THE EFFECT OF AN ANTIMICROBIAL MIXTURE ON Cryptosporidium

Cryptosporidium is an enteric protozoan parasite that causes gastrointestinal disorders in humans and in a wide range of animals, mainly in calves. As there is no available efficient treatment for cryptosporidiosis, in this study we evaluated the effect of Auranta 3001, a natural feed additive on animal growth, number of days with liquid diarrhoea and oocyst excretion, mean oocysts/gram faeces and on biochemical and physical parameters. The study showed that calves fed with Auranta 3001 as a feed additive administered prior to infection with C. parvum, significantly reduced (P < 0.05) the number of days with liquid diarrhoea, the number of days with oocyst excretion, the number of days of antibiotic administration and mean oocysts/gram faeces. Moreover, the prophylactic administration of Auranta 3001, significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the percentage of calves with fever and increased the body weight at day 56. However, significant differences were not seen between IgG, total protein intake and haematocrit percentage. This study showed the efficacy of Auranta 3001 in reducing cryptosporidiosis manifestations in calves.