Molecular characterization of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium parvum in fecal samples of individuals in Mongolia

Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2014 Jan;90(1):43-47. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.13-0271. Epub 2013 Nov 18.

Abstract

The Giardia and Cryptosporidium species are widespread and frequent diarrhea-related parasites affecting humans and other mammalian species. The prevalence of these parasites in Mongolia is currently unknown. Therefore, we performed molecular analyses of G. duodenalis and C. parvum in stool samples from 138 patients hospitalized with diarrhea in Mongolia using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 5 (3.62%) and 7 (5.07%) fecal samples were positive for G. duodenalis and C. parvum, respectively. Giardia duodenalis and C. parvum infections were prevalent in children < 9 years of age. The assemblage-specific fragment patterns for the β-giardin gene of G. duodenalis revealed that all five samples testing positive belonged to Assemblage A by the PCR-restriction fragment polymorphism method. For sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rDNA and HSP70 genes of all seven patients testing positive the genes were further identified to be of the C. parvum bovine genotype. This study is the first to report the prevalence of G. duodenalis and C. parvum and its molecular characterization of fecal samples from individuals with diarrhea in Mongolia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cryptosporidiosis / epidemiology
  • Cryptosporidiosis / parasitology*
  • Cryptosporidium parvum / classification
  • Cryptosporidium parvum / genetics*
  • DNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • Feces / parasitology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Giardia lamblia / classification
  • Giardia lamblia / genetics*
  • Giardiasis / epidemiology
  • Giardiasis / parasitology*
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics
  • Humans
  • Mongolia / epidemiology
  • Phylogeny
  • Prevalence
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics

Substances

  • DNA, Protozoan
  • HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S