Concentrations, Viability, and Distribution of Cryptosporidium Genotypes in Lagoons of Swine Facilities in the Southern Piedmont and in Coastal Plain Watersheds of Georgia

Abstract

Waste lagoons of swine operations are a source of Cryptosporidium oocysts. Few studies, however, have reported on oocyst concentrations in swine waste lagoons; none have reported on oocyst viability status, nor has there been a systematic assessment of species/genotype distributions across different types of swine facilities. Ten swine waste lagoons associated with farrowing, nursery, finishing, and gestation operations were each sampled once a month for a year. Oocysts were extracted from triplicate 900-ml effluent samples, enumerated by microscopy, and assessed for viability by dye exclusion/vital stain assay. DNA was extracted from processed samples, and 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes were amplified by PCR and sequenced for species and genotype identification. Oocysts were observed at each sampling time at each lagoon. Annual mean concentrations of total oocysts and viable oocysts ranged between 24 and 51 and between 0.6 and 12 oocysts ml ؊1 effluent, respectively. The species and genotype distributions were dominated (95 to 100%) by Cryptosporidium suis and Cryptosporidium pig genotype II, the latter of which was found at eight of the lagoons. The lagoon at the gestation facility was dominated by Cryptosporidium muris (90%), and one farrowing facility showed a mix of pig genotypes, Cryptosporidium muris, and various genotypes of C. parvum. The zoonotic C. parvum bovine genotype was observed five times out of 407 18S rDNA sequences analyzed. Our results indicate that pigs can have mixed Cryptosporidium infections, but infection with C. suis is likely to be dominant.

Occurrence of Cryptosporidium suis and Cryptosporidium scrofarum on commercial swine farms in the Czech Republic and its associations with age and husbandry practices

“…Like in other studies, we have also detected very few animals with C. muris or C. parvum. These species as well as C. felis, C. meleagridis, C. tyzzeri, Cryptosporidium rat genotype, and one unknown Cryptosporidium genotype were previously detected in faecal, slurry or lagoons samples Chen and Huang 2007;Kváč et al 2009a;Jenkins et al 2010). While swine infections with C. parvum and C. meleagridis were previously accomplished through experimental infections (Vítovec and Koudela 1992;Akiyoshi et al 2003), the natural susceptibility of pig to other species or genotypes has not been clearly studied.…”

“…Additionally, the potential susceptibility of pigs was demonstrated in experimental infection studies that sought animal models for propagation of different cryptosporidia (C. parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium meleagridis) (Morgan et al 1999;Ebeid et al 2003;Ryan et al 2003Ryan et al , 2004Xiao et al 2006;Chen and Huang 2007;Kváč et al 2009a, c). Other species of Cryptosporidium have been rarely reported in pigs, such as Cryptosporidium felis, C. muris, C. tyzzeri, Cryptosporidium rat genotype, as well as an unknown Cryptosporidium genotype from lagoons of pig slurry (Jenkins et al 2010). …”

Molecular studies on pig cryptosporidiosis in Poland

“…Another species frequently infecting pigs is C. suis (Suárez-Luengas et al 2007, Santín and Trout 2008, Kváč et al 2009a). Except specific Cryptosporidium, adapted to a swine host, other species or genotypes such as C. parvum, C. muris, Cryptosporidium mouse genotype I, C. felis and Cryptosporidium rat genotype have been occasionally detected in pigs (Chen and Huang 2007, Zintl et al 2007, Kváč et al 2009b, Jenkins et al 2010. The sporadic findings of C. parvum may indicate that pigs can also serve as an animal reservoir for human cryptosporidiosis (Maddox-Hyttel et al 2006, Zintl et al 2007, Kváč et al 2009b.…”

“…: +48 81 889 30 36 lowed by DNA sequence analysis allowed for identification of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes (Carreno et al 2001, Smith et al 2006). More recently, these methods have been widely used for detection and identification of Cryptosporidium isolates originating from pigs raised in Europe (Mišić et al 2003, Hajdusek et al 2004, Maddox-Hyttel et al 2006, Hamnes et al 2007, Langkjaer et al 2007, Suárez-Luengas et al 2007, Zintl et al 2007, Kváč et al 2009a, Asia (Chen and Huang 2007), North America (Jenkins et al 2010) and Australia (Ryan et al 2003, Johnson et al 2008). Despite differences observed in the extensiveness of the infection between swine herds, Cryptosporidium pig genotype II was predominantly detected.…”

Potential molecular tools for assessing the public health risk associated with waterborne Cryptosporidium oocysts

“…These genotyping methods have been applied with promising results to the host-specificitybased source tracking of Cryptosporidium in watersheds (Jenkins et al, 2010).…”