Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia
Background: The present study aims to perform an epidemiological and molecular characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> infection in a child population attending daycare centers of Medellín, Colombia. Methods: A total of 265 children aged 0–5 years were enrolled in five children’s centers...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2021-07-01
|
| Series: | Biology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/7/669 |
| _version_ | 1797527620822237184 |
|---|---|
| author | Maria I. Osorio-Pulgarin Adriana Higuera Juan C. Beltran-Álzate Miryan Sánchez-Jiménez Juan David Ramírez |
| author_facet | Maria I. Osorio-Pulgarin Adriana Higuera Juan C. Beltran-Álzate Miryan Sánchez-Jiménez Juan David Ramírez |
| author_sort | Maria I. Osorio-Pulgarin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The present study aims to perform an epidemiological and molecular characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> infection in a child population attending daycare centers of Medellín, Colombia. Methods: A total of 265 children aged 0–5 years were enrolled in five children’s centers in urban sectors of Medellín, northwestern Colombia. Stool samples were taken to identify intestinal parasites by direct examination, Ritchie–Frick concentration, and molecular identification of <i>Blastocystis</i> by conventional PCR and subtype (ST) identification by PCR barcoding with subsequent phylogenetic reconstruction. Kappa index was calculated to evaluate the agreement between microscopy and PCR for the diagnosis of <i>Blastocystis</i>. Results: The prevalence of intestinal protozoa was 36.6% (97/265), with <i>Blastocystis</i> as the most frequent parasitic protozoan at 15.8% (42/265), followed by <i>Giardia intestinalis</i> at 15.5% (41/265) and <i>Endolimax nana</i> at 15.1% (40/265). The prevalence of <i>Blastocystis</i> by PCR was 53.2% (141/265), the subtypes identified were ST3 at 30.5% (18/59), ST2 at 23.7% (14/59), ST1 at 20.3% (12/59), and with less frequency, ST4 at 5.1% (3/59), ST6 at 1.7% (1/59) and ST16 at 15.3% (9/59) allele 162. Conclusion: This study provides the first genetic characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> subtypes circulating in a population of Medellín, Colombia, and also updates the epidemiology of <i>Blastocystis</i> subtypes in the world with the first identification of ST16 in humans. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:45:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c869840f0aec463cb1c207b24cb46c57 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:45:23Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-c869840f0aec463cb1c207b24cb46c572023-11-22T03:16:15ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372021-07-0110766910.3390/biology10070669Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, ColombiaMaria I. Osorio-Pulgarin0Adriana Higuera1Juan C. Beltran-Álzate2Miryan Sánchez-Jiménez3Juan David Ramírez4Instituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical (ICMT), Universidad CES, Medellín 055450, ColombiaCentro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 110111, ColombiaInstituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical (ICMT), Universidad CES, Medellín 055450, ColombiaInstituto Colombiano de Medicina Tropical (ICMT), Universidad CES, Medellín 055450, ColombiaCentro de Investigaciones en Microbiología y Biotecnología-UR (CIMBIUR), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 110111, ColombiaBackground: The present study aims to perform an epidemiological and molecular characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> infection in a child population attending daycare centers of Medellín, Colombia. Methods: A total of 265 children aged 0–5 years were enrolled in five children’s centers in urban sectors of Medellín, northwestern Colombia. Stool samples were taken to identify intestinal parasites by direct examination, Ritchie–Frick concentration, and molecular identification of <i>Blastocystis</i> by conventional PCR and subtype (ST) identification by PCR barcoding with subsequent phylogenetic reconstruction. Kappa index was calculated to evaluate the agreement between microscopy and PCR for the diagnosis of <i>Blastocystis</i>. Results: The prevalence of intestinal protozoa was 36.6% (97/265), with <i>Blastocystis</i> as the most frequent parasitic protozoan at 15.8% (42/265), followed by <i>Giardia intestinalis</i> at 15.5% (41/265) and <i>Endolimax nana</i> at 15.1% (40/265). The prevalence of <i>Blastocystis</i> by PCR was 53.2% (141/265), the subtypes identified were ST3 at 30.5% (18/59), ST2 at 23.7% (14/59), ST1 at 20.3% (12/59), and with less frequency, ST4 at 5.1% (3/59), ST6 at 1.7% (1/59) and ST16 at 15.3% (9/59) allele 162. Conclusion: This study provides the first genetic characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> subtypes circulating in a population of Medellín, Colombia, and also updates the epidemiology of <i>Blastocystis</i> subtypes in the world with the first identification of ST16 in humans.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/7/669<i>Blastocystis</i>protozoachildrenepidemiologysubtypesdiagnosis |
| spellingShingle | Maria I. Osorio-Pulgarin Adriana Higuera Juan C. Beltran-Álzate Miryan Sánchez-Jiménez Juan David Ramírez Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia Biology <i>Blastocystis</i> protozoa children epidemiology subtypes diagnosis |
| title | Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia |
| title_full | Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia |
| title_fullStr | Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia |
| title_short | Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Children Attending Daycare Centers in Medellín, Colombia |
| title_sort | epidemiological and molecular characterization of i blastocystis i infection in children attending daycare centers in medellin colombia |
| topic | <i>Blastocystis</i> protozoa children epidemiology subtypes diagnosis |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/10/7/669 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mariaiosoriopulgarin epidemiologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofiblastocystisiinfectioninchildrenattendingdaycarecentersinmedellincolombia AT adrianahiguera epidemiologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofiblastocystisiinfectioninchildrenattendingdaycarecentersinmedellincolombia AT juancbeltranalzate epidemiologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofiblastocystisiinfectioninchildrenattendingdaycarecentersinmedellincolombia AT miryansanchezjimenez epidemiologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofiblastocystisiinfectioninchildrenattendingdaycarecentersinmedellincolombia AT juandavidramirez epidemiologicalandmolecularcharacterizationofiblastocystisiinfectioninchildrenattendingdaycarecentersinmedellincolombia |