Encephalitozoon infections in Rodentia and Soricomorpha in Japan.
Encephalitozoon is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite that infects a wide range of mammalian hosts. In this study, we used nested PCR to investigate the presence of Encephalitozoon infection in Rodentia and Soricomorpha in Japan. We attempted to amplify and sequence Encephalitozoon-specific DNA from brain and viscera samples of 180 animals collected between 2008 and 2010. Forty-three samples (23.9%) from the orders Rodentia and Soricomorpha were positive for Encephalitozoon. This study is the first report of Encephalitozoon infection in Rodentia and Soricomorpha in Japan, and our findings suggest that these hosts may play a role in the spread of microsporidian spores in the environment.
Department of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan.
Ryusuke
R
Tsukada
Atsuko
A
Tsuchiyama
Mizuki
M
Sasaki
Chun-Ho
CH
Park
Yoshito
Y
Fujii
Masataka
M
Takesue
Hitoshi
H
Hatai
Noboru
N
Kudo
Hiromi
H
Ikadai
D000818:Animals; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D016819:Encephalitozoon; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008971:Moles; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012377:Rodentia; D012788:Shrews
D004271:DNA, Fungal
Encephalitozoon cuniculi; Encephalitozoon hellem; Encephalitozoon intestinalis; Nested PCR; Rodentia; Soricomorpha