Molecular identification of Cryptosporidium species from domestic ruminants and wild reptiles in Cyprus

Abstract

The presence of Cryptosporidium species in faecal samples of 32 sheep ( Aries bovis ), 10 goats ( Capra circus ), 1 blunt nose viper ( Macrovipera lebetina lebetina ), 3 Kotschy’s geckos ( Mediodactylus kotschyi ) and 6 wild stellagamas ( Stellagama stellio cypriaca ) in Cyprus were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing. Cryptosporidium species were found in 9/32 sheep, 5/10 goats, 2/3 Kotschy’s geckos and 2/6 stellagamas faecal samples based on the sequencing of the 18S rRNA gene. Subtyping was achieved based on the sequencing of the gp60 gene. Four different species have been identified: Cryptosporidium parvum in goats (subtype IIaA15G1R1), C. xiaoi (subtypes XXIIId and XXIIIl) and C. ubiquitum (subtype XIIa) in sheep and C. varanii and C. parvum in lizards; the viper snake sample was negative. This is the first report on the molecular identification of a variety of Cryptosporidium species from domestic ruminants and wild reptiles in the Republic of Cyprus.

First Detection of Cryptosporidium parvum in the Endemic Cyprus Mouflon (Ovis gmelini ophion)

“…The species identified were C. bovis , C. ryanae and C. parvum . Similarly, Schou et al [ 5 ] reported a high occurrence of Cryptosporidium in domestic sheep (9/32 = 28%) and goats (5/10 = 50%) at local farms, although the number of samples investigated was low. The species identified were C. xiaoi and C. ubiquitum in sheep and C. parvum in goats.…”

“…The Cryptosporidium parvum sequences that were analysed from animals isolated in Cyprus (Schou et al . [ 5 ]) are marked with a solid square …”

“…In comparison, none of the goats in the present study was infected. This may be a reflection of the different conditions faced by farmed livestock [ 5 ] compared to free-ranging animals. In a systematic review and meta-analysis of Cryptosporidium infections in domestic and wild ungulates, Hatam-Nahavandi et al .…”

“…Numerous studies have investigated Cryptosporidium infection in domestic goats and sheep. The most common species isolated are Cryptosporidium parvum ( C. parvum ) C. xiaoi and C. ubiquitum in goats [ 5 – 15 ] and C. parvum C. xiaoi C. ubiquitum and C. andersoni in sheep [ 5 – 9 , 11 , 13 , 14 , 16 – 20 ]. In some studies, C. muris C. suis C. baileyi and Cryptosporidium rat genotype II have also been isolated from goats [ 21 – 24 ]; C. muris, C. bovis, C. hominis and C. scrofarum have also been isolated from sheep [ 12 , 21 , 23 , 24 ].…”