[en] [en] BACKGROUND: Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi can cause important intestinal diseases in ruminants. However, data on the distribution of these three protozoan pathogens in Tibetan sheep are limited.
METHODS: We collected 761 fecal samples from Tibetan sheep across four seasons in Qinghai Province, China, and screened the samples for Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis and E. bieneusi using PCR-based sequence analysis of the genes encoding 18S ribosomal RNA, triosephosphate isomerase and the internal transcribed spacer, respectively.
RESULTS: The positivity rates of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis and E. bieneusi in Tibetan sheep were 3.68% (28/761 samples), 1.58% (12/761) and 6.44% (49/761), respectively. Four species of Cryptosporidium were identified: C. xiaoi (n = 13 samples), C. ubiquitum (n = 8), C. bovis (n = 6) and C. ryanae (n = 1). Two G. duodenalis assemblages, namely the A (n = 2 samples) and E (n = 10) assemblages, were detected. Five zoonotic E. bieneusi genotypes were found: BEB6 (n = 21 samples), COS-I (n = 14), CHS3 (n = 11) and CGS1 (n = 2) from group 2, and PIGEBITS5 (n = 1) from group 1. Geographic differences in the distribution of E. bieneusi, and seasonal differences for all the three protozoan pathogens were noted.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results elucidate the prevalence and genetic diversity of these three pathogens in Tibetan sheep across different regions and seasons, including zoonotic pathogens such as C. ubiquitum, C. ryanae, G. duodenalis assemblage A and five genotypes of E. bieneusi.
Disciplines :
Veterinary medicine & animal health
Author, co-author :
Yang, Fan; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China ; State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China
Ma, Li; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
Gou, Jing-Min; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
Yao, Hui-Zhong; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
Ren, Mei ; Université de Liège - ULiège > TERRA Research Centre ; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China ; State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China
Yang, Bing-Ke; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China
Lin, Qing; College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi Province, 712100, People's Republic of China. yllinqing@126.com ; State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730046, People's Republic of China. yllinqing@126.com
Language :
English
Title :
Seasonal distribution of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Tibetan sheep in Qinghai, China.
Key Research and Development Project of Shaanxi Province
Funders :
CAAS - Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences [CN]
Funding text :
This study was supported by the Key Research and Development Project of Shaanxi Province (grant number no. 2020NY-017 to QL), the Animal Husbandry Special fund of Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of Shaanxi Province (grant number no. XN14 to QL) and the State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (grant number no. SKLVEB2019KFKT007 to QL).
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