Detection of Sarcocystis albifronsi, Eimeria alpacae, and Cystoisospora felis in Eurasian Lynx (Lynx Lynx) in Northwestern China

Abstract

Background Eurasian lynx (Lynx Lynx) is widely distributed in various habitats in Asia and Europe, and it may harbor multiple pathogens. Currently, the information on protozoan infection in Eurasian lynx is scarce. In this study, we performed nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) analysis to detect intestinal protozoan infection in three dead Eurasian lynxes, in northwestern China. Methods Three dead Eurasian lynxes, an adult female (#1), an adult male (#2), and a cub male (#3), were sampled in West Junggar Mountain, the northwestern region of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The intestine samples were analyzed using nPCR. We used primers targeting the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene (COI) for detection of Sarcocystis and Eimeria species and those targeting the small subunit 18S ribosomal RNA gene (18S rRNA) for detection of Cystoisospora species. The nPCR-positive products were sequenced, aligned, and phylogenetically analyzed. Results Three intestinal protozoa, Sarcocystis albifronsi, Eimeria alpacae, and Cystoisospora felis, were found in three Eurasian lynxes. The intestine sample of Eurasian lynx #2 was co-infected with S. albifronsi and E. alpacae. In addition, C. felis was only found in the intestine sample of Eurasian lynx #3. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, S. albifronsi and E. alpacae were detected in Eurasian lynx for the first time. In addition, C. felis was detected in Eurasian lynx. These findings extend our knowledge of the geographical distribution and host range of intestinal protozoa.