Premium
Molecular Characterization of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Wild Carnivores in Spain
Author(s) -
Santín Mónica,
CaleroBernal Rafael,
Carmena David,
Mateo Marta,
Balseiro Ana,
Barral Marta,
Lima Barbero José Francisco,
Habela Miguel Ángel
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of eukaryotic microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 1066-5234
DOI - 10.1111/jeu.12492
Subject(s) - enterocytozoon bieneusi , biology , microsporidia , zoonosis , zoology , meles , genotype , molecular epidemiology , microsporidiosis , ecology , virology , badger , microbiology and biotechnology , genetics , spore , gene
Microsporidia comprises a diverse group of obligate intracellular parasites that infect a broad range of invertebrates and vertebrates. Among Microsporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most frequently detected species in humans and animals worldwide bringing into question the possible role of animal reservoirs in the epidemiology of this pathogen. Although E. bieneusi is an emerging zoonotic pathogen able to infect many domestic and wild mammals that could act as reservoir of infection for humans and other animals, only few studies have documented its occurrence in wild carnivores. To determine the occurrence of E. bieneusi in wild carnivores, we examined 190 wild carnivores collected from different locations in Spain. Twenty‐five fecal samples (13.2%) from three host species (European badger, beech marten, and red fox) were E. bieneusi ‐positive by PCR . Nucleotide sequence analysis of the ITS region revealed a high degree of genetic diversity with a total of eight distinct genotypes including four known (PtEb IX , S5, S9, and WildBoar3) and four novel (EbCar1‐EbCar4) genotypes identified. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the four novel genotypes (EbCar1‐EbCar4), S5, S9, and WildBoar3 clustered within the previously designated zoonotic Group 1. Our results demonstrate that human‐pathogenic genotypes are present in wild carnivores, corroborating their potential role as a source of human infection and environmental contamination.