Detection of cryptosporidium parvum in cat by conventional methods and nested PCR in Al-Diwaniyah province

    This study was conducted in Al-Diwaniyah  province / Iraq during the period from September 2021 to the end of February 2022 to determine the Infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp parasites in cat  to study the effect of some epidemiological factors such as age , gender, months and type of cat, as well as molecular determination of Cryptosporidium  spp. by amplification of 18srRNA gene by  N-PCR. fecal samples were collected from 100 domestic cats and stained by Ziehl-Neelsen stain. Microscopic examination results showed that 33% of 100 stool samples were infected by Cryptosporidium spp. the highest percentage was in September and October at 40% , and the infection rates was 40% in males compared to females at 30% and in young  42%  while in adults  24%, and for domestic and stray cats about 40% compared with pet shop   22.5% where there was  no significant difference at P<0.05. Genomic DNA was extracted From 100 fecal samples, the 18srRNA gene for C. parvum was amplified by N-PCR  . The (N-PCR) technique showed that out of 100 stools 35% of the samples were positive for C.parvum