Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia, Medical University of Gdańsk, Powstania Styczniowego 9b, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland.
Department of Epidemiology and Tropical Medicine, Military Institute of Medicine-National Research Institute, Szaserów 128, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Sep 14;24(18):14100. doi: 10.3390/ijms241814100.
species (sp.) is one of the less well-understood water- and foodborne protozoa of medical and veterinary importance linked to different gastrointestinal disorders. Soldiers participating in military missions are particularly vulnerable to infection with this protozoa. The present study used molecular methods to detect, identify, and subtype (ST) sp. in Polish soldiers stationed in the Republic of Kosovo. Fecal samples were collected from 192 soldiers on arrival and after four months of stay. After DNA extraction, the barcoding region of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene was amplified and sequenced. The DNA of sp. was detected in six (3.13%) and thirty (15.16%) samples in the first and second batch, respectively. Sequencing analysis revealed infections with ST 2, 3, 4, and 7. There was no statistical association between sp. infection and the parasite's ST or the age or rank of soldiers. The results indicate that the visit to a new environment and prolonged stay in the area of military operation in Kosovo resulted in a significant increase in both sp. infections and ST diversity among surveyed soldiers. This shows the need to undertake appropriate countermeasures to reduce infections in the military environment abroad.
种类(sp.)是医学和兽医领域中一种了解较少的水传播和食物传播原生动物,与不同的胃肠道疾病有关。参与军事任务的士兵特别容易感染这种原生动物。本研究采用分子方法检测、鉴定和亚型(ST)在驻扎在科索沃共和国的波兰士兵中的种类。从 192 名士兵抵达时和在那里停留四个月后采集粪便样本。提取 DNA 后,扩增和测序小亚基核糖体 RNA(SSU-rRNA)基因的条形码区域。在第一批和第二批样本中,分别有 6 个(3.13%)和 30 个(15.16%)样本中检测到 sp. 的 DNA。测序分析显示感染了 ST 2、3、4 和 7。sp. 感染与寄生虫的 ST 或士兵的年龄或军衔之间没有统计学关联。结果表明,访问新环境和在科索沃的军事行动区长期逗留导致调查士兵中的 sp. 感染和 ST 多样性显著增加。这表明有必要采取适当的对策来减少国外军事环境中的感染。