Molecular Investigation of Zoonotic Intestinal Protozoa in Pet Dogs and Cats in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

Yu-Gui Wang; Yang Zou; Ze-Zhong Yu; Dan Chen; Bin-Ze Gui; Jian-Fa Yang; Xing-Quan Zhu; Guo-Hua Liu; Feng-Cai Zou

doi:10.3390/pathogens10091107

Molecular Investigation of Zoonotic Intestinal Protozoa in Pet Dogs and Cats in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

Pathogens. 2021 Aug 30;10(9):1107. doi: 10.3390/pathogens10091107.

Authors

Yu-Gui Wang^{1

2

3}, Yang Zou², Ze-Zhong Yu⁴, Dan Chen⁵, Bin-Ze Gui³, Jian-Fa Yang¹, Xing-Quan Zhu^{1

6}, Guo-Hua Liu³, Feng-Cai Zou¹

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Veterinary Public Health of Yunnan Province, College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Veterinary Etiological Biology, Key Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730046, China.
³ Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
⁴ Department of Animal Science, Yuxi Agricultural Vocation Technical College, Yuxi 653106, China.
⁵ School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China.
⁶ College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China.

Abstract

Giardia duodenalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. are common enteric pathogens that reside in the intestines of humans and animals. These pathogens have a broad host range and worldwide distribution, but are mostly known for their ability to cause diarrhea. However, very limited information on prevalence and genotypes of G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. in pet dogs and cats are available in China. In the present study, a total of 433 fecal samples were collected from 262 pet dogs and 171 pet cats in Yunnan province, southwestern China, and the prevalence and the genotypes of G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. were investigated by nested PCR amplification and DNA sequencing. The prevalence of G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. was 13.7% (36/262), 8.0% (21/262), and 4.6% (12/262) in dogs, and 1.2% (2/171), 2.3% (4/171) and 0.6% (1/171) in cats, respectively. The different living conditions of dogs is a risk factor that is related with the prevalence of G. duodenalis and E. bieneusi (p < 0.05). However, there were no statistically significant difference in prevalence of three pathogens in cats. DNA sequencing and analyses showed that four E. bieneusi genotypes (PtEb IX, CD9, DgEb I and DgEb II), one Cryptosporidium spp. (C. canis) and two G. duodenalis assemblages (C and D) were identified in dogs; two E. bieneusi genotypes (Type IV and CtEb I), one Cryptosporidium spp. (C. felis) and one G. duodenalis assemblage (F) were identified in cats. Three novel E. bieneusi genotypes (DgEb I, DgEb II and CtEb I) were identified, and the human-pathogenic genotypes/species Type IV C. canis and C. felis were also observed in this study, indicating a potential zoonotic threat of pet dogs and cats. Our results revealed the prevalence and genetic diversity of G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium spp. infection in pet dogs and cats in Yunnan province, southwestern China, and suggested the potential threat of pet dogs and cats to public health.

Keywords: China; Cryptosporidium spp.; Enterocytozoon bieneusi; Giardia duodenalis; Yunnan province; pet dogs and cats; zoonotic genotypes.

Abstract

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