624.1335
©2022 National Information and Documentation Centre (NIDOC)
Introduction
Apicomplexan protozoan parasites of the 
genus Cryptosporidium is an intracellular parasitic 
protozoan that infect the gastrointestinal tract 
and lungs of a wide variety of animals, including 
humans. It is widespread throughout the world. The 
parasite has a complex life cycle that includes both 
asexual and sexual stages. Cryptosporidium species 
are the causative agents of opportunistic 
diseases of the host. In immunodeficient or 
immunosuppressed individuals, diarrhea can result 
in significant morbidity and mortality, particularly 
in AIDS patients. The World Health Organization 
(WHO) as an HIV-associated disease classifies 
human cryptosporidiosis. The main transmission 
mechanism of cryptosporidiosis occurs by the 
faecal–oral route (person-to-person and animal 
to person). Infection of the hosts occurs when 
the only free-living stage of the life cycle of 
Cryptosporidium, the oocyst, enters the host 
organism. 
C.hominis and C.parvum are the major 
causing agents of human cryptosporidiosis both in 
immunocompetent and in immunocompromised 
individuals [1]. C.hominis is more prevalent in 
North and South America, Australia, and Africa, 
whereas C. parvum causes more human infections 
in Europe, especially in the UK [3]. Particularly, 

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AHMADOV ELSHAD 
 
et al.
C.meleagridis can be confirmed as an emerging 
human pathogen, being responsible for 1% of all 
infections in England [3] and about 10% in Peru, 
where its prevalence is as high as for C. parvum [4]. 
Cryptosporidiosis is currently a significant 
problem in the field of medicine and veterinary 
medicine. Thus, in the United States, $ 4.3 million is 
spent annually on the study of cryptosporidiosis, which 
is $ 300,000 [2, 20]. In some countries about massive 
outbreaks of human diseases with cryptosporidiosis, 
who were infected through tap water [9].
A recent important long-term typing 
overview reported the epidemiology of human 
cryptosporidiosis in the UK (England and Wales) 
Species C. parvum cases were younger, although 
C. hominis was more prevalent in infants under one 
year and in females aged 15 to 44 years [17, 5].
Cryptosporidium ubiquitum and C. xiaoi are 
often the most common species in older animals 
[19, 21] and are con-sidered as low-pathogenic 
species [8,7] and therefore are mostly reported in 
appar-ently healthy sheep [6]. 
In Azerbaijan, animal studies for infection 
with Cryptosporidium began in the late 1980s. 
The research of farm animals was carried out 
in individual and private farms of the Absheron 
Peninsula, some regions of eastern and northeastern 
Azerbaijan, the vicinity of Ganja and adjacent 
mountainous and foothill regions of Goygel and 
Dashkesan. Thanks to systematic research, it was 
found that domestic ruminants, cattle and small 
ruminants, buffaloes, camels, are largely infected 
with cryptosporidium. [11]. 
For 5 years (2009-13), were investigated 
the distribution of cryptosporidia of domestic 
ruminants in various livestock farms in Gobustan 
and Sheki-Zagatala region (eastern and western