First report on the molecular detection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in livestock and wildlife around Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area, China

Yingna Jian; Xueyong Zhang; Guanghua Wang; Geping Wang; Xiuping Li; Liqing Ma; Qin Liang; Chenglin Li; Yong Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.012

First report on the molecular detection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in livestock and wildlife around Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area, China

Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2023 Apr 29:21:110-115. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.04.012. eCollection 2023 Aug.

Authors

Yingna Jian^{1

2}, Xueyong Zhang², Guanghua Wang², Geping Wang², Xiuping Li², Liqing Ma², Qin Liang³, Chenglin Li³, Yong Zhang¹

Affiliations

¹ College of Veterinary Medicine, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730070, PR China.
² Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, 810016, PR China.
³ Grassland Station of Gangcha County, Gangcha, Qinghai, 812300, PR China.

Abstract

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is considered to be a microsporidial species of humans and animals in the worldwide. Limited data have been reported on the prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi in livestock and wild animals around Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area, which shares water sources, grasslands, and harsh climate with high altitudes. In this study, fecal samples from 110 Tibetan sheep, 128 yaks, 227 wild birds, 96 blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) and 268 Przewalski's gazelle (Procapra przewalskii) around Qinghai Lake were collected, and then tested for E. bieneusi by PCR and sequencing analysis based on the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer. Among them, ten (9.09%) samples from Tibetan sheep, five (3.91%) from yaks, five (2.20%) from wild birds, one (1.04%) from wild blue sheep and two (0.75%) from Przewalski's gazelle were positive for E. bieneusi. Among sheep, there were nine E. bieneusi genotypes, including two known genotypes (BEB6 and J), and seven novel genotypes (named CHS18-CHS24). From yaks, four genotypes were identified, including two known ones (BEB4 and J) and two novel genotypes (named CHN15 and CHN16). While in wild animals, eight genotypes were found, including five different genotypes from wild bids, with three known genotypes (EbpC, J and NCF2), two novel genotypes (named CHWB1 and CHS24), and two genotypes from Przewalski's gazelle, with one known genotype J and one novel genotype CHWPG1, and one novel genotype CHWBS1 from blue sheep. According to the phylogenetic analysis, five isolates belonged to group 1, and the others were clustered into group 2. This study provides unique data on the epidemiological reports and potential risk factors for E. bieneusi in both domesticated livestock and wild animals around Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area; it is important to better understand the molecular epidemiology and zoonotic potential of E. bieneusi in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau area.

Keywords: Enterocytozoon bieneusi; Genotype; Livestock; Qinghai Lake; Wild animal.