Korean J Parasitol.  2015 Aug;53(4):395-402. 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.4.395.

Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Captive Non-Human Primates in Qinling Mountains

• Du SZ
• Zhao GH
• Shao JF
• Fang YQ
• Tian GR
• Zhang LX
• Wang RJ
• Wang HY
• Qi M
• Yu SK

• KMID: 2381756
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.4.395

Abstract

Non-human primates (NHPs) are confirmed as reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In this study, 197 fresh fecal samples from 8 NHP species in Qinling Mountains, northwestern China, were collected and examined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method. The results showed that 35 (17.8%) samples were positive for tested parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. (3.0%), G. intestinalis (2.0%), and E. bieneusi (12.7%). Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 6 fecal samples of Macaca mulatta, and were identified as C. parvum (n=1) and C. andersoni (n=5). Subtyping analysis showed Cryptosporidium spp. belonged to the C. andersoni MLST subtype (A4, A4, A4, and A1) and C. parvum 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) subtype IId A15G2R1. G. intestinalis assemblage E was detected in 3 M. mulatta and 1 Saimiri sciureus. Intra-variations were observed at the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta giardin (bg), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) loci, with 3, 1, and 2 new subtypes found in respective locus. E. bieneusi was found in Cercopithecus neglectus (25.0%), Papio hamadrayas (16.7%), M. mulatta (16.3%), S. sciureus (10%), and Rhinopithecus roxellana (9.5%), with 5 ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotypes: 2 known genotypes (D and BEB6) and 3 novel genotypes (MH, XH, and BSH). These findings indicated the presence of zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and E. bieneusi in NHPs in Qinling Mountains. This is the first report of C. andersoni in NHPs. The present study provided basic information for control of cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, and microsporidiosis in human and animals in this area.

Keyword

Cryptosporidium spp.; Giardia intestinalis; Enterocytozoon bieneusi; captive non-human primate; Qinling Mountains

MeSH Terms

Animals
China
Cryptosporidiosis/*parasitology
Cryptosporidium/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification
Enterocytozoon/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification
Feces/parasitology
Female
Genotype
Giardia lamblia/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification
Giardiasis/parasitology/*veterinary
Male
Microsporidiosis/parasitology/*veterinary
Molecular Sequence Data
Phylogeny
Primate Diseases/*parasitology
Primates/classification/parasitology