College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China.
College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui Province 230036, China; Anhui Dangtu Laying Hen Science and Technology Backyard, Maanshan 243199, China.
Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis. 2024 Nov;114:102247. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102247. Epub 2024 Oct 5.
Giardia intestinalis is a major diarrhea-causing parasite that colonizes the proximal small intestine of humans and various other mammalian species, including pets and livestock. Despite its global occurrence, there is limited information about the epidemiology of Giardia in reptiles, particularly snakes. The aim of this study was to amplify the beta-giardin (bg) gene of Giardia by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), followed by a comparative evolutionary tree analysis to determine the occurrence and molecular characterization of Giardia in snakes. We collected 603 asymptomatic samples from 26 provinces in China, representing species such as Pantherophis guttatus, Pantherophis obsoletus, Pituophis melanoleucus, Thamnophis sirtalis, Lampropeltis getula, and Heterodon nasicus. Ultimately, a occurrence of Giardia infection of 4.15 % was detected in these snakes, with corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) having a significantly higher occurrence than other species. Molecular analysis identified assemblage F as the predominant genotype, and also identified an assemblage B that can infect humans and a variety of mammals. The results of this study illustrate the potential risk of transmission of Giardia from snakes to humans, especially in environments where close contact occurs. The present epidemiological study examines epidemiological investigations of Giardia in reptiles, provides data to understand the zoonotic risk of Giardia, and emphasizes the need for targeted surveillance, stringent hygiene measures, and public awareness campaigns to reduce these risks.
肠道贾第虫是一种主要的腹泻寄生虫，寄生于人类和包括宠物和家畜在内的各种其他哺乳动物的近端小肠。尽管它在全球范围内存在，但关于爬行动物（尤其是蛇类）中贾第虫的流行病学信息有限。本研究的目的是通过聚合酶链反应（PCR）扩增贾第虫的β-微管蛋白（bg）基因，然后进行比较进化树分析，以确定蛇类中贾第虫的发生和分子特征。我们从中国 26 个省收集了 603 份无症状样本，代表了诸如尖吻蝮、乌梢蛇、黑眉锦蛇、赤链蛇、王锦蛇和白条锦蛇等物种。最终，在这些蛇中检测到 4.15%的贾第虫感染，玉米蛇（Pantherophis guttatus）的感染率明显高于其他物种。分子分析确定了 F 组成为主要基因型，同时也鉴定出了可以感染人类和多种哺乳动物的 B 组。本研究结果表明，贾第虫从蛇传播给人类的潜在风险，尤其是在密切接触的环境中。本现况研究对爬行动物中的贾第虫进行了流行病学调查，提供了了解贾第虫的人畜共患病风险的数据，并强调需要进行有针对性的监测、严格的卫生措施和公众意识运动，以降低这些风险。
