Pet chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera): Source of zoonotic Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium ubiquitum and microsporidia of the genera Encephalitozoon and Enterocytozoon
Language English Country Netherlands Media print-electronic
Document type Journal Article
PubMed
39094331
DOI
10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110275
PII: S0304-4017(24)00164-X
Knihovny.cz E-resources
- Keywords
- PCR, Pets, QPCR, Zoonosis,
- MeSH
- Chinchilla * parasitology MeSH
- Cryptosporidium * genetics classification isolation & purification MeSH
- Pets * MeSH
- Encephalitozoon * genetics isolation & purification classification MeSH
- Encephalitozoonosis * veterinary epidemiology microbiology MeSH
- Enterocytozoon * genetics isolation & purification MeSH
- Feces parasitology microbiology MeSH
- Giardia lamblia * genetics isolation & purification classification MeSH
- Giardiasis * veterinary parasitology MeSH
- Cryptosporidiosis parasitology epidemiology MeSH
- Microsporidiosis * veterinary epidemiology MeSH
- RNA, Ribosomal, 18S genetics MeSH
- Zoonoses * parasitology MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Male MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic epidemiology MeSH
- Names of Substances
- RNA, Ribosomal, 18S MeSH
The domestic chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) is kept as a pet and previous studies suggest that it may play an important role as a source of zoonotic parasites, including Giardia intestinalis, Cryptosporidium spp. and microsporidia. In this study, we examined the occurrence and genetic diversity of above mentioned parasites in pet chinchillas in the Czech Republic by PCR/sequencing of the 18S rRNA, TPI, and ITS genes. Of 149 chinchillas from 24 breeders, 91.3 % were positive for G. intestinalis, 8.1 % for Cryptosporidium spp., 2.0 % for Encephalitozoon spp., and 5.4 % for E. bieneusi. Molecular analyses revealed presence of G. intestinalis assemblage B, C. ubiquitum (XIIa family), E. bieneusi genotypes D, SCF2, and, CHN-F1, and E. intestinalis. The infection intensity of G. intestinalis determined by qRT-PCR reached up to 53,978 CPG, C. ubiquitum up to 1409 OPG, E. intestinalis up to 1124 SPG, and E. bieneusi up to 1373 SPG. Only two chinchillas with C. ubiquitum and five with G. intestinalis had diarrhoea at the time of the screening. Three chinchillas in the long-term study were consistently positive for G. intestinalis, with intermittent excretion of C. ubiquitum, E. intestinalis, and E. bieneusi over 25 weeks. The findings indicate that chinchillas are frequently infected with zoonotic parasitic protists, but that these infections rarely show clinical signs. The lack of visible signs could reduce the vigilance of pet owners when handling their chinchillas, increasing the risk of transmission within breeding groups and possibly to humans.
Faculty of Agriculture and Technology University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice Czech Republic
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Brno Czech Republic
References provided by Crossref.org
