Infectivity of Blastocystis isolates from chickens, quails and geese in chickens

Abstract

The infectivity of six Blastocystis isolates obtained from two domestic chickens, two Japanese quails and two domestic geese, were examined in 1-week-old male chicks. All six isolates were able to infect the chicks via the intracecal inoculation of 1x10(6) cells of cultured organisms. Since the infected chicks discharged many cysts in their feces, the infectivity of the concentrated cysts in chicks was compared among three isolates from different bird species. The CK86-1 and QQ93-3 isolates, which were obtained from a chicken and a quail, respectively, were successfully infected in chicks by orally inoculating with 1x10(2)-1x10(6) cysts. On the other hand, the AC03-1 isolate from a goose required more cysts to infect the chicks, from 1x10(3) cysts to 1x10(6) cysts. In addition, when an uninfected normal chick was housed with five experimentally inoculated chicks with cysts of the QQ93-3 isolate, the normal chick became infected, indicating the fecal-oral transmission of the cyst form among the birds. These results show that the transmission of Blastocystis infection occurs easily between the same or different bird species. Therefore, the proposal of new Blastocystis species on the basis of different avian host species is problematic.

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

“…A major gap in our understanding of Blastocystis pathogenesis is the inability to fulfill Koch's postulates. Recent studies suggested that rats and chickens are good candidates as animal models (105,106,266,306), and future studies should focus on the pathology and transmissibility of Blastocystis spp. in these hosts.…”

“…Surveys have shown that laboratory mice generally do not harbor Blastocystis, while rats and domestic fowl, particularly chickens, are often infected with the parasite (44,132). Subsequent experimental infection studies focused on rats and chickens as hosts and potential animal models (105,106,266,306). Those studies showed that the cyst is the transmissible form of the parasite and that as few as 10 to 100 cysts are sufficient to establish an infection (266,306).…”

“…Subsequent experimental infection studies focused on rats and chickens as hosts and potential animal models (105,106,266,306). Those studies showed that the cyst is the transmissible form of the parasite and that as few as 10 to 100 cysts are sufficient to establish an infection (266,306). Studies have shown that isolates from a guinea pig and a laboratory rat can infect Wistar rats (306) and that isolates from chickens, quails, and geese easily infect chicks (266).…”

Clinical Significance of Enteric Protozoa in the Immunosuppressed Human Population

“…While the organism has a global distribution, the prevalence is higher in developing countries (261). Acquisition of the organism is thought to occur as a result of frequent animal-human, human-human, and humananimal transmission, with reports of carriage of Blastocystis in mammals, birds, amphibians, and even insects (264,265). What role Blastocystis plays in gastrointestinal disease in IS hosts is also unclear.…”

Extreme anoxia tolerance in embryos of the annual killifishAustrofundulus limnaeus: insights from a metabolomics analysis

“…Those studies showed that the cyst is the transmissible form of the parasite and that as few as 10 to 100 cysts are sufficient to establish an infection (266,306). Studies have shown that isolates from a guinea pig and a laboratory rat can infect Wistar rats (306) and that isolates from chickens, quails, and geese easily infect chicks (266). More recently, the infectivity of various zoonotic Blastocystis genotypes from humans was tested in rats and chickens (106).…”