Abstract
Of the three species of Entamoeba found in swine, namely E. histolytica, E. polecki and E. suis, E. histolytica can also infect humans, producing colitis or abscesses of liver and leading to death. However, the pathogenicity of other species of Entamoeba has not been fully characterized. Here, we conducted histopathology and molecular surveys on a pig farm where piglets had blackish feces or muddy diarrhea. Histopathological examination of two piglets showed necrosis of the mucous surface at the ileum, cecum, or colon, infiltration of neutrophils, and formation of ulcers. Based on morphological characteristics, E. polecki and E. suis trophozoites were mainly detected at lamina propria and surface of the lesion, respectively, and Lawsonia intracellularis, a bacterial pathogen, was also detected. Molecular analysis using the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene on other piglets and a sow revealed infection with both E. polecki and E. suis. These findings corroborate our previous reports that the two Entamoeba spp. are pathogenic in pigs as aggravations of symptoms with L. intracellularis. This is the first report about mixed infection with E. polecki and E. suis.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bradford C.M., Denver M.C., Cranfield M.R. 2008. Development of a polymerase chain reaction test for Entamoeba invadens. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 39, 201–207
Clark C.G., Kaffashian F., Tawari B., Windsor J.J., Twigg-Flesner A., Davies-Morel M.C., Blessmann J., Ebert F., Peschel B., Le Van A., Jackson C.J., Macfarlane L., Tannich E. 2006. New insights into the phylogeny of Entamoeba species provided by analysis of four new small-subunit rRNA genes. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 56, 2235–2239
Desowitz R.S., Barnish G. 1986. Entamoeba polecki and other intestinal protozoa in Papua New Guinea Highland children. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 80, 399–402
Evangelopoulos A., Spanakos G., Patsoula E., Vakalis N., Legakis N. 2000. A nested, multiplex, PCR assay for the simultaneous detection and differentiation of Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar in faeces. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 94, 233–240
He G.Z., Feng Y., Deng S.X. 2012. Evaluation of the intestinal microbial diversity in miniature pig after orally infected with Entamoeba histolytica. Parasitology Research, 111, 939–941
Jones G.F., Ward G.E., Murtaugh M.P., Lin G., Gebhart C.J. 1993. Enhanced detection of intracellular organism of swine proliferative enteritis, ileal symbiont intracellularis, in feces by polymerase chain reaction. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 31, 2611–2615
Kawashima K., Tsunemitsu H., Horino R., Katsuda K., Onodera T., Shoji T., Kubo M., Haritani M., Murakami Y. 2003. Effects of dexamethasone on the pathogenesis of porcine circovirus type 2 infection in piglets. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 129, 294–302
Kawashima K., Yamada S., Kobayashi H., Narita M. 1996. Detection of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus and Mycoplasma hyorhinis antigens in pulmonary lesions of pigs suffering from respiratory distress. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 114, 315–323
La T., Phillips N.D., Hampson D.J. 2003. Development of a duplex PCR assay for detection of Brachyspira hyodysenteriae and Brachyspira pilosicoli in pig feces. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 41, 3372–3375
León-Avila G., Tovar J. 2004. Mitosomes of Entamoeba histolytica are abundant mitochondrion-related remnant organelles that lack a detectable organellar genome. Microbiology, 150, 1245–1250
Matsubayashi M., Suzuta F., Terayama Y., Shimojo K., Yui T., Haritani M., Shibahara T. 2014. Ultrastructural characteristics and molecular identification of Entamoeba suis isolated from pigs with hemorrhagic colitis: implications for pathogenicity. Parasitology Research, 113, 3023–3028. DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-3965-y
Matsubayashi M., Kanamori K., Sadahiro M., Tokoro M., Abe N., Haritani M., Shibahara T. 2015a. First molecular identification of Entamoeba polecki in a piglet in Japan and implications for aggravation of ileitis by coinfection with Lawsonia intracellularis. Parasitology Research, 114, 3069–3073. DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4509-9
Matsubayashi M., Murakoshi N., Komatsu T., Tokoro M., Haritani M., Shibahara T. 2015b. First molecular identification of Entamoeba polecki subtype 3 (Entamoeba struthionis) from a pig in Japan and characterization of its pathogenic role in ulcerative colitis. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 36, 8–14. DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2015.08.030
Noble G.A., Noble E.R. 1952. Entamoebae in farm mammals. Journal of Parasitology, 38, 571-595
Prophet E.B., Mills B., Arrington J.B., Sobin L.H. (Eds.). 1992. Laboratory Methods in Histotechnology. American Registry of Pathology, Washington DC, pp. 132–214
Schuster F.L., Visvesvara G.S. 2004. Amebae and ciliated protozoa as causal agents of waterborne zoonotic disease. Veterinary Parasitology, 126, 91–120
Shibahara T., Wada Y., Sueyoshi M., Ohya T., Ishikawa Y., Kadota K. 2000. Bovine intestinal spirochaetosis with dysentery. Veterinary Record, 146, 585–586
Shimizu C., Shibahara T., Takai S., Kasuya K., Chikuba T., Murakoshi N., Kobayashi H., Kubo M. 2010. Lawsonia intracellularis and virulent Rhodococcus equi infection in a thoroughbred colt. Journal of Comparative Pathology, 143:303–8. DOI: 10.1016/j.jcpa.2010.03.005
Skappak C., Akierman S., Belga S., Novak K., Chadee K., Urbanski S.J., Church D., Beck P.L. 2014. Invasive amoebiasis: a review of Entamoeba infections highlighted with case reports. Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 28, 355–359
Solaymani-Mohammadi S., Rezaian M., Hooshyar H., Mowlavi G.R., Babaei Z., Anwar M.A. 2004. Intestinal protozoa in wild boars (Sus scrofa) in western Iran. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 40, 801–803
Stensvold C.R., Lebbad M., Victory E.L., Verweij J.J., Tannich E., Alfellani M., Legarraga P., Clark C.G. 2011. Increased sampling reveals novel lineages of Entamoeba: consequences of genetic diversity and host specificity for taxonomy and molecular detection. Protist, 162, 525–541. DOI: 10.1016/j.protis.2010.11.002
Tachibana H., Kobayashi S., Takekoshi M., Ihara S. 1991. Distinguishing pathogenic isolates of Entamoeba histolytica by polymerase chain reaction. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 164, 825–826
Tovar J., Fischer A., Clark C.G. 1999. The mitosome, a novel organelle related to mitochondria in the amitochondrial parasite Entamoeba histolytica. Molecular Microbiology, 32, 1013–1021
Verweij J.J., Laeijendecker D., Brienen E.A., van Lieshout L., Polderman A.M. 2003. Detection and identification of Entamoeba species in stool samples by a reverse line hybridization assay. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 41, 5041–5045
Verweij J.J., Polderman A.M., Clark C.G. 2001. Genetic variation among human isolates of uninucleated cyst-producing Entamoeba species. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 39, 1644–1646
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Matsubayashi, M., Sasagawa, Y., Aita, T. et al. First report of mixed Entamoeba polecki (ST 1) and E. suis infection in piglets shedding abnormal feces by histopathological and molecular surveys. Acta Parasit. 61, 665–670 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2016-0093
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ap-2016-0093