Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria
<i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> are waterborne protozoa that cause intestinal infections in a wide range of warm-blooded animals. Human infections vary from asymptomatic to life-threatening in immunocompromised people, and can cause growth retardation in children. T...
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Microorganisms |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/8/1596 |
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| author | Silvia Cervero-Aragó Amélie Desvars-Larrive Gerhard Lindner Regina Sommer Iveta Häfeli Julia Walochnik |
| author_facet | Silvia Cervero-Aragó Amélie Desvars-Larrive Gerhard Lindner Regina Sommer Iveta Häfeli Julia Walochnik |
| author_sort | Silvia Cervero-Aragó |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> are waterborne protozoa that cause intestinal infections in a wide range of warm-blooded animals. Human infections vary from asymptomatic to life-threatening in immunocompromised people, and can cause growth retardation in children. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence and diversity of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in urban surface water and in brown rats trapped in the center of Vienna, Austria, using molecular methods, and to subsequently identify their source and potential transmission pathways. Out of 15 water samples taken from a side arm of the River Danube, <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> (oo)cysts were detected in 60% and 73% of them, with concentrations ranging between 0.3–4 oocysts/L and 0.6–96 cysts/L, respectively. <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> were identified in 13 and 16 out of 50 rats, respectively. <i>Eimeria</i>, a parasite of high veterinary importance, was also identified in seven rats. Parasite co-ocurrence was detected in nine rats. Rat-associated genotypes did not match those found in water, but matched <i>Giardia</i> previously isolated from patients with diarrhea in Austria, bringing up a potential role of rats as sources or reservoirs of zoonotic pathogenic <i>Giardia</i>. Following a One Health approach, molecular typing across potential animal and environmental reservoirs and human cases gives an insight into environmental transmission pathways and therefore helps design efficient surveillance strategies and relevant outbreak responses. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:35:03Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-2607 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:35:03Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microorganisms |
| spelling | doaj.art-4cdc99dbc4c843b2bd358a52067aed532023-11-22T08:46:03ZengMDPI AGMicroorganisms2076-26072021-07-0198159610.3390/microorganisms9081596Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, AustriaSilvia Cervero-Aragó0Amélie Desvars-Larrive1Gerhard Lindner2Regina Sommer3Iveta Häfeli4Julia Walochnik5Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaVeterinary Public Health and Epidemiology Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, AustriaInstitute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaInstitute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, AustriaInstitute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria<i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> are waterborne protozoa that cause intestinal infections in a wide range of warm-blooded animals. Human infections vary from asymptomatic to life-threatening in immunocompromised people, and can cause growth retardation in children. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence and diversity of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in urban surface water and in brown rats trapped in the center of Vienna, Austria, using molecular methods, and to subsequently identify their source and potential transmission pathways. Out of 15 water samples taken from a side arm of the River Danube, <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> (oo)cysts were detected in 60% and 73% of them, with concentrations ranging between 0.3–4 oocysts/L and 0.6–96 cysts/L, respectively. <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> were identified in 13 and 16 out of 50 rats, respectively. <i>Eimeria</i>, a parasite of high veterinary importance, was also identified in seven rats. Parasite co-ocurrence was detected in nine rats. Rat-associated genotypes did not match those found in water, but matched <i>Giardia</i> previously isolated from patients with diarrhea in Austria, bringing up a potential role of rats as sources or reservoirs of zoonotic pathogenic <i>Giardia</i>. Following a One Health approach, molecular typing across potential animal and environmental reservoirs and human cases gives an insight into environmental transmission pathways and therefore helps design efficient surveillance strategies and relevant outbreak responses.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/8/1596<i>Giardia</i><i>Cryptosporidium</i><i>Eimeria</i>brown rats<i>Rattus norvegicus</i>One Health |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Cervero-Aragó Amélie Desvars-Larrive Gerhard Lindner Regina Sommer Iveta Häfeli Julia Walochnik Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria Microorganisms <i>Giardia</i> <i>Cryptosporidium</i> <i>Eimeria</i> brown rats <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> One Health |
| title | Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria |
| title_full | Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria |
| title_fullStr | Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria |
| title_short | Surface Waters and Urban Brown Rats as Potential Sources of Human-Infective <i>Cryptosporidium</i> and <i>Giardia</i> in Vienna, Austria |
| title_sort | surface waters and urban brown rats as potential sources of human infective i cryptosporidium i and i giardia i in vienna austria |
| topic | <i>Giardia</i> <i>Cryptosporidium</i> <i>Eimeria</i> brown rats <i>Rattus norvegicus</i> One Health |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/9/8/1596 |
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