title: Assessing calves as carriers of Cryptosporidium and Giardia with zoonotic potential on dairy and beef farms within a water catchment area by mutation scanning.
abstract: In the present study, we undertook a molecular epidemiological survey of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in calves on three dairy and two beef farms within an open drinking water catchment area (Melbourne, Australia). Faecal samples (n = 474) were collected from calves at two time points (5 months apart) and tested using a PCR-based mutation scanning-targeted sequencing phylogenetic approach, employing regions within the genes of small subunit (SSU) of ribosomal RNA (designated partial SSU), 60 kDa glycoprotein (pgp60) and triose phosphate isomerase (ptpi) as genetic markers. Using partial SSU, the C. bovis, C. parvum, C. ryanae and a new genotype of Cryptosporidium were characterised from totals of 74 (15.6%), 35 (7.3%), 37 (7.8%) and 9 (1.9%) samples, respectively. Using pgp60, C. parvum genotype IIa subgenotype A18G3R1 was detected in 29 samples. Using ptpi, G. duodenalis assemblages A and E were detected in totals of 10 (2.1%) and 130 (27.4%) samples, respectively. The present study showed that a considerable proportion of dairy and beef calves in this open water catchment region excreted Cryptosporidium (i.e. subgenotype IIaA18G3R1) and Giardia (e.g. assemblage A) that are consistent with those infecting humans, inferring that they are of zoonotic importance. Future work should focus on exploring, in a temporal and spatial way, whether these parasites occur in the environment and water of the catchment reservoir.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Harshanie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Abeywardena
authors.forename: Aaron R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Jex
authors.forename: Simon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Firestone
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McPhee
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Driessen
authors.forename: Anson V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Koehler
authors.forename: Shane R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Haydon
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: von Samson-Himmelstjerna
authors.forename: Melita A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Robin B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Gasser
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D002353:Carrier State / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005872:Giardia / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D016015:Logistic Models; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010802:Phylogeny; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Cryptosporidium; Giardia; Restriction endonuclease fingerprinting; Single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis