Microscopic and Molecular Detection of Cryptosporidium Species in Dogs from the Iğdır Region: Evidence for the Presence of Zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum

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Cryptosporidium spp. is an important enteric protozoan with zoonotic potential that infects both humans and animals. Data on the incidence and molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs in Türkiye remain limited. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in owned dogs in Iğdır Province. Fecal samples were collected from 146 owned dogs. The fecal samples were analyzed using nested PCR targeting the 18S rRNA gene. Samples positive for Cryptosporidium spp. were sequenced using the Sanger sequencing method, and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Microscopy detected oocysts in 2.05% (3/146) of samples, whereas nested PCR detected positivity in 4.11% (6/146) of samples. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was 4.41% in females and 3.85% in males (P > 0.05). The infection rate in dogs younger than one year (6.90%) was higher than that in dogs older than one year (2.27%), although the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). All four successfully sequenced isolates were identified as Cryptosporidium parvum (100% identity to GenBank references) and clustered within the C. parvum lineage in the phylogenetic analysis. The detection of zoonotic C. parvum suggests that dogs in Iğdır may serve as potential reservoirs of infection for humans, particularly in areas where close contact is frequent. This study provides valuable molecular epidemiological data on Cryptosporidium species.

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