TY - JOUR

T1 - Detection of zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. in small wild rodents using amplicon-based next-generation sequencing

AU - Rotovnik, Rosalina

AU - Lathrop, Tatiana Siegler

AU - Skov, Jakob

AU - Jokelainen, Pikka

AU - Kapel, Christian Moliin Outzen

AU - Stensvold, Christen Rune

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Rodents may serve as reservoirs of zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium; however, data from molecular surveys in support of this hypothesis are still scarce. In this study, we screened faeces and rectal content from murid and cricetid rodents (N = 58) caught around three farms in Zealand, Denmark, for Cryptosporidium spp. by amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) of ribosomal genes. Selected samples were further examined using nested conventional PCR targeting SSU rRNA, gp60, and actin genes. Cryptosporidium-specific DNA was identified in 40/58 (69%) samples, and in 12 (30%) of the 40 positive animals, mixed cryptosporidial infections were observed. Cryptosporidium ditrichi was the species most commonly identified, found in 28 (48%) of the animals. Cryptosporidium parvum was identified in 4 (7%) of the animals, all of which were co-infected with C. ditrichi. The present study is the first to utilize NGS-based screening for Cryptosporidium species in wild rodents. Moreover, it is the first study to provide molecular data on Cryptosporidium in rodents sampled in Denmark and to detect DNA of C. ditrichi in Mus musculus, Myodes glareolus, and Microtus agrestis. The NGS approach was successfully applied to yield new knowledge, and the results showed that zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium are common in murid and cricetid rodents in Zealand, Denmark.

AB - Rodents may serve as reservoirs of zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium; however, data from molecular surveys in support of this hypothesis are still scarce. In this study, we screened faeces and rectal content from murid and cricetid rodents (N = 58) caught around three farms in Zealand, Denmark, for Cryptosporidium spp. by amplicon-based next-generation sequencing (NGS) of ribosomal genes. Selected samples were further examined using nested conventional PCR targeting SSU rRNA, gp60, and actin genes. Cryptosporidium-specific DNA was identified in 40/58 (69%) samples, and in 12 (30%) of the 40 positive animals, mixed cryptosporidial infections were observed. Cryptosporidium ditrichi was the species most commonly identified, found in 28 (48%) of the animals. Cryptosporidium parvum was identified in 4 (7%) of the animals, all of which were co-infected with C. ditrichi. The present study is the first to utilize NGS-based screening for Cryptosporidium species in wild rodents. Moreover, it is the first study to provide molecular data on Cryptosporidium in rodents sampled in Denmark and to detect DNA of C. ditrichi in Mus musculus, Myodes glareolus, and Microtus agrestis. The NGS approach was successfully applied to yield new knowledge, and the results showed that zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium are common in murid and cricetid rodents in Zealand, Denmark.

KW - Cryptosporidium

KW - Denmark

KW - Metabarcoding

KW - Molecular epidemiololgy

KW - NGS

KW - Rodentia

KW - Zoonosis

U2 - 10.1016/j.parepi.2023.e00332

DO - 10.1016/j.parepi.2023.e00332

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 38188480

AN - SCOPUS:85180353069

VL - 24

JO - Parasite Epidemiology and Control

JF - Parasite Epidemiology and Control

SN - 2405-6731

M1 - e00332

ER -