Abstract
BackgroundBamboo rats are widely farmed in southern China for meat, but their potential in transmitting pathogens to humans and other farm animals remains unclear.MethodsTo understand the transmission of Cryptosporidium spp. in these animals, 709 fecal samples were collected in this study from Chinese bamboo rats (Rhizomys sinensis) on nine farms in Jiangxi, Guangxi and Hainan provinces, China. They were analyzed for Cryptosporidium spp. using PCR and sequence analyses of the small subunit rRNA gene. Cryptosporidium parvum, C. parvum-like and C. ubiquitum-like genotypes identified were subtyped by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene.ResultsAltogether, Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 209 (29.5%) samples. The detection rate in samples from animals under two months of age (70.0%,105/150) was significantly higher than in samples from animals above 2 months (18.6%, 104/559; χ2 = 150.27, df = 1, P < 0.0001). Four Cryptosporidium species/genotypes were identified: C. parvum (n = 78); C. occultus (n = 1); a new genotype that is genetically related to C. ubiquitum (n = 85); and another new genotype that is genetically related to C. parvum (n = 44). Among them, C. parvum (27,610 ± 71,911 oocysts/gram of feces) and the C. parvum-like genotype (38,679 ± 82,811 oocysts/gram of feces) had higher oocyst shedding intensity than the C. ubiquitum-like genotype (2470 ± 7017 oocysts/gram of feces) and the C. occultus (1012 oocysts/gram of feces). The C. parvum identified belonged to three subtypes in two rare subtype families, including IIpA9 (n = 43), IIpA6 (n = 6) and IIoA15G1 (n = 9), while the C. parvum-like and C. ubiquitum-like genotypes generated very divergent gp60 sequences.ConclusionsResults of the present study suggest that bamboo rats on the study farms were infected with diverse Cryptosporidium species and divergent C. parvum subtypes, which probably had originated from their native habitats. As similar C. parvum subtypes have been recently detected in humans and farmed macaques, attentions should be paid to the potential role of these new farm animals in the transmission of zoonotic pathogens.
Highlights
Bamboo rats are widely farmed in southern China for meat, but their potential in transmitting pathogens to humans and other farm animals remains unclear
We examined the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in farmed bamboo rats in southern China and identified the presence of diverse Cryptosporidium species and divergent C. parvum subtypes in these animals
The results showed the presence of C. parvum (n = 78), Cryptosporidium occultus (n = 1), and two new Cryptosporidium genotypes
Summary
Bamboo rats are widely farmed in southern China for meat, but their potential in transmitting pathogens to humans and other farm animals remains unclear. Cryptosporidium spp. are protozoan parasites inhabiting the gastrointestinal epithelium of humans and other vertebrate animals [1]. The common ones are host-adapted, such as IIa in dairy cattle, IIc in humans, and IId in small ruminants [3] Others, such as the newly identified subtype families IIp and IIo, were found mainly in bamboo rats and crab-eating macaques [6, 7]. Cryptosporidium ubiquitum is another zoonotic species with a broad host range. Sequence analysis of the gp gene has identified host-adapted subtype families within the species, some of which have been found in humans and small ruminants in industrialized nations, while others have been found in rodents [8]. Genetic characterization is important in the assessment of the pathogenicity and public health potential of Cryptosporidium spp. in animals
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