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ISDS 2016 Conference Abstracts

Cryptosporidium in Wild Frogs (Rana spp) Consumed 
by humans in Kaduna State Nigeria
Grace S. Kia*, Blessing I. Ukuma, jerome okpanachi and Mathias B. Odoba
Veterinary Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Zaria, Nigeria

Objective
To evaluate the occurrence of Cryptosporidium species in edible 

frogs (Rana spp) sold at the Hanwa frog market Zaria, Kaduna State, 
Nigeria.

Introduction
Since Cryptosporidium can be transmitted by ingestion of infected 

food animals and poorly treated water and by direct contact1 it is 
possible for infection to occur through ingestion of under cooked 
frogs and through handling and processing of infected frogs.  
In Burkina Faso frogs caught are sold to market-women who treat 
the frogs by emptying their bowels and frying in oil before selling 
them, this is not always the case for the Nigerian frog markets where 
frogs are sometimes smoked or dried without necessarily been fried, 
before consumption2. This may pose a health risk for transmission of 
cryptosporidiosis from infected frogs.

Presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in frogs may by implication 
reveal the Cryptosporidium status of water bodies from various 
sources where the frogs were caught. Water management programmes 
for treatment of Cryptosporidium is difficult as the oocyst is resistant 
to several disinfectants including chlorine1. The consumption of 
such treated water in urban areas and untreated water in most 
rural communities may expose a great proportion of Nigerians to 
cryptosporidiosis. Owing to the number of HIV/AIDS patients 
who commonly suffer from cryptosporidial enteritis and cough, the 
control of cryptosporidiosis in animals and man is of public health 
significance.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted between February and 

April, 2016 using intestinal contents from wild captured Rana species 
of frogs (n=117), sourced from 8 different locations, from the frog 
central collection, sales and processing point at Hanwa in Zaria. The 
intestinal contents from the frogs were examined by staining flotation 
and sedimentation smears with modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains 
followed by microscopy and micrometry of the oocysts.

Results
Overall, 35.9% of frogs sampled from the Hanwa frog market 

were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. There were more 
Cryptosporidium oocysts detected by sedimentation test (28.2%) than 
flotation test (23.9%). Although there was no significant statistical 
association between sex of frogs and oocyst detection (χ2 =0.5349, 
p>0.05); sex wise, female frogs (40%) and frogs within the weight 
range 170-219g were more infected with Cryptosporidium (66.7%). 
Oocysts size ranging between 6.10µm -7.00µm, had the highest 
frequency of 10 (23.8%). By size 28.2% of the oocysts detected 
suggest infection with C. parvum and C. maleagridis.

Conclusions
We present the first report of Cryptosporidium oocysts in wild 

edible frogs (Rana spp) sold at the Hanwa frog market Zaria, Kaduna 
State, Nigeria. Frog consumption is on the increase in Nigeria, but 
baseline information on associated zoonoses is rare. A cross-sectional 
study conducted between February and April, 2016 using intestinal 

contents from wild captured frogs (n=117), sourced from 8 different 
locations using the modified Ziehl-Neelsen stains and micrometry 
revealed 35.9% were positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts.  
Of the oocysts detected 28.2% suggest infection with C. parvum  
and C. maleagridis, this may constitute a health risk for humans.

Keywords
Cryptosporidium oocysts; Rana frogs; Zaria Nigeria; public health

Acknowledgments
We acknowledge the Department of Vet Public Health and Preventive 
Medicine, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, for partial sponsorship of this 
work by GSN.Kia ABU2016/P18758.

References
1. Besser-Wiek, J.W, Forfang J, Hedberg C.W, Korlath J.A, Osterholm, M.T, 

Sterling C.R and Garcia L. Foodborne outbreak of diarrheal illness 
associated with Cryptosporidium parvum - Minnesota, 1995. 
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1996, 45(36):783.

2. Mohneke, M. Unsustainable use of frogs in West Africa and resulting
consequences for the ecosystem Tag der mündlichen Prüfung. 2011, 
31.01.2011; page 22.

*Grace S. Kia
E-mail: gracegracekia@yahoo.com

Online Journal of Public Health Informatics * ISSN 1947-2579 * http://ojphi.org * 9(1):e150, 2017