Molecular detection and characterization of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi infections in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedaries) in Egypt

Abstract

IntroductionFew studies have investigated the occurrence of microeukaryotic gut parasites in dromedary camels in Egypt, and the majority of these investigations are based on microscopic analysis of fecal material.MethodsHerein, we assessed the occurrence, molecular diversity, and zoonotic potential of protozoan (Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis) and microsporidian (Enterocytozoon bieneusi) pathogens in individual fecal samples (n = 102) of dromedary camels with (n = 26) and without (n = 76) diarrhea from Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt. Other factors possibly associated with an increased risk of infection (geographical origin, sex, age, and physical condition) were also analyzed. The SSU rRNA or ITS genes were targeted by molecular (PCR and Sanger sequencing) techniques for pathogen detection and species identification.Results and discussionThe most abundant species detected was G. duodenalis (3.9%, 4/102; 95% CI: 1.1–9.7), followed by Cryptosporidium spp. (2.9%, 3/102; 95% CI: 0.6–8.4). All samples tested negative for the presence of E. bieneusi. Sequence analysis data confirmed the presence of zoonotic C. parvum (66.7%, 2/3) and cattle-adapted C. bovis (33.3%, 1/3). These Cryptosporidium isolates, as well as the four Giardia-positive isolates, were unable to be amplified at adequate genotyping markers (Cryptosporidium: gp60; Giardia: gdh, bg, and tpi). Camels younger than 2 years old were significantly more likely to harbor Cryptosporidium infections. This connection was not statistically significant, although two of the three cryptosporidiosis cases were detected in camels with diarrhea. The spread of G. duodenalis infections was unaffected by any risk variables studied. This is the first report of C. parvum and C. bovis in Egyptian camels. The finding of zoonotic C. parvum has public health implications since camels may function as sources of oocyst pollution in the environment and potentially infect livestock and humans. Although preliminary, this study provides useful baseline data on the epidemiology of diarrhea-causing microeukaryotic parasites in Egypt. Further research is required to confirm and expand our findings in other animal populations and geographical regions of the country.

Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) from Yili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture of Xinjiang, China

“…in camels in Yili Prefecture, which exceeded previous reports from Algeria, where infection rates ranged from 1.8% (13/717) to 7.9% (5/63) ( 31–34 ), but were lower than previous reports in Iraq ( 29 ) and Saudi Arabia ( 30 ), with infection rate of 61.0% (61/100) and 15.1% (5/33), respectively. On the contrary, the infection rates we tested were higher than previous reports from Iran (2.4%) ( 25 ) and Egypt (2.9 and 5.9%) ( 27 , 28 ), yet lower than other studies in the same countries, where the prevalence ranged from 10.0% (17/170) to 37.9% (39/103) in Iran ( 21–24 ), and 19.3% (28/145) in Egypt based on microscopic examination. The differences in these results may be related to geographical location, detection method, or camel breed.…”

“…Therefore, it seems that C. andersoni is the predominant parasite species infecting camels in China, with several zoo studies also corroborating C. andersoni as the most prevalent species in China ( 15–19 ). On the contrary, C. parvum was the dominant species in North Africa, such as Egypt and Algeria ( 27 , 28 , 31 , 34 ). Due to the limited studies on Cryptosporidium species in camels, this conclusion still requires validation through a large number of camel samples in the world.…”

Molecular characteristics and zoonotic potential of enteric protists in domestic dogs and cats in Egypt

“…Molecular information on the investigated protist species is particularly scarce in Egyptian animal populations in general and dogs and cats in particular. The study expands and complements information already provided by our research team on the epidemiology of enteric protists of public veterinary relevance in livestock species including buffaloes, cattle, and dromedary camels ( 55 , 56 ).…”

Prevalence and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Cattle in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China

“…Though it has long been known that cattle are potential transmission hosts of E. bieneusi , the associated risks to public health have largely been neglected. It is also well known that the fecal–oral model is the primary transmission route for the three intestinal protozoan pathogens named above, though infection can also be spread by contaminated water, food, and fomites [ 16 ]. Notably, adult cattle, as negative carriers, continuously spread pathogens outward, and their manure is a major source of water and food contamination [ 17 , 18 ].…”