Detection and Molecular Characterization of and spp. Circulating in Wild Small Mammals from Portugal.

spp. and spp. are important diarrhea-causing protozoan parasites worldwide that exhibit broad host ranges. Wild small mammals can harbor host-adapted and potentially zoonotic species of both parasites. The aim of this study was to investigate spp. and spp. in wild rodents and shrews in Portugal, focusing on the protist's occurrence and genetic diversity. Molecular screening by PCR at the small subunit () rRNA gene locus of 290 fecal samples from wood mice (), southwestern water voles ( Cabrera's voles Lusitanian pine voles ( Algerian mice ( and greater white-toothed shrews () in Northeast Portugal revealed the low occurrence of spp. (1%) and high occurrence of spp. (32.8%). The analysis revealed that "species" was the only significant factor associated with the increasing probability of spp. infection, with the highest prevalence reported in southwestern water voles and Lusitanian pine voles. and species determination at the rRNA gene locus revealed and as the only circulating species, respectively. Subtyping of the glutamate dehydrogenase () and beta-giardin () genes provided evidence of the high genetic diversity within the clade. This study suggests that rodent-adapted occurs to a large extent in cricetid hosts and supports the limited role of wild rodents and shrews as natural sources of human infections in Northeast Portugal regarding the investigated parasites. Moreover, this is the first record of in southwestern water voles, Lusitanian pine voles, Algerian mice, wood mice and Cabrera's voles and in Cabrera's voles. Finally, this study improves the database of sequences relevant for the sequence typing of strains and provides new insights about the epidemiology of spp. and spp. in wild rodents and shrews, two parasite genera of high importance for public and animal health.