First Detection of Cryptosporidium baileyi in Ruddy Shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea) in China

Fecal samples from Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea, were screened microscopically for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Five samples out of 148 ones (3.38%) were confirmed to be positive. DNA was extracted individually from positive samples and used for PCR amplification of SSU rDNA and HSP70 gene loci. The obtained PCR products were cloned in E. coli (TG1 strain) using pMD18-T vector and sequenced using standard methods. Microscopical and molecular analyses identified the obtained isolates as Cryptosporidium baileyi. To our knowledge, this is the first report of detection of C. baileyi from Ruddy Shelduck, Tadorna ferruginea, in China.