Genotyping Cryptosporidium andersoni in cattle in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China

PLoS One. 2013;8(4):e60112. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060112. Epub 2013 Apr 1.

Abstract

The present study examined the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium andersoni in cattle in Shaanxi province, China. A total of 2071 fecal samples (847 from Qinchuan cattle and 1224 from dairy cattle) were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts, and 70 samples (3.4%) were C. andersoni-positive and those positive samples were identified by PCR amplification of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and the Cryptosporidium oocyst wall protein (COWP) genes. C. andersoni was the only species found in the examined cattle in this province. Fifty-seven C. andersoni isolates were characterized into 5 MLST subtypes using multilocus sequence typing analysis, including a new subtype in the native beef breed Qinchuan cattle. All of these C. andersoni isolates presented a clonal genetic structure. These findings provide new insights into the genetic structure of C. andersoni isolates in Shaanxi province and basic data of Cryptosporidium prevalence status, which in turn have implications for controlling cryptosporidiosis in this province.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • Cattle Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Cattle Diseases / parasitology
  • China / epidemiology
  • Cryptosporidiosis / epidemiology*
  • Cryptosporidiosis / genetics
  • Cryptosporidiosis / veterinary*
  • Cryptosporidium / classification
  • Cryptosporidium / genetics*
  • Cryptosporidium / isolation & purification
  • DNA, Protozoan
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Genotype
  • Multilocus Sequence Typing
  • Oocysts / physiology
  • Phylogeny
  • Prevalence
  • Protozoan Proteins / classification
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics*
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / classification
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics*

Substances

  • DNA, Protozoan
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S
  • oocyst wall protein, Cryptosporidium

Grants and funding

This work was supported, in part, by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 31101805, 31110103901), the Fund for Basic Scientific Research (Grant No. ZD2012010 and QN2012018), the Open Funds of the State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (Grant No. SKLVEB2011KFKT011), National Key Project of Scientific and Technical Supporting Program (2012BAD12B07), the Special Funds for Talents in Northwest A&F University (Grant Nos. Z109021107 and 2010BSJJ015), and National University Student Innovation Program in Northwest A&F University (Grant No. 1210712040). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.