Objective: The present study aims to investigate molecular confirmation for Cryptosporidium species in fish handlers in Baghdad City, central Iraq.
Materials and Methods: Sixty stool samples were collected between early November 2023 and late April 2024. All samples were examined phenotypically using a modified Ziehl-Neelsen stain and genotypically (nested polymerase chain reaction technique) based on a partial sequence of 18S rRNA genes with sequencing and phylogenetic tree analysis.
Results: The total molecular results identified Cryptosporidium parvum with an infection rate of 45% (27/60). A higher infection rate of 51.9% (14/27) was found in the age group between 15 and 35 years, and male handlers recorded a lower infection rate (45%) than females (41.6%). April had a higher elevation in the infection rate of 60% (6/10) than other months.
Conclusion: The C. parvum was the only species found in fish handlers, and these local isolates have higher similarity with other isolates of China and Iran.
Key words: Cryptosporidium; fish handlers; Iraq; SSU; nested PCR
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