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Parasites & vectors2015; 8; 483; doi: 10.1186/s13071-015-1102-0

The first report of Cryptosporidium andersoni in horses with diarrhea and multilocus subtype analysis.

Abstract: Horses interact with humans in a wide variety of sport competitions and non-competitive recreational pursuits as well as in working activities. Cryptosporidium spp are one of the most important zoonotic pathogens causing diarrhea of humans and animals. The reports of Cryptosporidium in horses and the findings of zoonotic Cryptosporidium species/genotypes show a necessity to carry out molecular identification of Cryptosporidium in horses, especially in diarrheic ones. The aim of the present study was to understand Cryptosporidium infection and species/genotypes in diarrheic horses, and to trace the source of infection of horse-derived Cryptosporidium isolates at a subtype level. Results: Fecal specimens of 29 diarrheic adult horses were collected in Taikang County in northeastern China's Heilongjiang Province. Cryptosporidium oocysts were concentrated by Sheather's sugar flotation technique, and then examined by a bright-field microscope. Meanwhile, all the specimens were subjected to PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium. C. andersoni isolates were further subtyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) at the four microsatellite/minisatellite loci (MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16). One and two Cryptosporidium-positive isolates were obtained in horses by microscopy and by PCR, respectively. The two C. andersoni isolates were identified by sequencing of the SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium. Both of them were identical to each other at the MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16 loci, and MLST subtype A4,A4,A4,A1 was found here. Conclusions: This is the first report of C. andersoni in horses. The fact that the MLST subtype A4,A4,A4,A1 was reported in cattle suggests a large possibility of transmission of C. andersoni between cattle and horses.
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Publication Date: 2015-09-22 PubMed ID: 26394848PubMed Central: PMC4580357DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1102-0Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article
  • Research Support
  • Non-U.S. Gov't

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research focuses on understanding the presence and variety of Cryptosporidium infection in horses experiencing diarrhea, particularly tracing the infection source. Their study unearthed evidence of Cryptosporidium andersoni infection for the first time in horses, with possibilities of transmission between horses and cattle.

Study Objective and Methods

  • The objective of this research was to determine the types of Cryptosporidium infections in horses experiencing diarrhea and trace these infections back to their source. Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic pathogen, known for causing diarrhea in both animals and humans. Since horses are often in close contact with humans, understanding these infections is crucial.
  • The researchers collected fecal samples from 29 adult horses in Taikang County in northeastern China. They focused on horses that were currently suffering from diarrhea.

Examination and PCR Amplification

  • The researchers used Sheather’s sugar flotation technique to concentrate the Cryptosporidium oocysts found in the fecal samples. These samples were then observed under a microscope.
  • Additionally, all samples were subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) amplification. This process was used to amplify the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene of the Cryptosporidium to facilitate its identification.

Subtype Analysis and Findings

  • The isolates of C. andersoni, a specific species of Cryptosporidium, were further examined through multilocus sequence typing (MLST) at four microsatellite/minisatellite loci.
  • The study found that the two isolates of C. andersoni were identical to each other at the MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16 loci.
  • The researchers detected a subtype A4,A4,A4,A1 in the isolates. This is the first instance of finding C. andersoni infection in horses.

Conclusions and Implications

  • This is the first study to report an occurrence of C. andersoni infection in horses, marking a significant breakthrough in the field.
  • The findings suggest that there could be a transmission of this infection between horses and cattle since the MLST subtype A4,A4,A4,A1 was previously reported in cattle.
  • This calls for further investigation to determine the zoonotic potential and to understand if there’s a transmission cycle involving cattle, horses, and potentially, humans.

Cite This Article

APA
Liu A, Zhang J, Zhao J, Zhao W, Wang R, Zhang L. (2015). The first report of Cryptosporidium andersoni in horses with diarrhea and multilocus subtype analysis. Parasit Vectors, 8, 483. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-015-1102-0

Publication

Parasites & vectors
ISSN: 1756-3305
NlmUniqueID: 101462774
Country: England
Language: English
Volume: 8
Pages: 483
PII: 483

Researcher Affiliations

Liu, Aiqin
  • Department of Parasitology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China. liuaiqin1128@126.com.
Zhang, Jia
  • The Turbine Hospital of Harbin, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China. tgyzyinyue@126.com.
Zhao, Jingmin
  • The Turbine Hospital of Harbin, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150040, China. happy_ddd@163.com.
Zhao, Wei
  • Department of Parasitology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, Heilongjiang, 150081, China. hayidazhaowei@163.com.
Wang, Rongjun
  • College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China. wrj-1978@163.com.
Zhang, Longxian
  • College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China. zhanglx8999@gmail.com.

MeSH Terms

  • Animals
  • Cattle
  • China
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Cryptosporidiosis / parasitology
  • Cryptosporidiosis / transmission
  • Cryptosporidium / classification
  • Cryptosporidium / cytology
  • Cryptosporidium / genetics
  • Cryptosporidium / isolation & purification
  • DNA, Protozoan / chemistry
  • DNA, Protozoan / genetics
  • DNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Diarrhea / parasitology
  • Diarrhea / veterinary
  • Disease Transmission, Infectious
  • Feces / parasitology
  • Genotype
  • Horse Diseases / parasitology
  • Horses
  • Microsatellite Repeats
  • Microscopy
  • Molecular Epidemiology
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Multilocus Sequence Typing
  • Phylogeny
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

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