Figueiredo Ana M, Dashti Alejandro, Maloney Jenny G, Molokin Aleksey, George Nadja S, Köster Pamela C, Bailo Begoña, de Las Matas Ana Sánchez, Habela Miguel Ángel, Rivero-Juarez Antonio, Vicente Joaquín, Serrano Emmanuel, Arnal Maria C, de Luco Daniel Fernández, Morrondo Patrocinio, Armenteros José A, Balseiro Ana, Cardona Guillermo A, Martínez-Carrasco Carlos, Torres Rita T, Fonseca Carlos, Mysterud Atle, Carvalho João, Calero-Bernal Rafael, González-Barrio David, Santín Mónica, Carmena David
Department of Biology and CESAM, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Vet Res. 2025 Jul 9;56(1):145. doi: 10.1186/s13567-025-01563-3.
The growing wild ungulate populations across Europe represents an increasingly important source for the spread of zoonotic pathogens. Blastocystis is a common intestinal protist observed in humans and animals worldwide. Studies on Blastocystis occurrence and subtype (ST) diversity in free-ranging wild ruminants are lacking globally, and more data are needed to understand the epidemiological scenario in wild European ruminants. We collected 833 faecal samples from free-ranging wild ungulates across Spain (n = 699) and Portugal (n = 134) between 1998 and 2021. Using conventional PCR and next-generation amplicon sequencing, Blastocystis was found in 13.8% (115/833; 95% CI: 11.5-16.3) of the wild ruminants analysed. Its occurrence was significantly higher in Portugal (38.1%, 51/134; 95% CI 29.8-46.8) than in Spain (9.2%, 64/699; 95% CI: 7.1-11.5). Fifteen Blastocystis STs, fourteen previously recognised (ST2, ST5, ST10, ST13, ST14, ST21, ST23-ST26, ST30, and ST42-ST44), and one novel (named ST49), were detected among the surveyed wild ruminant populations. Novel ST49 was described using Oxford Nanopore sequencing to produce full-length reference sequences of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. A greater ST diversity was observed in Spanish samples. Mixed infections were found in 58.3% (67/115) of the total Blastocystis-positive samples. Our results have enhanced the knowledge regarding Blastocystis occurrence and ST diversity and host preference present in wild ruminants from the Iberian Peninsula, which will assist in clarifying the relationships between the sylvatic and domestic cycles of this protist and may ultimately provide tools to help manage future public health epidemiological scenarios.
欧洲野生有蹄类动物数量的不断增长，成为人畜共患病原体传播的一个日益重要的源头。芽囊原虫是一种常见的肠道原生生物，在全球范围内的人类和动物中均有发现。目前全球缺乏对自由放养的野生反刍动物中芽囊原虫的发生情况及其亚型（ST）多样性的研究，需要更多数据来了解欧洲野生反刍动物的流行病学情况。1998年至2021年间，我们从西班牙（n = 699）和葡萄牙（n = 134）的自由放养野生有蹄类动物中收集了833份粪便样本。通过传统PCR和新一代扩增子测序，在所分析的野生反刍动物中，13.8%（115/833；95%置信区间：11.5 - 16.3）检测到芽囊原虫。其在葡萄牙的发生率（38.1%，51/134；95%置信区间29.8 - 46.8）显著高于西班牙（9.2%，64/699；95%置信区间：7.1 - 11.5）。在所调查的野生反刍动物群体中，检测到15种芽囊原虫ST亚型，其中14种为先前已确认的（ST2、ST5、ST10、ST13、ST14、ST21、ST23 - ST26、ST30以及ST42 - ST44），还有一种新的亚型（命名为ST49）。使用牛津纳米孔测序对新的ST49亚型进行描述，以生成小亚基核糖体RNA基因的全长参考序列。在西班牙样本中观察到更高的ST多样性。在所有芽囊原虫阳性样本中，58.3%（67/115）发现了混合感染。我们的研究结果增进了对伊比利亚半岛野生反刍动物中芽囊原虫的发生情况、ST多样性及宿主偏好的了解，这将有助于阐明这种原生生物的野生和家养传播周期之间的关系，并最终可能提供有助于应对未来公共卫生流行病学情况的工具。
