title: First report of Cryptosporidium canis in foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) and identification of several novel subtype families for Cryptosporidium mink genotype in minks (Mustela vison) in China.
abstract: Despite the rapid and extensive advances in molecular epidemiology of Cryptosporidium in humans and a variety of animals, the prevalence and genetic traits of the parasite in wildlife bred in captivity and the role of the neglected hosts in zoonotic transmission of human cryptosporidiosis are rarely understood. This study investigated the prevalence, species/genotype, and subtype of Cryptosporidium in farmed fur animals in China and assessed the possibility of zoonotic transmission. Three of 191 (1.6%) foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 17 of 162 (10.5%) raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), and 48 of 162 (29.6%) minks (Mustela vison) were positive for Cryptosporidium by nested PCRs targeting the small subunit rRNA gene. Sequence analysis indicated the presence of only Cryptosporidium canis in foxes and raccoon dogs. There is no significant difference in prevalence between young and adult foxes (or raccoon dogs). Three Cryptosporidium species or genotype including C. canis, Cryptosporidium meleagridis, and mink genotype were determined in minks aged five to six months. Subtyping based on nucleotide and amino acid sequence polymorphisms of the 60kDa glycoprotein facilitated identification of three novel subtype families named as Xb to Xd for Cryptosporidium mink genotype. The presence of zoonotic C. canis, C. meleagridis, and Cryptosporidium mink genotype in captive-bred fur animals is of public health concerns. The findings expanded the host ranges of C. canis and C. meleagridis and confirmed genetic diversity at the subtype level in Cryptosporidium mink genotype. This is the first study reporting Cryptosporidium infections in foxes and raccoon dogs in China.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Siwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Shenyang Police Dog Technical College, Shenyang, Liaoning 110034, China.
authors.forename: Chengwu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Yanxue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Qiao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Hang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China.
authors.forename: Yongchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, Heilongjiang 150030, China. Electronic address: neaulw@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology; D015870:Gene Expression; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D008907:Mink / Q000469:parasitology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D046031:Raccoon Dogs / Q000469:parasitology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins
keywords: Cryptosporidium; Fur animals; Genotyping; Prevalence; Subtyping; Zoonotic potential