Abstract
Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are common gastrointestinal parasites with a broad range of hosts, including humans, livestock, and wildlife. To examine the infection status and assess the zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis in dairy cattle in Gansu, China, a total of 1414 fecal samples were collected from the rectum, with one sample collected from each individual animal. All the samples were tested using nested PCR based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis. The overall infection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis were 4.2% (n = 59) and 1.0% (n = 14), respectively. Four Cryptosporidium species were identified: C. andersoni (n = 42), C. parvum (n = 12), C. bovis (n = 5), and C. ryanae (n = 1). In further analyses of subtypes of C. parvum isolates based on the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene, five were successfully subtyped as IIdA19G1 (n = 4) and IIdA15G1 (n = 1). All 14 G. duodenalis isolates were identified as assemblage E using the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene. The relatively low positive rates of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis detected here and the predominance of non-human pathogenic species/assemblages of these parasites indicated their unique transmission dynamics in this area and the low level of threat posed to public health. However, continuous monitoring and further studies of these parasites should be conducted for the prevention and control of these pathogens.
Highlights
Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are common gastrointestinal parasites with a broad range of hosts, including humans, livestock, and wildlife [6]
Of the 1414 fecal samples taken from dairy cattle of nine farms, 60 specimens were PCR-positive for Cryptosporidium spp., and the overall infection rate was 4.2%
Similar or slightly lower infection rates have been reported in previous studies of Cryptosporidium spp. in dairy cattle in other provinces such as Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NXHAR) (1.7%, 23/1366) [17], Qinghai (2.5%, 26/1027) [25], Shaanxi (2.6%, 32/1224) [42], and Gansu province (4.6%, 58/1257) [41]
Summary
Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are common gastrointestinal parasites with a broad range of hosts, including humans, livestock, and wildlife [6]. These pathogens are spread by the fecal-oral route, and they can be transmitted through contaminated food or water [10]. IIaA15G2R1 is the most common subtype in dairy cattle, and this subtype has been commonly detected in humans. Other subtype families such as IId and IIl are uncommon and have only been reported in small numbers in cattle [34]
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