Abstract: Cryptosporidium is an important genus of parasitic protozoa and is the causative agent for cryptosporidiosis. Cryptosporidium is capable of infecting various hosts （human, livestock and poultry） through water and food, causing symptoms such as diarrhea and even death. It not only brings huge economic losses to livestock and poultry farming, but also poses a serious threat to public health and safety. At present, there are no effective vaccines or specific drugs against cryptosporidiosis. Accordingly, the epidemiological investigation of this disease is particularly critical. In this paper, we reviewed the research progress on infection rate, species distribution, infection risk factors of Cryptosporidium in pig herds in China, and assessed the zoonotic risk, in hoping to provide references for the effective prevention and control against pig cryptosporidiosis.

Key words: Cryptosporidium, pig, molecular epidemiology, zoonosis, risk factor