Molecular characterization and zoonotic potential of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp. in farmed masked palm civets (Paguma larvata) in southern China

Zhengjie Yu,Ruohong Yang,Yaqiong Guo,Yaoyu Feng,Xitong Huang,Xi Wen,Na Li,Lihua Xiao

doi:10.1186/s13071-020-04274-0

Zhengjie Yu, Ruohong Yang + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04274-0

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Abstract

BackgroundMasked palm civets are known to play an important role in the transmission of some zoonotic pathogens. However, the distribution and zoonotic potential of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in these animals remain unclear.MethodsA total of 889 fecal specimens were collected in this study from farmed masked palm civets in Hainan, Guangdong, Jiangxi and Chongqing, southern China, and analyzed for these pathogens by nested PCR and DNA sequencing.ResultsAltogether, 474 (53.3%), 34 (3.8%) and 1 (0.1%) specimens were positive for E. bieneusi, G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp., respectively. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of 11 novel E. bieneusi genotypes named as PL1–PL11 and two known genotypes Peru8 and J, with PL1 and PL2 accounting for 90% of E. bieneusi infections. Phylogenetically, PL4, PL5, PL9, PL10 and PL11 were clustered into Group 1, while PL1, PL2, PL3, PL6, PL7 and PL8 were clustered into Group 2. Assemblage B (n = 33) and concurrence of B and D (n = 1) were identified among G. duodenalis-positive animals. Further multilocus genotyping of assemblage B has revealed that all 13 multilocus genotypes in civets formed a cluster related to those from humans. The Cryptosporidium isolate from one civet was identified to be genetically related to the Cryptosporidium bamboo rat genotype II.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this first report of enteric protists in farmed masked palm civets suggests that these animals might be potential reservoirs of zoonotic E. bieneusi and G. duodenalis genotypes.

Highlights

Masked palm civets are known to play an important role in the transmission of some zoonotic pathogens
Occurrence of E. bieneusi, G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp Occurrence of the three pathogens was determined based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positivity of at least one PCR replicate
Of the 889 fecal specimens collected from masked palm civets, 474 (53.3%) were positive for E. bieneusi, with infection rates ranging from 35.2% (172/489) to 86.1% (180/209) among the four farms sampled

Summary

Introduction

Masked palm civets are known to play an important role in the transmission of some zoonotic pathogens. The distribution and zoonotic potential of Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in these animals remain unclear. Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. are enteric pathogens in humans and. Nearly 500 E. bieneusi genotypes have been identified, belonging to 11 phylogenetic groups with different host preferences, Yu et al Parasites Vectors (2020) 13:403 including the zoonotic Group 1 and host-adapted Groups 2–11 [2]. Eight distinct G. duodenalis assemblages of A–H with different host ranges have been identified by genetic characterization [4]. High-resolution multilocus genotyping (MLG) tools have been employed to elucidate the genetic heterogeneity of these pathogens in humans and animals [6,7,8]

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