Abstract
Enterocytozoon bieneusi has been increasingly reported in non-human primates (NHPs) in recent years, and this has garnered attention. However, reports of E. bieneusi infections in NHPs are limited worldwide. To appreciate the genetic diversity and assess the zoonotic potential during the transmission of human microsporidiosis, we examined a total of 369 fecal samples from NHPs and performed PCR amplification of the ITS gene of E. bieneusi. An infection rate of 12.5% (46/369) was detected in NHPs, with three known genotypes (D, PigEBITS7, and SC02) and a novel genotype (SCM01) characterized. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that all four genotypes in our study were classified as zoonotic group 1. Multilocus genotyping of positive E. bieneusi strains revealed that 36, 37, 30, and 29 specimens were successfully amplified and sequenced to generate 16, six, four, and five types of MS1, MS3, MS4, and MS7 loci, respectively. Twenty-four specimens were successfully amplified and sequenced at all four loci, forming 13 multilocus genotypes (MLGs). The occurrence of zoonotic genotypes suggests that zoonotic transmission of E. bieneusi between humans and NHPs has probably occurred and NHPs could be a source of human microspordiosis.
Highlights
Microsporidiosis, an emerging infectious disease, is caused by microspordia, leading to gastrointestinal disease in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans
Molecular epidemiological studies on E. bieneusi in non-human primates (NHPs) has mainly been conducted in China, owing to the abundance in this country, but studies are still limited
With regard to short-tailed Tibetan macaques and golden snub-nosed monkeys, we did not find any NHPs that were positive for E. bieneusi
Summary
Microsporidiosis, an emerging infectious disease, is caused by microspordia, leading to gastrointestinal disease in domestic animals, wildlife, and humans. Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the main human pathogenic microsporidian species [1]. In 1985, E. bieneusi was identified in an AIDS patient, and this was the first report of a human infection caused by this species [3]. An increasing number of humans have been reported to be infected with E. bieneusi in developing and developed countries [4,5,6].
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