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Blastocystis  sp., a parasitic eukaryote, widely colonizes the intestines of humans and a large number of animals, including rodents and lagomorphs. More than 30 million bamboo rats ( Rhizomys sinensis ) are farmed in China as a source of meat for human consumption. However, there have been no published articles on  Blastocystis  infection in Chinese bamboo rats prior to the present study. Herein, 480 fresh faecal samples were collected from  R. sinensis  on six farms located in four cities (Wugang, Chenzhou, Huaihua and Jishou) in Hunan Province, south-central China, and were examined for  Blastocystis  infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. The total prevalence of  Blastocystis  in  R. sinensis  was 4.58% (22/480), and significant differences in prevalence were detected among four age groups ( 24 months), with the highest prevalence (7.81%) in rats aged 6–12 months but with no positive samples in rats over 24 months. All farms, except for one in Jishou, were positive for  Blastocystis  infection, with the prevalence ranging from 1.80% to 7.27%. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed two potentially zoonotic subtypes (namely ST4 and ST5) in these rodents, with ST4 predominant in all except one farm in Huaihua. Seven and five sequence types were identified within ST4 and ST5, respectively. This is the first report of  Blastocystis  infection in Chinese bamboo rats and the findings suggest the potential of  R. sinensis  to transmit  Blastocystis  to humans.

Molecular characterization of Blastocystis sp. in Chinese bamboo rats (Rhizomys sinensis)