Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite that belongs to the Cryptosporididae family. It resides intracellularly but extracytoplasmically, between the microvilli of the epithelial cells of the small intestine. It infects various vertebrate hosts, including including ruminants and humans. The parasite is transmitted via the fecal-oral route and causes diarrhea syndrome in newborn lambs, especially before weaning. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in lambs in Khaf city (Salami District) from 2020 to 2021. A total of 138 fecal samples were collected from lambs aged 5 to 60 days, regardless of their fecal consistency and health status. The smears were prepared from samples and stained with Ziehl-Neelson, then examined under a light microscope at 40X and 100X magnification. The results showed that 25 samples were positive for Cryptosporidium, indicating a prevalence of 18.1%. The infection was not significantly associated with fecal consistency, breed, body temperature, or sex (p>0.05). However, there was a significant association between infection and lamb age, with higher infection rates in the age groups of 16 to 30 days (p<0.05). The results obtained from this research showed that the prevalence of cryptosporidium infection in lambs in Khaf city (Salami district) is significant, and considering zoonotic nature of the disease and Economic losses to lambs, the awareness and attention of farmers and veterinarians should be increased.

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