Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium in Goats across Four Provincial Level Areas in China

Abstract

This study assessed the prevalence, species and subtypes of Cryptosporidium in goats from Guangdong Province, Hubei Province, Shandong Province, and Shanghai City of China. Six hundred and four fecal samples were collected from twelve goat farms, and the overall infection rate was 11.4% (69/604). Goats infected with Cryptosporidium were found in eleven farms across four provincial areas, and the infection rate ranged from 2.9% (1/35) to 25.0% (9/36). Three Cryptosporidium species were identified. Cryptosporidium xiaoi (45/69, 65.2%) was the dominant species, followed by C. parvum (14/69, 20.3%) and C. ubiquitum (10/69, 14.5%). The infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. was varied with host age and goat kids were more susceptible to be infected than adult goats. Subtyping C. parvum and C. ubiquitum positive samples revealed C. parvum subtype IIdA19G1 and C. ubiquitum subtype XIIa were the most common subtypes. Other C. parvum subtypes were detected as well, such as IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G1R1, IIaA15G2R1 and IIaA17G2R1. All of these subtypes have also been detected in humans, suggesting goats may be a potential source of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis. This was the first report of C. parvum subtypes IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G1R1 and IIaA17G2R1 infecting in goats and the first molecular identification of C. parvum and its subtypes in Chinese goats.

First report of zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi)

“…Occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp., G. intestinalis and E. bieneusi Cryptosporidium spp., G. intestinalis and E. bieneusi have been reported in several bovidae animals globally (Rinder et al, 2000;Giangaspero et al, 2005;Santín and Fayer, 2011;Lim et al, 2013;Abeywardena et al, 2013Abeywardena et al, , 2014Del Coco et al, 2014;Hogan et al, 2014;Mi et al, 2014;Wang et al, 2014b). In 2012, 47 faecal specimens from dairy cattle were examined by PCR in Shanghai, with 10, 24 and 17 positive for Cryptosporidium spp., G. intestinalis and E. bieneusi, respectively (Fayer et al, 2012).…”

“…In China, the subtype IId has been reported in pre-weaned dairy cattle, horse, hamster and urban wastewater, and HIV-positive patient . The subtype IId A19G1 has been detected in goats in Spain and China (Mi et al, 2014), cattle in China (Wang et al, 2011), and HIV-positive patients in China and Portugal (Alves et al, 2006), suggesting that the golden takin may show a potential zoonotic transmission of cryptosporidiosis.…”

Prevalence and risk factors for cryptosporidiosis: a global, emerging, neglected zoonosis

“…The relatively new species, C. xiaoi was the dominant species found in samples taken from 12 goat farms across 4 provinces (Guangdong, Hubei, Shandong, and Shanghai City) with a prevalence ranging from 2.9% to 25.0%. Other species identified were C. parvum and C. ubiquitum with goat kids more susceptible than adult goats [114].…”

Prevalence of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in paediatric oncology and non-oncology patients with diarrhoea in Jordan

“…For example, a study of several human populations in Tunisia reported that the C. hominis subtype IaA26G1R1, was the most dominant subtype (50%), suggesting stable anthroponotic cryptosporidiosis transmission (Essid et al, 2017). IIaA17G2R1 is a relatively common subtype that has been reported in livestock (Alves et al, 2006;Xiao et al, 2007;Mi et al, 2014;Kaupke and Rzezutka, 2015) and has also been responsible for an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in a youth summer camp in North Carolina in 2009 (CDC, 2011). In the latter study, IIaA17G2R1 was identified in faecal samples from livestock and humans at the camp, indicating that zoonotic transmission may have occurred.…”