Molecular Identification and Genotyping of Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis sp. in Cattle in Representative Areas of Shanxi Province, North China

Abstract

Both Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis sp. are common intestinal protozoa, which can cause zoonotic diseases and economic losses to livestock industry. To evaluate the prevalence and genetic population structure of Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis sp. in beef and dairy cattle in Shanxi Province, north China, a total of 795 fecal samples were collected from beef and dairy cattle in three representative counties in Shanxi Province, and these fecal samples were examined using molecular approaches based on 18S small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) of Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis sp., respectively. Among 795 cattle fecal samples, 23 were detected as Cryptosporidium-positive and 103 were detected as Blastocystis-positive, and the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis sp. in cattle in Shanxi Province was 2.9% and 13.0%, respectively. For Cryptosporidium spp., DNA sequence analysis indicated that all 23 positive samples were identified as C. andersoni. Furthermore, five known subtypes (ST1, ST10, ST14, ST21 and ST26) and three unknown subtypes of Blastocystis sp. were detected among 103 positive samples using DNA sequence analysis. This study reported the occurrence and prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Blastocystis sp. in cattle in Shanxi Province for the first time, which extends the geographical distribution of these two zoonotic parasites and provides baseline data for the prevention and control of these two important zoonotic parasites in cattle in Shanxi Province.

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Cattle in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China

“…For dairy cattle, the Cryptosporidium spp. infection rate in the present study was higher than the corresponding rates previously reported for Ningxia Autonomous Region (1.6%, 23/1366) [31], Anhui Province (2.1%, 11/526) [32], Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (4.3%, 60/1391) [33], Shanxi Province (1.0%, 4/394) [7], Guangdong Province (4.4%, 63/1440) [34], and Gansu Province (5.1%, 58/1257) [35] but lower than those reported for Sichuan Province (14.4%, 40/278) [36], Yunnan Province (14.7%, 65/442) [37], Jiangxi Province (26.1%, 43/165) [38], Taiwan Province (26.5%, 60/226) [39], and Inner Mongolia (29.9%, 151/505) [40]. For beef cattle, the Cryptosporidium spp.…”

“…To date, 44 recognized species have been identified in the genus Cryptosporidium , and at least 12 Cryptosporidium species have been reported in cattle worldwide [ 5 ]. Among these, the dominant cattle-infecting species are C. andersoni , C. parvum , C. bovis , and C. ryanae [ 6 , 7 ]. It has also been reported that C. parvum , C. andersoni , and C. bovis can infect humans, with zoonotic cryptosporidiosis being mainly caused by C. parvum [ 8 ].…”

Molecular prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis spp. among children who have diarrheia or are asymptomatic in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

“…The five known Blastocystis subtypes (ST1 to ST4 and ST7) identified in this study are also prevalent in various animals in China [ 18 ]: ST1 in non-human primates, dogs, foxes, goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, civets, bears, and birds; ST2 in non-human primates, bears, and some captive wild animals; ST3 in non-human primates, goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, raccoon dogs, and rex rabbits; ST4 in rodents, bears, and whooper swans; and ST7 in chickens, whooper swans, and some birds [ 7 , 14 , 15 , 17 , 29 , 31 , 35 – 37 , 40 , 41 ]. These findings suggest the potential for zoonotic transmission of Blastocystis .…”