Asymptomatic cryptosporidiosis in nomadic shepherds and their sheep.

The formed stool samples of 276 asymptomatic members of 36 households of a group of nomadic shepherds and 215 non-diarrhoeal faecal samples from their sheep were examined for cryptosporidial infection by a modified Ziehl-Nielsen technique. Thirty-six (13%) human samples and 37 (17.2%) samples from sheep were positive. A strong possibility of asymptomatic zoonotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis due to prolonged and constant association of shepherds and their sheep was an important finding.