Cryptosporidium mortiferum, a parasite transmitted by squirrels, is beginning to spread in Europe. C. mortiferum was detected in a symptomatic human. A 44-year-old man from the Czech Republic suffered from gastroenteritis characterized by abdominal pain, nausea, and loose stools. Molecular analyses confirmed the XIVaA20G2T1 subtype in the patient's stool. At the same time, the same subtype of C. mortiferum was detected in three red squirrels and two ground squirrels in the area where the patient lived. The intensity of the infection was significantly higher in the red squirrels that died, while the ground squirrels showed no symptoms. The results of the study indicate that red squirrels and ground squirrels are the reservoirs for the infection.

• Keywords
• Cryptosporidium mortiferum, human, infection, squirrels,
• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium * genetics   isolation & purification   classification   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Feces parasitology   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Gastroenteritis parasitology   MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis * parasitology   transmission   epidemiology   diagnosis   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Sciuridae * parasitology   MeSH
• Disease Reservoirs parasitology   MeSH
• Zoonoses * parasitology   transmission   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Case Reports MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH
• Europe MeSH

The zoonotic parasite Cryptosporidium parvum is a global cause of gastrointestinal disease in humans and ruminants. Sequence analysis of the highly polymorphic gp60 gene enabled the classification of C. parvum isolates into multiple groups (e.g., IIa, IIc, Id) and a large number of subtypes. In Europe, subtype IIaA15G2R1 is largely predominant and has been associated with many water- and food-borne outbreaks. In this study, we generated new whole-genome sequence (WGS) data from 123 human- and ruminant-derived isolates collected in 13 European countries and included other available WGS data from Europe, Egypt, China, and the United States (n = 72) in the largest comparative genomics study to date. We applied rigorous filters to exclude mixed infections and analyzed a data set from 141 isolates from the zoonotic groups IIa (n = 119) and IId (n = 22). Based on 28,047 high-quality, biallelic genomic SNPs, we identified three distinct and strongly supported populations: Isolates from China (IId) and Egypt (IIa and IId) formed population 1; a minority of European isolates (IIa and IId) formed population 2; and the majority of European (IIa, including all IIaA15G2R1 isolates) and all isolates from the United States (IIa) clustered in population 3. Based on analyses of the population structure, population genetics, and recombination, we show that population 3 has recently emerged and expanded throughout Europe to then, possibly from the United Kingdom, reach the United States, where it also expanded. The reason(s) for the successful spread of population 3 remain elusive, although genes under selective pressure uniquely in this population were identified.

• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium parvum * genetics   MeSH
• Disease Outbreaks * MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Genome, Protozoan MeSH
• Genomics methods   MeSH
• Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis * parasitology   epidemiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Whole Genome Sequencing methods   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• China epidemiology   MeSH
• Egypt epidemiology   MeSH
• Europe epidemiology   MeSH
• United States epidemiology   MeSH

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

Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 is one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. The results of this study provide the first data on Cryptosporidium diversity in the European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus). A total of 128 faecal samples of European ground squirrels from 39 localities in the Czech Republic were analysed for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. by microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU) and the actin gene. While the microscopical examination did not reveal the presence of any Cryptosporidium oocysts, eight samples from six localities were PCR-positive. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of five different Cryptosporidium spp. isolates. Four isolates, designated as Cryptosporidium sp. isolate Sc01-04, detected in wild populations and never recorded before, clustered closely to Cryptosporidium genotypes that have previously been found in North American ground squirrels' species. Cryptosporidium sciurinum Prediger, Ježková, Holubová, Sak, Konečný, Rost, McEvoy, Rajský et Kváč, 2021 was found in an animal sanctuary. Because C. sciurinum had previously been detected in Eurasian red squirrels Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus at the same facility, it can be concluded that this Cryptosporidium was transmitted from tree squirrels to ground squirrels within the animal sanctuary. The results indicate that populations of European and North American ground squirrels are parasitised by different Cryptosporidium spp. At the same time, this is the first description of the occurrence of C. sciurinum in ground squirrels.

• Keywords
• PCR, SSU, Sciuridae, actin, genotyping, rodents,
• MeSH
• Cryptosporidium * MeSH
• Feces parasitology   MeSH
• Phylogeny MeSH
• Cryptosporidiosis * epidemiology   parasitology   MeSH
• Sciuridae parasitology   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• North America MeSH