Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp. are worldwide protozoan parasites that can affect to a broad range of vertebrate hosts, including rodents. In the island of Corsica (France), there are no previous data about these protozoa infecting wild rodents. To estimate the distribution and occurrence, a total of 117 wild murine rodents of the species Rattus rattus (84), Mus musculus domesticus (21), Apodemus sylvaticus (11), and Rattus norvegicus (1) were captured in 24 different biotopes. Fecal samples were screened for Cryptosporidium spp. by nested PCR to amplify an 830 bp fragment of the 18S rRNA gene. As general occurrence, 15.4% of the rodents analyzed were positive for Cryptosporidium spp., being detected widely distributed along the island in R. rattus (17.6%) and M. m. domesticus (14.3%). Cryptosporidium viatorum, Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype II, and Cryptosporidium sp. rat genotype III were successfully identified in R. rattus. The results herein reported provide the first data on Cryptosporidium spp. in wild murine species from a Mediterranean island and constitute the first report of the zoonotic species C. viatorum in R. rattus. Although a low occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in murids was obtained and only in one animal the zoonotic species C. viatorum was identified, our results highlight that wild murine rodents from Corsica could mediate in the maintenance and transmission of this protozoan to the environment and other hosts including humans and animals. Further studies are required to better understand the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents from Corsica and their possible public health repercussions.
Highlights
The protozoan Cryptosporidium spp. infects a broad range of vertebrate hosts that can play an important role in the maintenance and transmission of this pathogen (Kváč et al 2014)
Cryptosporidium DNA was detected in wild murids fecal samples, and it was found widely distributed along Corsica, being detected both in the North and the South of the island homogeneously with 11.2% and 28.6% of occurrence, respectively, without statistical differences (Fig. 1, Table 1)
Considering the four murine species analyzed, R. rattus and M. m. domesticus were the only species found infected by Cryptosporidium spp
Summary
The protozoan Cryptosporidium spp. (phylum Apicomplexa) infects a broad range of vertebrate hosts that can play an important role in the maintenance and transmission of this pathogen (Kváč et al 2014). (phylum Apicomplexa) infects a broad range of vertebrate hosts that can play an important role in the maintenance and transmission of this pathogen (Kváč et al 2014) It can be found in more than 150 mammalian species (Bauerfeind et al 2016), being the order Rodentia, which represents at least 43% of the mammalian species (Wilson and Reeder 1993; Huchon et al 2002), the most abundant and diversified order of mammals considered to be reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp. The morphological and biological adaptations of rodents allow them to survive in any type of environments (Huchon et al 2002), being significantly more abundant in anthropogenically modified habitats (e.g., agricultural lands, pasturelands, urban areas) than non-modified habitats (Mendoza et al 2020) This ability facilitates rodents to spread and transfer their pathogens, such as Cryptosporidium spp., to humans and wild and domestic animals in rural and urban. This protozoan can be transmitted by fecal–oral contamination, via ingestion of contaminated water or food, direct contact with infected persons or animals, indirect contact with contaminated fomites, and, in some cases, via inhalation (Sponseller et al 2014; Bauerfeind et al 2016)
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