The Prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in Marmota himalayana (Rodentia: Sciuridae) in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau area, China

Liqing  Ma; Yingna  Jian; Guanghua  Wang; Qigang  Cai; Geping  Wang; Xiuping  Li; Xueyong  Zhang; Panagiotis  Karanis

doi:10.18502/ijpa.v19i2.15852

Liqing Ma Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Yingna Jian 1. Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Guanghua Wang Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Qigang Cai Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Geping Wang Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Xiuping Li Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Xueyong Zhang Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China
Panagiotis Karanis Qinghai Academy of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathogen Diagnosis for Animal Disease and Green Technical Research for Prevention and Control, Xining, 810016, P. R. China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/ijpa.v19i2.15852

Keywords: Cryptosporidium; Giardia; Genotype; Molecular prevalence; China

Abstract

Background: Cryptosporidium and Giardia are well-known important intestinal zoonotic pathogens that can infect various hosts and cause diarrhoeal diseases. We aimed to determine the epidemiological prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium and Giardia species in Himalayan marmot (Marmota himalayana, class Marmota) in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area of Qinghai Province, Northwest China.

Methods: Overall, 243 Himalayan marmot fecal samples were collected in 2017 and in 2019 and a two-step nested PCR technique was performed to amplify the fragments of the SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium and 18S ribosomal RNA gene of Giardia. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium was performed with the primary primers N-DIAGF2 and N-DIAGR2, the secondary primers CPB-DIAGF and CPB-DIAGR. Similarly, molecular characterization of Giardia was used the first primers Gia2029 and Gia2150c, the secondary primers RH11 and RH4. The positive PCR products were sequenced and the sequences were processed by Clustal Omega and BLAST. Phylogenetic analysis was achieved by NJ method in MEGA.

Results: The infection rate of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis was 4.9% (12/243) and 0.8% (2/243) in M. himalayana, respectively. Cryptosporidium spp. are characterized as novel genotypes Cryptosporidium marmot genotype I (n=3) and Cryptosporidium marmot genotype II (n=9); G. duodenalis assemblage A (n=2) was found in M. himalayana.

Conclusion: This is the first report of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis infections in M. himalayana in Qinghai of Northwest China. The results indicate the existence of Cryptosporidium species and G. duodenalis infections that may have a potential public health significance.