Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis and microsporidia are unicellular opportunistic pathogens that can cause gastrointestinal infections in both animals and humans. Since companion animals may serve as a source of infection, the aim of the present screening study was to analyse the prevalence of these intestinal protists in fecal samples collected from dogs living in 10 animal shelters in central Europe (101 dogs from Poland and 86 from the Czech Republic), combined with molecular subtyping of the detected organisms in order to assess their genetic diversity. Genus-specific polymerase chain reactions were performed to detect DNA of the tested species and to conduct molecular subtyping in collected samples, followed by statistical evaluation of the data obtained (using χ2 or Fisher's tests). The observed prevalence was 15.5, 10.2, 1 and 1% for G. intestinalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Cryptosporidium spp. and Encephalitozoon cuniculi, respectively. Molecular evaluation has revealed the predominance of dog-specific genotypes (Cryptosporidium canis XXe1 subtype; G. intestinalis assemblages C and D; E. cuniculi genotype II; E. bieneusi genotypes D and PtEbIX), suggesting that shelter dogs do not pose a high risk of human transmission. Interestingly, the percentage distribution of the detected pathogens differed between both countries and individual shelters, suggesting that the risk of infection may be associated with conditions typical of a given location.

• Keywords
• 60-kDa glycoprotein, PCR, glutamate dehydrogenase, internal transcribed spacer region of rRNA, intestinal protists, opportunistic pathogens, small ribosomal subunit rRNA, subtyping, triosephosphate isomerase, β-giardin,
• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium * genetics   isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Enterocytozoon * genetics   isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Feces * parasitology   microbiology   MeSH
• Genotype MeSH
• Giardia lamblia genetics   isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Giardia genetics   isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Giardiasis * veterinary   epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Host Specificity MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis * epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Microsporidiosis * veterinary   epidemiology   MeSH
• Dog Diseases * parasitology   epidemiology   microbiology   MeSH
• Prevalence MeSH
• Dogs MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Dogs MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH
• Poland epidemiology   MeSH

Objectives: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are susceptible to intestinal opportunistic infections due to both defective mucosal immunity and altered immune response resulting from immunosuppressive treatment. Microsporidia infecting the gastrointestinal tract and causing diarrhoea can potentially affect the course of IBD. Methods: Stool samples (90 IBD children and 121 healthy age-matched controls) were screened for Encephalitozoon spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi by microscopy and polymerase chain reaction followed by sequencing. Results: E. bieneusi genotype D was found in seven out of 90 (7.8%) IBD children. No children from the control group were infected, making the pathogen prevalence in the IBD group significant (P = 0.002). Furthermore, infection was confirmed only in patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment (P = 0.013). Conclusions: Children with IBD are at risk of intestinal E. bieneusi infection, especially when receiving immunosuppressive treatment. Therefore, microsporidia should be considered as a significant infectious agent in this group of patients.

• Keywords
• Enterocytozoon bieneusi, children, immunosuppressive treatment, inflammatory bowel disease, molecular characterization,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

Of four genotypes of Encephalitozoon cuniculi, E. cuniculi genotype II is considered to represent a parasite that occurs in many host species in a latent asymptomatic form, whereas E. cuniculi genotype III seems to be more aggressive, and infections caused by this strain can lead to the death of even immunocompetent hosts. Although albendazole has been considered suitable for treatment of Encephalitozoon species, its failure in control of E. cuniculi genotype III infection has been reported. This study determined the effect of a 100× recommended daily dose of albendazole on an Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotype III course of infection in immunocompetent and immunodeficient mice and compared the results with those from experiments performed with a lower dose of albendazole and E. cuniculi genotype II. The administration of the regular dose of abendazole during the acute phase of infection reduced the number of affected organs in all strains of mice and absolute counts of spores in screened organs. However, the effect on genotype III was minor. Surprisingly, no substantial effect was recorded after the use of a 100× dose of albendazole, with larger reductions seen only in the number of affected organs and absolute counts of spores in all strains of mice, implying variations in albendazole resistance between these Encephalitozoon cuniculi genotypes. These results imply that differences in the course of infection and the response to treatment depend not only on the immunological status of the host but also on the genotype causing the infection. Understanding how microsporidia survive in hosts despite targeted antimicrosporidial treatment could significantly contribute to research related to human health.

• Keywords
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi, albendazole, genotype III, microsporidiosis, tolerance, treatment,
• MeSH
• Albendazole administration & dosage   pharmacology   MeSH
• Antifungal Agents administration & dosage   pharmacology   MeSH
• CD4 Antigens genetics   MeSH
• CD8 Antigens genetics   MeSH
• Cell Line MeSH
• Chlorocebus aethiops MeSH
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi drug effects   genetics   isolation & purification   MeSH
• Encephalitozoonosis drug therapy   MeSH
• Genotype MeSH
• Immunocompromised Host immunology   MeSH
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests MeSH
• Disease Models, Animal MeSH
• Mice, Inbred BALB C MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice, Knockout MeSH
• Mice, SCID MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Colony Count, Microbial MeSH
• Vero Cells MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Albendazole MeSH
• Antifungal Agents MeSH
• CD4 Antigens MeSH
• CD8 Antigens MeSH