National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, MOH, China.
Biomed Environ Sci. 2013 Jun;26(6):492-5. doi: 10.3967/0895-3988.2013.06.010.
Pigs, as hosts of zoonotic Cryptosporidium species/genotypes, are domestic animals with public health significance. The present study was to characterize the infection rate and species/genotype of Cryptosporidium in pre-weaned and post-weaned pigs from Shanghai and Shaoxing, China.
A total of 208 fecal samples (42 from pre-weaned piglets, and 166 from post-weaned pigs) were examined by nested PCR of the 18S rRNA gene and analyzed by phylogenetic DNA fragment sequencing of secondary PCR products.
Infection was detected in 79 samples (19/42 pre-weaned piglets, and 60/166 post-weaned pigs). C. suis (14/79) and Cryptosporidium pig genotype II (65/79) were identified; piglets were more susceptible to the former (13/14) and post-weaned pigs to the latter (59/65).
Infection of Cryptosporidium spp. in pigs was age-specific; piglets were more susceptible to C. suis while pigs were more susceptible to Cryptosporidium pig genotype II. These findings combined with the isolation of the two Cryptosporidium from water suggest that pigs may be a source of zoonotic Cryptosporidium water pollution. Improvements in pig feeding practices, sewage discharge, feces disposal and field worker protection are therefore important to prevent potential public health problems.
猪作为人畜共患隐孢子虫种/基因型的宿主，是具有公共卫生意义的家畜。本研究旨在描述中国上海和绍兴地区未断奶和断奶后猪的隐孢子虫感染率和种/基因型。
共采集 208 份粪便样本（42 份来自未断奶仔猪，166 份来自断奶后猪），通过 18S rRNA 基因的巢式 PCR 进行检测，并对二次 PCR 产物的 DNA 片段测序进行系统发育分析。
在 79 份样本中检测到感染（19/42 份未断奶仔猪，60/166 份断奶后猪）。鉴定出 C. suis（14/79）和隐孢子虫猪基因型 II（65/79）；仔猪更易感染前者（13/14），而断奶后猪更易感染后者（59/65）。
猪的隐孢子虫感染具有年龄特异性；仔猪更易感染 C. suis，而猪更易感染隐孢子虫猪基因型 II。这些发现与从水中分离出的两种隐孢子虫结合表明，猪可能是人畜共患隐孢子虫水污染的来源。因此，改进猪的饲养方式、污水排放、粪便处理和田间工人保护措施对于防止潜在的公共卫生问题非常重要。
