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. 2022 Jan 6;15(1):14.
doi: 10.1186/s13071-021-05126-1.

Occurrence and subtyping of Blastocystis in coypus (Myocastor coypus) in China

Xuehan Liu  1   2 , Fuzhen Ni  1 , Rongjun Wang  2 , Junqiang Li  2 , Yaming Ge  1 , Xuefeng Yang  1 , Meng Qi  3 , Longxian Zhang  4
Affiliations

Occurrence and subtyping of Blastocystis in coypus (Myocastor coypus) in China

Xuehan Liu et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Background: Blastocystis is an anaerobic unicellular protist frequently detected in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals worldwide. However, the prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in the coypu (Myocastor coypus) population have not been reported so far. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, genetic characteristics, and zoonotic potential of Blastocystis isolates detected in coypus in China.

Results: A total of 308 fecal samples were collected from coypus in seven regions across China and subsequently examined. Blastocystis was detected in 44 (14.3%) specimens by nested PCR amplification of the small subunit ribosomal rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene. Further DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses resulted in the identification of two zoonotic known subtypes, ST4 and ST5, and an unknown subtype. ST4 was the most predominant subtype observed in the samples. ST5 infections were only observed in three coypus. Factors that were associated with prevalence of Blastocystis included age, geographical region and subtype. Interestingly, this is the first report about a potentially novel subtype infecting coypus.

Conclusions: This is the first comprehensive report of Blastocystis in M. coypus across a wide geographic range of China. A moderate degree of genetic divergence was observed. The presence of zoonotic subtypes in farmed M. coypus suggests that these animals have the potential to transmit blastocystosis to both humans and domestic animals. These findings provide a better understanding of the genetic diversity of Blastocystis in rodents and contribute towards the establishment of efficient blastocystosis control strategies in the investigated areas.

Keywords: Blastocystis; Coypus; Prevalence; Subtype; Zoonotic potential.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Phylogenetic relationship of the SSU rRNA genes (about 480 bp) of Blastocystis isolates from Myocastor coypus fecal samples. Relationships to other known Blastocystis subtypes were inferred by the MP and NJ methods based on evolutionary distances. Bootstrap values were obtained using 1000 pseudoreplicates, and values > 50% are shown. The filled triangles indicate potentially novel subtypes identified in the current study. Proteromonas lacertae was used as the outgroup for this tree. Abbreviations: no, not supported/lower bootstrap values
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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