PREVALENCE AND GEOGRAPHICAL-DISTRIBUTION OF GIARDIA SPP. AND CRYPTOSPORIDIUM SPP. IN DAIRY FARMS IN QUEBEC

Giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis are parasitic infections of humans, d omestic animals, and wildlife. In cattle, direct transmission through the contamination of barns and/or pasture appears to be the principal mode of infection. In Canada there is only one study reported in the l iterature on the prevalence of giardiasis and one study on the prevale nce of cryptosporidiosis. These studies were done in Alberta and Manit oba, respectively. The purpose of this study was to determine the prev alence of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. infections in dairy fa rms in Quebec. Calves were sampled from 505 dairy farms. We are report ing that 45.7% of the farms were found to be positive for Giardia spp. and 88.7% were infected with Cryptosporidium spp.