Department of Parasitology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325035, China.
Key Laboratory of Tropical Translational Medicine of Ministry of Education, Hainan Medical University, Haikou, 571199, China.
Parasit Vectors. 2020 Sep 2;13(1):438. doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04314-9.
Rodents, globally overpopulated, are an important source for zoonotic disease transmission to humans, including Enterocytozoon bieneusi (one of the most prevalent zoonotic pathogens). Here, we studied the prevalence and performed genetic analyses of E. bieneusi in rodents from the Hainan Province of China.
A total of 603 fresh fecal samples were gathered from 369 wild rats, 117 bamboo rats, 93 Asiatic brush-tailed porcupine and 24 red-bellied squirrels. The wild rats were identified to the species level by amplification of a 421-bp region of the cytb gene from fecal DNA using PCR. Genotype analysis was performed by amplification of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA of E. bieneusi using PCR.
Seven wild rat species were identified. The average rate of infection with E. bieneusi was 15.8% (95/603) with 18.7% (69/369) in wild rats, 11.9% (25/210) in farmed rodents and 4.2% (1/24) in red-bellied squirrels. Sixteen E. bieneusi genotypes were identified, including 9 known genotypes (D, Type IV, PigEBITS7, Peru8, Peru11, ESH02, S7, EbpA and CHG5), and 7 novel genotypes (HNR-I to HNR-VII). Genotype D (44.2%, 42/95) predominated, followed by PigEBITS7 (20.0%, 19/95), HNR-VII (15.8%, 15/95), Type IV (5.3%, 5/95), HNR-III (2.1%, 2/95), HNR-VI (2.1%, 2/95) and each of the remaining 10 genotypes (1.1%, 1/95). The phylogenetic analysis of the ITS region of E. bieneusi divided the identified genotypes into the following four groups: Group 1 (n = 13), Group 2 (n = 1), Group 12 (n = 1), and the novel Group 13 (n = 1).
To our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification of E. bieneusi in rodents from Hainan, China. The zoonotic potential of the identified E. bieneusi genotypes suggested that the rodents poses a serious threat to the local inhabitants. Thus, measures need to be taken to control the population of wild rats in the areas investigated in this study, along with identification of safe methods for disposal of farmed rodent feces. Additionally, the local people should be made aware of the risk of disease transmission from rodents to humans.
啮齿动物在全球范围内过度繁殖，是人类传染病的重要来源，包括肠上皮细胞内原生动物（最常见的人畜共患病原之一）。本研究旨在调查中国海南省啮齿动物中肠上皮细胞内原生动物的流行情况并进行基因分析。
共采集 369 只野生鼠、117 只竹鼠、93 只亚洲豪猪和 24 只红腹松鼠的新鲜粪便样本 603 份。从粪便 DNA 中扩增细胞色素 b 基因的 421bp 片段，通过 PCR 对野生鼠进行种属鉴定。采用 PCR 扩增肠上皮细胞内原生动物的核糖体 DNA 内部转录间隔区（ITS）对其进行基因分析。
鉴定出 7 种野生鼠。肠上皮细胞内原生动物的总感染率为 15.8%（95/603），其中野生鼠为 18.7%（69/369），养殖鼠为 11.9%（25/210），红腹松鼠为 4.2%（1/24）。共发现 16 种肠上皮细胞内原生动物基因型，包括 9 种已知基因型（D、IV 型、猪肠上皮细胞内原生动物 ITS7、秘鲁 8 型、秘鲁 11 型、ESH02、S7、EbpA 和 CHG5）和 7 种新基因型（HNR-I 至 HNR-VII）。优势基因型为 D（44.2%，42/95），其次是猪肠上皮细胞内原生动物 ITS7（20.0%，19/95）、HNR-VII（15.8%，15/95）、IV 型（5.3%，5/95）、HNR-III（2.1%，2/95）、HNR-VI（2.1%，2/95）和其余 10 种基因型各 1 种（1.1%，1/95）。肠上皮细胞内原生动物 ITS 区的系统进化分析将鉴定的基因型分为以下 4 组：第 1 组（n=13）、第 2 组（n=1）、第 12 组（n=1）和新的第 13 组（n=1）。
据我们所知，这是首次报道中国海南省啮齿动物中存在肠上皮细胞内原生动物。鉴定出的肠上皮细胞内原生动物基因型具有明显的人畜共患潜力，表明这些啮齿动物对当地居民构成了严重威胁。因此，需要采取措施控制研究地区野生鼠的数量，并确定安全处理养殖鼠粪便的方法。此外，应让当地居民认识到啮齿动物传播疾病给人类的风险。
