A survey ofBlastocystis in reptiles

Teow, W.L.; Ng, G. C.; Chan, Peggie; Chan, Yee Cheun; Yap, E. H.; Zaman, V.; Singh, Mulkit

doi:10.1007/bf00931705

Cited by 49 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Moreover, people working closely with animals in zoos and abattoirs and food handlers (14,31,32) are at higher risk of acquiring Blastocystis infection. In addition, transmission of Blastocystis organisms could also be frequent between animals, especially in confined areas, such as zoological gardens and circuses, where fecal contamination of grass and fodder is common (37,42). Thus, in light of our data and those from the literature, it is reasonable to speculate that contamination by Blastocystis organisms can occur via animalto-animal, human-to-animal, and animal-to-human routes.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 53%

Molecular Phylogenies of Blastocystis Isolates from Different Hosts: Implications for Genetic Diversity, Identification of Species, and Zoonosis

et al. 2005

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Small-subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequences were obtained by PCR from 12 Blastocystis isolates from humans, rats, and reptiles for which elongation factor 1␣ (EF-1␣) gene sequences are already available. These new sequences were analyzed by the Bayesian method in a broad phylogeny including, for the first time, all Blastocystis sequences available in the databases. Phylogenetic trees identified seven well-resolved groups plus several discrete lineages that could represent newly defined clades. Comparative analysis of SSU rRNA-and EF-1␣-based trees obtained by maximum-likelihood methods from a restricted sampling (13 isolates) revealed overall agreement between the two phylogenies. In spite of their morphological similarity, sequence divergence among Blastocystis isolates reflected considerable genetic diversity that could be correlated with the existence of potentially >12 different species within the genus. Based on this analysis and previous PCR-based genotype classification data, six of these major groups might consist of Blastocystis isolates from both humans and other animal hosts, confirming the low host specificity of Blastocystis. Our results also strongly suggest the existence of numerous zoonotic isolates with frequent animal-to-human and human-to-animal transmissions and of a large potential reservoir in animals for infections in humans.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 53%

Molecular Phylogenies of Blastocystis Isolates from Different Hosts: Implications for Genetic Diversity, Identification of Species, and Zoonosis

et al. 2005

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“…Axenic cultures of Blastocystis isolates are important for molecular and biochemical studies. Axenization can be achieved by the addition of antibiotic cocktails to eliminate contaminating bacteria and yeasts, and a variety of antibiotic mixtures have been described, with various levels of success (45,128,164,269,319). The process is generally laborious and may take weeks to months, and the successful elimination of microbial contaminants is not guaranteed.…”

Section: Laboratory Culturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to antibiotic treatment, some authors noted improved success when physical methods were employed during axenization to separate parasites from the bulk of the bacterial load. This includes differential centrifugation (269), density gradient separation (128), and colony growth (45,164). Such methods enrich for the parasite and provide a growth advantage.…”

Section: Laboratory Culturementioning

confidence: 99%

New Insights on Classification, Identification, and Clinical Relevance of Blastocystis spp

Tan¹

2008

Clin Microbiol Rev

614

715

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SUMMARY Blastocystis is an unusual enteric protozoan parasite of humans and many animals. It has a worldwide distribution and is often the most commonly isolated organism in parasitological surveys. The parasite has been described since the early 1900s, but only in the last decade or so have there been significant advances in our understanding of Blastocystis biology. However, the pleomorphic nature of the parasite and the lack of standardization in techniques have led to confusion and, in some cases, misinterpretation of data. This has hindered laboratory diagnosis and efforts to understand its mode of reproduction, life cycle, prevalence, and pathogenesis. Accumulating epidemiological, in vivo, and in vitro data strongly suggest that Blastocystis is a pathogen. Many genotypes exist in nature, and recent observations indicate that humans are, in reality, hosts to numerous zoonotic genotypes. Such genetic diversity has led to a suggestion that previously conflicting observations on the pathogenesis of Blastocystis are due to pathogenic and nonpathogenic genotypes. Recent epidemiological, animal infection, and in vitro host-Blastocystis interaction studies suggest that this may indeed be the case. This review focuses on such recent advances and also provides updates on laboratory and clinical aspects of Blastocystis spp.

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“…had also been isolated from various animal sources including cockroaches (Zaman et al 1993), pigs, cattle (Quilez et al 1995a, and reptiles (Teow et al 1992). Molecular analysis of isolates from animal sources had shown that there exist many Blastocystis isolates that were closely related to isolates from animal hosts, suggesting that animals are a potential source of human infection (Abe et al 2003a, b, c;Noël et al 2005;Thathaisong et al 2003;Yoshikawa et al 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Predominance of subtype 3 among Blastocystis isolates from a major hospital in Singapore

et al. 2007

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Blastocystis is an enteric protozoan parasite commonly found in humans and animals. Phylogenetic and genotypic analyses have shown that Blastocystis exhibits extreme genetic diversity, and humans are host to a number of zoonotic isolates. In the present study, the prevalence of Blastocystis in 276 stool samples from a hospital in Singapore was examined, and for the first time, riboprinting using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to determine the genetic diversity of the Blastocystis isolated from the Singapore population. The prevalence rate was determined to be 3.3% (9/276), and Blastocystis displaying two main ribotypes were isolated. As a comparison, we performed PCR-RFLP using two different published methodologies, and both methods allowed the isolates to be divided into two distinct groups based on their riboprint patterns. According to a recently proposed classification scheme, 78% (7/9) of the isolates were of subtype 3, while 22% (2/9) were subtype 1. The predominance of subtype 3 in an urbanized city state such as Singapore is in agreement with the idea that subtype 3 is a genotype of human origin.

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A survey ofBlastocystis in reptiles

Cited by 49 publications

References 7 publications

Molecular Phylogenies of Blastocystis Isolates from Different Hosts: Implications for Genetic Diversity, Identification of Species, and Zoonosis

Molecular Phylogenies of Blastocystis Isolates from Different Hosts: Implications for Genetic Diversity, Identification of Species, and Zoonosis

New Insights on Classification, Identification, and Clinical Relevance of Blastocystis spp

Predominance of subtype 3 among Blastocystis isolates from a major hospital in Singapore

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