Therapeutic Efficacy of Albendazole in Neonatal Calves Naturally Infected with Cryptosporidium parvum

Cryptosporidiosis is a significant zoonotic disease caused by Cryptosporidium species, primarily Cryptosporidium parvum, leading to serious economic losses in neonatal calves; the absence of an approved vaccine or fully effective treatment necessitates alternative therapeutic approaches. This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of albendazole (20 mg/kg, orally, 5 days) in naturally infected neonatal calves, comparing it to paromomycin (100 mg/kg, orally, 5 days) and an albendazole + paromomycin combination. Forty-eight Simmental calves (36 naturally infected, mean age of 14 days, and 12 healthy controls) were included. Infection was confirmed by rapid immunochromatographic tests, carbol fuchsin staining, nested PCR, and RFLP, identifying C. parvum as the causative agent. Fecal and blood samples were collected on days 0, 3, 7, 10, 20, and 30, alongside clinical evaluations and live weight measurements. Oocyst shedding declined significantly over the study period in all three treatment groups, with the paromomycin and albendazole + paromomycin groups showing a numerically earlier decline than the albendazole group; however, no statistically significant differences among the three treatment groups were detected at any individual sampling day. Fecal scores paralleled oocyst shedding patterns. No significant differences were detected among treatment groups in hematological, biochemical, or hepatorenal safety parameters. Albendazole demonstrated efficacy in reducing oocyst shedding in Cryptosporidium infection, suggesting it may serve as a viable alternative treatment option in field conditions.