Prevalence, Genetic Characteristics, and Zoonotic Potential of Cryptosporidium Species Causing Infections in Farm Rabbits in China

Abstract

To assess the prevalence and public health significance of rabbit cryptosporidiosis, a total of 1,081 fecal specimens were collected between October 2007 and April 2008 from rabbits on eight farms in five different areas in Henan Province, China, and were examined by microscopy after Sheather's sucrose flotation and modified acid-fast staining. The average infection rate of Cryptosporidium was 3.4% (37/1,081 samples). There was a significant association between the prevalence of Cryptosporidium and the age of animals ( 2 ‫؍‬ 57.13; P < 0.01); the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in 1-to 3-month-old rabbits was the highest (10.9%). The Cryptosporidium species in microscopy-positive specimens were genotyped by sequence analyses of the 18S rRNA, 70-kDa heat shock protein (HSP70), oocyst wall protein (COWP), and actin genes and were subtyped by sequence analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene. Only the Cryptosporidium rabbit genotype was identified, with 100% sequence identity to published sequences of the 18S rRNA, HSP70, COWP, and actin genes, and the strains belonged to three gp60 subtypes (VbA36, VbA35, and VbA29). In view of the recent finding of the Cryptosporidium rabbit genotype in human outbreak and sporadic cases, the role of rabbits in the transmission of human cryptosporidiosis should be reassessed.

Molecular Characterization ofCryptosporidiumspp. in Wild Rodents of Southwestern Iran Using 18s rRNA Gene Nested-PCR-RFLP and Sequencing Techniques

“…Oocysts are infective stage of life cycle released via feces from infected hosts to environment in large amount. They are resistant to various environmental alterations and remain infective for long period in appropriate condition like surface of water and moist soils; thus, they are liable for transmission of disease to animals and humans [2, 3]. Cryptosporidium as an opportunistic agent infects the alimentary tract of hosts and have wide spectrum of clinical symptoms in human ranging from self-limiting and asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals to severe and life-threatening in immunocompromised persons [2, 4, 5].…”

Caracterização molecular de Cryptosporidium spp. em criações comerciais brasileiras de coelhos

“…Cryptosporidium em coelhos também são semelhantes ao encontrado neste estudo, porém com identificação de outros subtipos relacionados ao gene GP60 (Chalmers et al, 2009;Nolan et al, 2010;Shi et al, 2010). Zhang et al (2012) relataram, em coelhos de quatro a seis meses de idade, na China, a presença dos subtipos VbA21e VbA32 de C. cuniculus e positividade para Cryptosporidium spp., pela microscopia, de 2,38% (9/378).…”

“…Zhang et al (2012) relataram, em coelhos de quatro a seis meses de idade, na China, a presença dos subtipos VbA21e VbA32 de C. cuniculus e positividade para Cryptosporidium spp., pela microscopia, de 2,38% (9/378). Shi et al (2010) relataram prevalência de Cryptosporidium spp. de 3,4% (37/1081) na China, sendo de 10,9% (27/249) para coelhos jovens e de 0,92% (7/761) para coelhos adultos.…”

“…Em outros países, há diversos relatos de identificação de C. cuniculus e de seus subtipos relacionados ao gene da glicoproteína GP60 (Ryan et al, 2003;Chalmers et al, 2009;Nolan et al, 2010;Shi et al, 2010;Zhang et al, 2012;Kaupke et al, 2014).…”

Occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild animals living in the Cascavel city park, Paraná, Brazil

“…This disease may occur without the animal or person exhibit clinical signs, which enables to occur the environmental contamination without preventive measures (SHI et al, 2010), but in immunodeficient individuals, Cryptosporidium spp. is causing enterocolitis, diarrhea and cholangiopathy and can lead to death (XIAO et al, 2004;ARROWOOD;STERLIN, 1989;ABRAHAMSEN et al, 2004;LALLO;BONDAN, 2009).…”