RESULTS: We collected 191 fecal specimens from 37 distinct wildlife species and extracted genomic DNA. We identified these three parasites by amplifying specific gene regions and analyzed their characteristics and evolutionary relationships. All the parasites exhibited a high overall infection rate, reaching 90.05%. Among them, seven Entamoeba species were identified, accounting for a prevalence of 54.97%, with the highest infection observed in Entamoeba bovis. In total, 11 Enterocytozoon bieneusi genotypes were discovered, representing a prevalence of 35.08%, including three genotypes of human-pathogenic Group 1 and two novel genotypes (SXWZ and SXLG). Additionally, 13 Blastocystis subtypes were detected, showing a prevalence of 74.87% and encompassing eight zoonotic subtypes. All of the above suggests significant possibilities of parasite transmission between animals and humans.
CONCLUSIONS: This study investigated the occurrence and prevalence of three intestinal parasites, enhancing our understanding of their genetic diversity and host ranges in northwest China. Furthermore, the distribution of these parasites implies significant potential of zoonotic transmission, underscoring the imperative for ongoing surveillance and implementation of control measures. These efforts are essential to mitigate the risk of zoonotic disease outbreaks originating from wildlife sanctuary.
结果:我们从37种不同的野生动物物种中收集了191个粪便样本,并提取了基因组DNA。我们通过扩增特定基因区域鉴定了这三种寄生虫,并分析了它们的特征和进化关系。所有的寄生虫都表现出很高的整体感染率,达到90.05%。其中,确定了七个Entamoeba物种,占患病率的54.97%,在牛中观察到最高的感染。总的来说,发现了11个肠孢子虫双子基因型,患病率为35.08%,包括人类致病性组1的三个基因型和两个新的基因型(SXWZ和SXLG)。此外,检测到13个囊胚细胞亚型,患病率为74.87%,涵盖八种人畜共患亚型。所有上述表明寄生虫在动物和人类之间传播的重要可能性。
结论:本研究调查了三种肠道寄生虫的发生和患病率,加强我们对中国西北地区遗传多样性和寄主范围的了解。此外,这些寄生虫的分布暗示着人畜共患传播的巨大潜力,强调持续监测和实施控制措施的必要性。这些努力对于减轻源自野生动物保护区的人畜共患疾病爆发的风险至关重要。