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Molecular detection of Cryptosporidium and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in dairy calves and sika deer in four provinces in Northern China

  • Genetics, Evolution, and Phylogeny - Original Paper
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Abstract

The protistan pathogens Cryptosporidium and Enterocytozoon bieneusi can cause significant intestinal diseases in animals and humans. However, limited information is available regarding prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi in ruminants in Northern China. In this study, the overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi was 19.3% (62/321) and 28.97% (93/321) in dairy calves and 1.10% (9/818) and 13.57% (111/818) in sika deer (Cervus nippon) in four provinces in Northern China, respectively. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi in different factor groups was various. Five Cryptosporidium species/genotypes were identified, of which C. parvum, C. ryanae, C. bovis, and C. andersoni were only found in dairy calves, and only Cryptosporidium deer genotype was found in sika deer. Moreover, J, I, and BEB4 ITS genotypes of E. bieneusi were found in dairy calves, and six known genotypes (JLD-III, JLD-IX, JLD-VII, EbpC, BEB6, and I) and ten novel genotypes (namely LND-I and JLD-XV to JLD-XXIII) were found in sika deer in this study. Cryptosporidium parvum and E. bieneusi genotype J were identified as the predominant species/genotypes in dairy calves, whereas the predominance of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi in sika deer was Cryptosporidium deer genotype and BEB6, respectively. The present study reported the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi in dairy calves and sika deer in four provinces in northern China. The present findings also suggest that investigated dairy calves and sika deer may play an important role in the transmission of E. bieneusi and Cryptosporidium to humans and other animals, and also in an effort to better understand the epidemiology of these enteric pathogens in China.

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Funding

Project support was provided by the Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Bovine Diseases (PCBD201706). No competing financial interests exist. The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the funding agencies.

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  1. Wei-Fu Taon and Hong-Bo Ni contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, Daqing, Heilongjiang Province, 163319, People’s Republic of China

    Wei-Fu Tao, Hong-Bo Ni, Hong-Feng Du, Hong-Yu Qiu,  Ye-Li & Xiao-Xuan Zhang

  2. College of Life Sciences, Changchun Sci-Tech University, Shuangyang, Jilin Province, 130600, People’s Republic of China

    Jing Jiang

  3. School of Life Sciences, Huzhou University, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, 313000, People’s Republic of China

    Jiao Li

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  1. Wei-Fu Tao
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Tao, WF., Ni, HB., Du, HF. et al. Molecular detection of Cryptosporidium and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in dairy calves and sika deer in four provinces in Northern China. Parasitol Res 119, 105–114 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06498-1

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