Molecular detection and genetic variability of spp. in wild Asian house shrews () from southern Zhejiang province, China.

Shrews play a crucial role as repositories for diverse pathogens linked to zoonotic infectious diseases. However, the genetic information regarding in Chinese shrews remains unexplored. The objectives of this study were twofold: to determine the occurrence rate of spp. in wild shrews residing in the southern part of Zhejiang Province, China, and to investigate their genetic characteristics. A total of 282 wild shrews were captured between April and October of 2023. The detection of in fecal samples, collected from each animal's rectum, was performed using PCR and sequencing of the partial small subunit of ribosomal RNA () gene. The 60-kDa glycoprotein () gene was utilized to further subtype the positive samples of and . All animals were identified as , and a positive result for was obtained in 14.2 % (40/282) of the samples. The following species and genotypes were identified: ( = 19), ( = 2), ( = 1), rat genotype IV ( = 13), and skunk genotype ( = 5). Furthermore, the subtypes IIdA15G1 and XVdA3 were detected within and , respectively. Molecular evidence indicates that is concurrently infected with rodent-adapted and zoonotic species/genotypes, actively contributing to the dissemination of cryptosporidiosis.