Institute of Parasitology, University of Leipzig, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.
Parasitology. 2010 Feb;137(2):205-16. doi: 10.1017/S0031182009991089. Epub 2009 Sep 21.
Juvenile hedgehogs having insufficient body weight are often brought for overwintering to hedgehog rehabilitation centres. Faecal samples of juvenile hedgehogs and overwintering hedgehogs (n=188) collected prior to releasing them back into the wilderness were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium coproantigen and oocysts. Altogether 56 (29.8%) submitted samples were positive for coproantigen. Forty-five (39.5%, n=114) of the positive samples originated from newly rescued hedgehogs, while 11 (14.8%, n=74) positive samples were from animals that spent several months at the station. Fifteen samples subjected to PCR-RFLP analysis on the partial 18S rRNA locus suggested the presence of C. parvum. Multilocus sequence typing on partial 60 kDa glycoprotein gene, 18S rRNA, actin gene, 70 kDa heat shock protein gene sequences revealed 3 different subtype families: IIa, IIc and a new, proposed as VIIa subtype family. Cryptosporidium sp. genotype belonging to VIIa subtype family is closely related to C. parvum but is genetically distinct being probably a hedgehog-specific Cryptosporidium sp. genotype with unknown zoonotical potential. Hedgehogs excreting Cryptosporidium oocysts represent a potential source for human infections, but also an anthroponotic nature of the IIc subtype family should be reviewed.
体重不足的幼年刺猬经常被带到刺猬康复中心过冬。在将它们放回野外之前，收集了幼年刺猬和过冬刺猬的粪便样本（n=188），以检查是否存在隐孢子虫粪抗原和卵囊。总共 56 份（29.8%）提交的样本对粪抗原呈阳性。45 份（39.5%，n=114）阳性样本来自新救助的刺猬，而 11 份（14.8%，n=74）阳性样本来自在该站停留了几个月的动物。对部分 18S rRNA 基因座进行 PCR-RFLP 分析的 15 个样本表明存在 C. parvum。对部分 60 kDa 糖蛋白基因、18S rRNA、肌动蛋白基因、70 kDa 热休克蛋白基因序列的多位点序列分型显示了 3 种不同的亚型家族：IIa、IIc 和一种新的，提议为 VIIa 亚型家族。属于 VIIa 亚型家族的隐孢子虫属基因型与 C. parvum 密切相关，但在遗传上是不同的，可能是一种特定于刺猬的隐孢子虫属基因型，其未知的人畜共患病潜力。排泄隐孢子虫卵囊的刺猬是人类感染的潜在来源，但也应重新审查 IIc 亚型家族的人兽共患病性质。
