Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population
<i>Blastocystis</i> sp. is currently reported as the most frequent single-celled eukaryote inhabiting the intestinal tract of humans and a wide range of animal groups. Its prevalence is especially higher in developing countries linked with fecal peril. Despite a growing interest in this...
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/11/1359 |
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| author | Doaa Naguib Nausicaa Gantois Jeremy Desramaut Nagah Arafat Mohamed Mandour Asmaa Kamal Kamal Abdelmaogood Ashraf Fawzy Mosa Constance Denoyelle Gaël Even Gabriela Certad Magali Chabé Eric Viscogliosi |
| author_facet | Doaa Naguib Nausicaa Gantois Jeremy Desramaut Nagah Arafat Mohamed Mandour Asmaa Kamal Kamal Abdelmaogood Ashraf Fawzy Mosa Constance Denoyelle Gaël Even Gabriela Certad Magali Chabé Eric Viscogliosi |
| author_sort | Doaa Naguib |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. is currently reported as the most frequent single-celled eukaryote inhabiting the intestinal tract of humans and a wide range of animal groups. Its prevalence is especially higher in developing countries linked with fecal peril. Despite a growing interest in this enteric protozoan, certain geographical regions potentially at high risk of infection, such as North Africa, remain under-investigated. Therefore, a large-scale molecular epidemiological survey, including 825 participants presenting digestive disorders or not, was conducted in five governorates located in Northern Egypt. A real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was performed to identify the parasite in stool samples, followed by direct sequencing of the positive PCR products for subtyping and genotyping of the corresponding isolates. The overall prevalence was shown to reach 72.4% in the Egyptian cohort, coupled with a variable frequency depending on the governorate (41.3 to 100%). Among the 597 positive participants, a large proportion of them (39.4%) presented mixed infections, as determined by sequencing. The remaining individuals with single infection were predominantly colonized by subtype 3 (ST3) (48.3%) followed by ST1 (39.5%), ST2 (10.8%), ST14 (1.1%), and ST10 (0.3%). This was the first report of ST10 and ST14 in North Africa. Age, sex, digestive symptoms, and health status of the participants or contact with animals were not identified as significant risk factors for <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. occurrence or affecting the ST distribution. In contrast, substantial variations in the prevalence and ST distribution of the parasite were reported according to the governorate. Genotyping of isolates revealed the lower intra-ST diversity for ST3, followed by ST1 and then ST2. By combining subtyping and genotyping data, a widespread inter-human transmission was strongly suggested for ST3 within the Egyptian cohort. Regarding ST1 and ST2, additional animal or environmental sources of infection by these STs have been proposed, whereas the few cases of colonization by ST10 and ST14 were likely the result of zoonotic transmission from bovid. These investigations clearly emphasized the active circulation of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in Northern Egypt and the necessity for health authorities to implement prevention campaigns towards the population and quality control of drinking water, with the aim of reducing the burden of this enteric protozoan in this endemic country. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:32:38Z |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2076-0817 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T16:32:38Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
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| spelling | doaj.art-b8d5e6c807054989a7e3fbfb619bc8ed2023-11-24T14:59:54ZengMDPI AGPathogens2076-08172023-11-011211135910.3390/pathogens12111359Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt PopulationDoaa Naguib0Nausicaa Gantois1Jeremy Desramaut2Nagah Arafat3Mohamed Mandour4Asmaa Kamal Kamal Abdelmaogood5Ashraf Fawzy Mosa6Constance Denoyelle7Gaël Even8Gabriela Certad9Magali Chabé10Eric Viscogliosi11CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, FranceCNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, FranceCNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, FranceDepartment of Poultry Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, EgyptClinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41511, EgyptClinical Pathology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia 41511, EgyptParasitology Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria 21500, EgyptCNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, FranceGD Biotech-Gènes Diffusion, F-59000 Lille, FranceCNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, FranceCNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, FranceCNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019–UMR 9017–CIIL–Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France<i>Blastocystis</i> sp. is currently reported as the most frequent single-celled eukaryote inhabiting the intestinal tract of humans and a wide range of animal groups. Its prevalence is especially higher in developing countries linked with fecal peril. Despite a growing interest in this enteric protozoan, certain geographical regions potentially at high risk of infection, such as North Africa, remain under-investigated. Therefore, a large-scale molecular epidemiological survey, including 825 participants presenting digestive disorders or not, was conducted in five governorates located in Northern Egypt. A real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assay was performed to identify the parasite in stool samples, followed by direct sequencing of the positive PCR products for subtyping and genotyping of the corresponding isolates. The overall prevalence was shown to reach 72.4% in the Egyptian cohort, coupled with a variable frequency depending on the governorate (41.3 to 100%). Among the 597 positive participants, a large proportion of them (39.4%) presented mixed infections, as determined by sequencing. The remaining individuals with single infection were predominantly colonized by subtype 3 (ST3) (48.3%) followed by ST1 (39.5%), ST2 (10.8%), ST14 (1.1%), and ST10 (0.3%). This was the first report of ST10 and ST14 in North Africa. Age, sex, digestive symptoms, and health status of the participants or contact with animals were not identified as significant risk factors for <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. occurrence or affecting the ST distribution. In contrast, substantial variations in the prevalence and ST distribution of the parasite were reported according to the governorate. Genotyping of isolates revealed the lower intra-ST diversity for ST3, followed by ST1 and then ST2. By combining subtyping and genotyping data, a widespread inter-human transmission was strongly suggested for ST3 within the Egyptian cohort. Regarding ST1 and ST2, additional animal or environmental sources of infection by these STs have been proposed, whereas the few cases of colonization by ST10 and ST14 were likely the result of zoonotic transmission from bovid. These investigations clearly emphasized the active circulation of <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in Northern Egypt and the necessity for health authorities to implement prevention campaigns towards the population and quality control of drinking water, with the aim of reducing the burden of this enteric protozoan in this endemic country.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/11/1359<i>Blastocystis</i> sp.Egypthumansmolecular epidemiologytransmission sourceszoonosis |
| spellingShingle | Doaa Naguib Nausicaa Gantois Jeremy Desramaut Nagah Arafat Mohamed Mandour Asmaa Kamal Kamal Abdelmaogood Ashraf Fawzy Mosa Constance Denoyelle Gaël Even Gabriela Certad Magali Chabé Eric Viscogliosi Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population Pathogens <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. Egypt humans molecular epidemiology transmission sources zoonosis |
| title | Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population |
| title_full | Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population |
| title_fullStr | Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population |
| title_short | Molecular Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of the Enteric Protozoan Parasite <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. in the Northern Egypt Population |
| title_sort | molecular epidemiology and genetic diversity of the enteric protozoan parasite i blastocystis i sp in the northern egypt population |
| topic | <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. Egypt humans molecular epidemiology transmission sources zoonosis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/12/11/1359 |
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