Korean J Parasitol.  2015 Feb;53(1):113-117. 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.113.

Cryptosporidium suis Infection in Post-Weaned and Adult Pigs in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China

• Lin Q
• Wang XY
• Chen JW
• Ding L
• Zhao GH

• KMID: 2381805
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.113

Abstract

Cryptosporidium spp., ubiquitous enteric parasitic protozoa of vertebrates, recently emerged as an important cause of economic loss and zoonosis. The present study aimed to determine the distribution and species of Cryptosporidium in post-weaned and adult pigs in Shaanxi province, northwestern China. A total of 1,337 fresh fecal samples of post-weaned and adult pigs were collected by sterile disposable gloves from 8 areas of Shaanxi province. The samples were examined by Sheather's sugar flotation technique and microscopy atx400 magnification for Cryptosporidium infection, and the species in positive samples was further identified by PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. A total of 44 fecal samples were successfully amplified by the nested PCR of the partial SSU rRNA, with overall prevalence of 3.3%. The average prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in each pig farms ranged from 0 to 14.4%. Species identification by sequencing of SSU rRNA gene revealed that 42 (3.1%) samples were Cryptosporidium suis and 2 (0.15%) were Cryptosporidium scrofarum. C. suis had the highest prevalence (7.5%) in growers and the lowest in breeding pigs (0.97%). C. suis was the predominant species in pre-weaned and adult pigs, while C. scrofarum infected pigs older than 3 months only. A season-related difference of C. suis was observed in this study, with the highest prevalence in autumn (5.5%) and the lowest (1.7%) in winter. The present study provided basic information for control of Cryptosporidium infection in pigs and assessment of zoonotic transmission of pigs in Shaanxi province, China.

Keyword

Cryptosporidium; pig; SSU rRNA; Shaanxi province; China

MeSH Terms

Animals
China/epidemiology
Cluster Analysis
Cryptosporidiosis/*epidemiology/*parasitology
Cryptosporidium/classification/genetics/*isolation & purification
DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics
DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics
Feces/parasitology
Molecular Sequence Data
Phylogeny
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prevalence
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics
Seasons
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Swine
Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology
DNA, Protozoan
DNA, Ribosomal
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S