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Prevalence, transmission, and host specificity of Cryptosporidium spp. in various animal groups from two French zoos

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Abstract

Cryptosporidium represents a major cause of gastrointestinal illness in humans and animals including domestic, wild, and in captivity animals, and more than 30 validated species of Cryptosporidium are recognized as infectious to different hosts such as mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Therefore, numerous investigations have been conducted worldwide in order to shed light on the epidemiology of this parasite and to explore its potential reservoirs. Few surveys, targeting humans and animals have been carried out regarding the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. in France and no data are available about the circulation of this parasite in French zoological gardens. Herein, we determined the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in animals housed in two French zoos. A total of 307 fecal samples belonging to 161 species were screened by nested PCR. Overall, Cryptosporidium DNA was detected in 1.9% of the 161 species and 1% of the total number of fecal samples tested. Additionally, three Cryptosporidium species were identified: C. galli, C. andersoni, and C. tyzzeri. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular study focused on Cryptosporidium infection in captivity animals in France. This study is of interest considering the exposure of a large number of humans and animals to this waterborne protozoan, found ubiquitously in the environment.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank Géraldine Cassiat-Morisset and all those who participated in the study, in particular, the technical and administrative staff of the Lille and La Palmyre Zoos.

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Programme Orientations Stratégiques from the University of Lille 2, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the Institut Pasteur of Lille. M.O and D.E.S. were supported by PhD fellowships from the Conseil National de la Recherche Scientifique and the AZM & Saade Association of Lebanon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université de Lille, CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019—UMR 8204—CIIL—Centre d’Infection et d’Immunité de Lille, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP 245, 59019, Lille cedex, France

    Marwan Osman, Dima El Safadi, Sadia Benamrouz-Vanneste, Amandine Cian, Nausicaa Gantois, Pilar Delgado-Viscogliosi, Karine Guyot, Magali Chabé, Eric Viscogliosi & Gabriela Certad

  2. Laboratoire Microbiologie Santé et Environnement, Ecole Doctorale des Sciences et de Technologie, Faculté de Santé Publique, Université Libanaise, rue Mitein, Tripoli, Lebanon

    Marwan Osman & Dima El Safadi

  3. Laboratoire Ecologie et Biodiversité, Faculté Libre des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Université Catholique de Lille, 41 rue du Port, 59016, Lille cedex, France

    Sadia Benamrouz-Vanneste

  4. Parc Zoologique de Lille, avenue Mathias Delobel, 59000, Lille, France

    Romain Moriniere & Stéphanie Bosc

  5. Parc Zoologique de La Palmyre, 6 avenue de Royan, 17570, Les Mathes, France

    Thierry Petit

  6. Département de la Recherche Médicale, Groupement des Hôpitaux de l’Institut Catholique de Lille, Faculté de Médecine et Maïeutique, Université Catholique de Lille, 51 Boulevard de Belfort, 59000, Lille, France

    Gabriela Certad

Authors
  1. Marwan Osman
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  2. Dima El Safadi
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  3. Sadia Benamrouz-Vanneste
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  4. Amandine Cian
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  5. Romain Moriniere
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  6. Nausicaa Gantois
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  7. Pilar Delgado-Viscogliosi
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  8. Karine Guyot
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  9. Stéphanie Bosc
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  10. Magali Chabé
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  11. Thierry Petit
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  12. Eric Viscogliosi
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  13. Gabriela Certad
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriela Certad.

Ethics declarations

Since only fecal samples were collected after the spontaneous defecation of the zoo animals, this study did not require full Animal Ethics Committee approval in accordance with French law.

Conflict of interests

The authors declare that there are no competing interests.

Additional information

Marwan Osman and Dima El Safadi are equal contributors.

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Osman, M., El Safadi, D., Benamrouz-Vanneste, S. et al. Prevalence, transmission, and host specificity of Cryptosporidium spp. in various animal groups from two French zoos. Parasitol Res 116, 3419–3422 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-017-5645-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-017-5645-1

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