title: Occurrence, molecular characterization and predominant genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in dairy cattle in Henan and Ningxia, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most frequently diagnosed microsporidian species in humans and a wide range of animals. This study was conducted to assess the prevalence and molecular characteristics of E. bieneusi in dairy cattle in Henan Province of central China and the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of northwest China.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 879 fresh fecal specimens, 24.3 % (214/879) tested positive for E. bieneusi by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on the internal transcriber spacer (ITS) gene. The highest infection rate, 46.8 % (51/109, P < 0.0001), was observed in a group of dairy cattle with diarrhea, located in Ningxia. The age groups with higher infection rates were pre-weaned calves (29.3 %, 127/434, P < 0.0001) and post-weaned calves (23.9 %, 63/264, P = 0.006). Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed 20 E. bieneusi ITS genotypes (15 known and five new), including members of Group 1 and Group 2. Genotypes I and J were detected in 64.5 % (138/214) of the E. bieneusi positive specimens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Genotypes I and J were the dominant genotypes in dairy cattle in the present study. The detection of zoonotic genotypes of E. bieneusi in dairy farms indicates that cattle may play an important role as a reservoir host for zoonotic infections.
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Junqiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Nannan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Chenrong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Jianke
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Jianying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China.
authors.forename: Rongjun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450002, China. zhanglx8999@henau.edu.cn.|International Joint Research Laboratory for Zoonotic Diseases of Henan, Zhengzhou, 450002, China. zhanglx8999@henau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Longxian
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5706-131X
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D021862:Enterocytozoon / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005838:Genotype; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
keywords: Dairy cattle; Enterocytozoon bieneusi; ITS genotypes