Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Blastocystis in Sheep and Pigs in Shanxi Province, North China: From a Public Health Perspective

Abstract

Blastocystis is a common zoonotic intestinal protozoan and causes a series of gastrointestinal symptoms in humans and animals via the fecal–oral route, causing economic losses and posing public health problems. At present, the prevalence and genetic structure of Blastocystis in sheep and pigs in Shanxi province remains unknown. Thus, the present study collected 492 sheep fecal samples and 362 pig fecal samples from three representative counties in northern, central and southern Shanxi province for the detection of Blastocystis based on its SSU rRNA gene. The results showed that the overall prevalence of Blastocystis in the examined sheep and pigs were 16.26% and 14.09%, respectively. Sequences analyses showed that four known subtypes (ST5, ST10, ST14 and ST30) in sheep and two subtypes (ST1 and ST5) in pigs were detected in this study, with ST5 being the predominate subtype among the study areas. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the same subtypes were clustered into the same branch. This study reveals that sheep and pigs in Shanxi province are hosts for multiple Blastocystis subtypes, including the zoonotic subtypes (ST1 and ST5), posing a risk to public health. Baseline epidemiological data are provided that help in improving our understanding of the role of zoonotic subtypes in Blastocystis transmission.

Prevalence and Genetic Characterization of Giardia duodenalis and Blastocystis spp. in Black Goats in Shanxi Province, North China: From a Public Health Perspective

“…In this study, mostly Blastocystis -positive samples in black goats were detected from Changzhi City, which exhibited a significant difference compared with the other four investigated regions ( p < 0.001). Many factors could contribute to these variations, e.g., unique climate conditions and poor feeding and management practices [ 33 ]. The prevalence of Blastocystis spp.…”

“…According to a previous study, the age factor is also considered as one of the pivotal factors influencing the transmission of Blastocystis spp. among animals, but this point is still controversial [ 33 ].…”

“…in sheep and goats in Asia, and have been reported in some provinces of China, such as Guangdong Province [ 29 ]. ST10 and ST14 were detected in children in Senegal, suggesting their zoonotic potential and threatening public health [ 33 , 65 ]. Importantly, the present study first reported the occurrence of Blastocystis ST30 in black goats in China.…”

“…According to the previously reported relevant primers ( Table S1 ), the present study amplified the bg , tpi , and gdh loci of G. duodenalis and SSU rRNA of Blastocystis spp. by PCR method and determined the occurrence and prevalence of both parasites [ 32 , 33 ]. The PCR system consists of 2.5 μL of 10 × PCR Buffer (Mg 2+ free), 2 μL of dNTPs (25 mM MgCl 2 ), 1.25 U of Ex -Taq enzyme (Takara, Dalian, China), 1 μL of each primer (20 mM), 2 μL of DNA template, and double distilled water (ddH 2 O) was added to a final volume of 25 μL.…”

“…The PCR system consists of 2.5 μL of 10 × PCR Buffer (Mg 2+ free), 2 μL of dNTPs (25 mM MgCl 2 ), 1.25 U of Ex -Taq enzyme (Takara, Dalian, China), 1 μL of each primer (20 mM), 2 μL of DNA template, and double distilled water (ddH 2 O) was added to a final volume of 25 μL. PCR amplification procedures referred to previous reports [ 32 , 33 ], and the annealing temperatures are summarized in Table S1 . Moreover, 2 μL negative (ddH 2 O) and positive (DNA of G. duodenalis or Blastocystis ) controls were included in each PCR amplification round for detecting the contamination and reliability of results.…”