Molecular Characterization of Blastocystis sp. in Camelus bactrianus in Northwestern China

Abstract

Blastocystis sp. is an important zoonotic protist in humans and various animals with worldwide distribution. However, there have been no data on the occurrence of Blastocystis sp. in C. bactrianus, an important economic animal in northwestern China. In the present study, a PCR-sequencing tool based on the SSU rRNA gene was applied to investigate the prevalence and genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. in 638 faecal samples from C. bactrianus in 21 sampling sites within three main breeding areas (Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang) in northwestern China. The total prevalence of Blastocystis sp. was 21.8% (139/638) in C. bactrianus, with the infection rates of 29.5% (18/61), 50.0% (14/28) and 19.5% (107/549) for animals aged <2 years, 2–6 years and >6 years, respectively. Significant differences in prevalence were detected among C. bactrianus from three geographic areas (χ2 = 19.972, df = 2, p < 0.001) and all sampling sites (χ2 = 104.154, df = 20, p < 0.001). A total of 16 of 21 sampling sites were positive for Blastocystis sp., with the prevalence ranging from 7.7% to 70.6%. Sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA gene identified eight subtypes in C. bactrianus in the present study, including seven animal adapted subtypes (ST10, ST14, ST21, ST24, ST25, ST26 and ST30) and one potentially novel subtype, with ST10 being the dominant one. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first insight for the occurrence and genetic make-up of Blastocystis sp. in C. bactrianus and contributes to the understanding of the transmission of Blastocystis infection in C. bactrianus in China.

First molecular subtyping and zoonotic significance of Blastocystis sp. in Dromedary (C. dromedarius) and Bactrian (C. bactrianus) camels in Iran: A molecular epidemiology and review of available literature

“…Moreover, the current study found a higher incidence of Blastocystis infection in onehumped camels (14%) compared to two-humped camels (8%), which may be attributed to the sample size and their living conditions. Meanwhile, consistent with a previous study (Yang et al, 2021) (Hublin et al, 2021).…”

“…Dromedaries are well suited for arid habitats and serve as means of transportation, providers of milk, meat, and hides in desert regions. Bactrian camels, on the other hand, have adapted to thrive in extremely cold temperatures with limited food resources and are also utilized for transportation, milk, meat, and hides in Central Asia (Sazmand et al., 2019; Yang et al., 2021).…”

Molecular genotyping of Blastocystis from alpaca (Vicugna pacos) in China

“…[16], and slightly higher were observed in alpacas in zoos in Sichuan, China, with 36.4% (4/11) [19]. Similar prevalence was reported in the alpacas (23.8%, 87/366) in Shaanxi, China [18], camels (133/484) in Northwestern China [21], camels (5/25) in Egypt [17], and camels (24.0%, 47/196) in Libya [12]. Many factors could explain the variation in infection rates, including host health status, management systems, population densities, age distributions, and feeding sites (Table 2).…”

“…(1), ST24 ( 14), ST25 (8), ST26 (1), ST30 (19) and one potentially novel ST (21) were identi ed in northwestern China [21]; For guanacos, two subtypes, ST10 (13) and possible novel ST22 (1), were identi ed in captive wild animals in Qinling Mountains [16].…”

Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Nanoparticle-Assisted PCR Assay for the Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in Calves

“…Genomic DNA (gDNA) samples were isolated from oocysts of C. parvum and clinical faecal samples using a commercial kit as described [ 24 ]. Those gDNA samples for C. andersoni , C. bovis , C. ryanae , Balantidium coli , Enterocytozoon bieneusi , Blastocystis sp., and Giardia lamblia were from previous studies [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”