Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal
<i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. are important diarrhea-causing protozoan parasites worldwide that exhibit broad host ranges. Wild small mammals can harbor host-adapted and potentially zoonotic species of both parasites. The aim of this study was to investi...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Animals |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/515 |
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| author | Laura Lux Rainer G. Ulrich Sérgio Santos-Silva João Queirós Christian Imholt Christian Klotz Joana Paupério Ricardo Pita Hélia Vale-Gonçalves Paulo Célio Alves João R. Mesquita |
| author_facet | Laura Lux Rainer G. Ulrich Sérgio Santos-Silva João Queirós Christian Imholt Christian Klotz Joana Paupério Ricardo Pita Hélia Vale-Gonçalves Paulo Célio Alves João R. Mesquita |
| author_sort | Laura Lux |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. are important diarrhea-causing protozoan parasites worldwide that exhibit broad host ranges. Wild small mammals can harbor host-adapted and potentially zoonotic species of both parasites. The aim of this study was to investigate <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in wild rodents and shrews in Portugal, focusing on the protist’s occurrence and genetic diversity. Molecular screening by PCR at the small subunit (<i>SSU</i>) rRNA gene locus of 290 fecal samples from wood mice (<i>Apodemus sylvaticus</i>), southwestern water voles (<i>Arvicola sapidus),</i> Cabrera’s voles <i>(Microtus cabrerae),</i> Lusitanian pine voles (<i>Microtus lusitanicus),</i> Algerian mice (<i>Mus spretus)</i> and greater white-toothed shrews (<i>Crocidura russula</i>) in Northeast Portugal revealed the low occurrence of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. (1%) and high occurrence of <i>Giardia</i> spp. (32.8%). The analysis revealed that “species” was the only significant factor associated with the increasing probability of <i>Giardia</i> spp. infection, with the highest prevalence reported in southwestern water voles and Lusitanian pine voles. <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> species determination at the <i>SSU</i> rRNA gene locus revealed <i>C. muris</i> and <i>G. microti</i> as the only circulating species, respectively. Subtyping of the glutamate dehydrogenase (<i>gdh</i>) and beta-giardin (<i>bg</i>) genes provided evidence of the high genetic diversity within the <i>G. microti</i> clade. This study suggests that rodent-adapted <i>G. microti</i> occurs to a large extent in cricetid hosts and supports the limited role of wild rodents and shrews as natural sources of human infections in Northeast Portugal regarding the investigated parasites. Moreover, this is the first record of <i>G. microti</i> in southwestern water voles, Lusitanian pine voles, Algerian mice, wood mice and Cabrera’s voles and <i>C. muris</i> in Cabrera’s voles. Finally, this study improves the database of sequences relevant for the sequence typing of <i>G. microti</i> strains and provides new insights about the epidemiology of <i>Giardia</i> spp. and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in wild rodents and shrews, two parasite genera of high importance for public and animal health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:53:45Z |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:53:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
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| series | Animals |
| spelling | doaj.art-2386eed7d5044dd4ad49dc256cf74d392023-11-16T16:01:57ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152023-02-0113351510.3390/ani13030515Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from PortugalLaura Lux0Rainer G. Ulrich1Sérgio Santos-Silva2João Queirós3Christian Imholt4Christian Klotz5Joana Paupério6Ricardo Pita7Hélia Vale-Gonçalves8Paulo Célio Alves9João R. Mesquita10University of Greifswald, Domstraße 11, 17489 Greifswald, GermanyInstitute of Novel and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, GermanyInstituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, PortugalCIBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalInstitute for Epidemiology and Pathogen Diagnostics, Julius Kühn-Institute (JKI), Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, 48161 Münster, GermanyUnit 16 Mycotic and Parasitic Agents and Mycobacteria, Department of Infectious Diseases, Robert Koch-Institute, 13353 Berlin, GermanyCIBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalMED—Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE—Global Change and Sustainability Institute, IIFA—Institute for Research and Advanced Training, UBC—Conservation Biology Lab, University of Évora, Mitra Pole, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Évora, PortugalLaboratório de Ecologia Fluvial e Terrestre, CITAB—Centro de Investigação e Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5001-801 Vila Real, PortugalCIBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, PortugalInstituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar (ICBAS), Universidade do Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira, 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal<i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. are important diarrhea-causing protozoan parasites worldwide that exhibit broad host ranges. Wild small mammals can harbor host-adapted and potentially zoonotic species of both parasites. The aim of this study was to investigate <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia</i> spp. in wild rodents and shrews in Portugal, focusing on the protist’s occurrence and genetic diversity. Molecular screening by PCR at the small subunit (<i>SSU</i>) rRNA gene locus of 290 fecal samples from wood mice (<i>Apodemus sylvaticus</i>), southwestern water voles (<i>Arvicola sapidus),</i> Cabrera’s voles <i>(Microtus cabrerae),</i> Lusitanian pine voles (<i>Microtus lusitanicus),</i> Algerian mice (<i>Mus spretus)</i> and greater white-toothed shrews (<i>Crocidura russula</i>) in Northeast Portugal revealed the low occurrence of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. (1%) and high occurrence of <i>Giardia</i> spp. (32.8%). The analysis revealed that “species” was the only significant factor associated with the increasing probability of <i>Giardia</i> spp. infection, with the highest prevalence reported in southwestern water voles and Lusitanian pine voles. <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> species determination at the <i>SSU</i> rRNA gene locus revealed <i>C. muris</i> and <i>G. microti</i> as the only circulating species, respectively. Subtyping of the glutamate dehydrogenase (<i>gdh</i>) and beta-giardin (<i>bg</i>) genes provided evidence of the high genetic diversity within the <i>G. microti</i> clade. This study suggests that rodent-adapted <i>G. microti</i> occurs to a large extent in cricetid hosts and supports the limited role of wild rodents and shrews as natural sources of human infections in Northeast Portugal regarding the investigated parasites. Moreover, this is the first record of <i>G. microti</i> in southwestern water voles, Lusitanian pine voles, Algerian mice, wood mice and Cabrera’s voles and <i>C. muris</i> in Cabrera’s voles. Finally, this study improves the database of sequences relevant for the sequence typing of <i>G. microti</i> strains and provides new insights about the epidemiology of <i>Giardia</i> spp. and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. in wild rodents and shrews, two parasite genera of high importance for public and animal health.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/515<i>Cryptosporidium muris</i><i>Giardia microti</i>sequence typingrodentshrewreservoir |
| spellingShingle | Laura Lux Rainer G. Ulrich Sérgio Santos-Silva João Queirós Christian Imholt Christian Klotz Joana Paupério Ricardo Pita Hélia Vale-Gonçalves Paulo Célio Alves João R. Mesquita Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal Animals <i>Cryptosporidium muris</i> <i>Giardia microti</i> sequence typing rodent shrew reservoir |
| title | Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal |
| title_full | Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal |
| title_fullStr | Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal |
| title_full_unstemmed | Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal |
| title_short | Detection and Molecular Characterization of <i>Giardia</i> and <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal |
| title_sort | detection and molecular characterization of i giardia i and i cryptosporidium i spp circulating in wild small mammals from portugal |
| topic | <i>Cryptosporidium muris</i> <i>Giardia microti</i> sequence typing rodent shrew reservoir |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/13/3/515 |
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