Wide Genetic Diversity of Blastocystis in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Maryland, USA.

Jenny G Maloney,Nadja S George,Aleksey Molokin,Yunah Jang,Monica Santin

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9061343

Jenny G Maloney, Nadja S George + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061343

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Abstract

Blastocystis is a gastrointestinal protist frequently reported in humans and animals worldwide. Wildlife populations, including deer, may serve as reservoirs of parasitic diseases for both humans and domestic animals, either through direct contact or through contamination of food or water resources. However, no studies of the occurrence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in wildlife populations have been conducted in the United States. PCR and next generation amplicon sequencing were used to determine the occurrence and subtypes of Blastocystis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Blastocystis was common, with 88.8% (71/80) of samples found to be positive. Twelve subtypes were identified, ten previously reported (ST1, ST3, ST4, ST10, ST14, ST21, and ST23–ST26) and two novel subtypes (ST30 and ST31). To confirm the validity of ST30 and ST31, MinION sequencing was used to obtain full-length SSU rRNA gene sequences, and phylogenetic and pairwise distance analyses were performed. ST10, ST14, and ST24 were the most commonly observed subtypes. Potentially zoonotic subtypes ST1, ST3, or ST4 were present in 8.5% of Blastocystis-positives. Mixed subtype infections were common (90.1% of Blastocystis-positives). This study is the first to subtype Blastocystis in white-tailed deer. White-tailed deer were found to be commonly infected/colonized with a wide diversity of subtypes, including two novel subtypes, zoonotic subtypes, and subtypes frequently reported in domestic animals. More studies in wildlife are needed to better understand their role in the transmission of Blastocystis.

Highlights

IntroductionIs one of the most common protists colonizing/infecting the gastrointestinal tract of humans and numerous animals and has a global distribution [1,2,3,4]
Of the 80 white-tailed deer deer (WTD) fecal samples tested in this study, 71 (88.8%) were determined to be positive for Blastocystis by PCR
There were two novel subtypes observed in WTD in this study, which we propose naming

Summary

Introduction

Is one of the most common protists colonizing/infecting the gastrointestinal tract of humans and numerous animals and has a global distribution [1,2,3,4]. The pathogenicity of Blastocystis is controversial, as the presence of Blastocystis in humans has been associated with gastrointestinal symptoms and/or urticaria, but it is commonly found in asymptomatic individuals [5,6,7]. It has been suggested that Blastocystis colonization could be associated with a healthy gut microbiome [4]. Blastocystis transmission is via the fecal-oral route, with direct transmission through contact with infected humans/animals or indirect transmission through ingestion of contaminated food and water [8,9,10,11]. The identification of Blastocystis in a broad range of animals, including pets, livestock, and wildlife, indicates that animals could be a potential source of infection for humans [3]

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