Molecular Diagnosis and Genotyping of Microsporidium spp. in Conjunctival Swab Samples of Stray Dogs Using a One Health Approach
Project no. 32432 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2024
Summary
<p><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Microsporidium</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> spp. are obligate intracellular pathogens that can infect vertebrates and invertebrates, posing a threat to public health and causing significant economic losses in animal industries such as honeybees, silkworms, and shrimp. However, there is little data on the global epidemiology of these pathogens. Recent molecular studies support the idea that microsporidiosis, which is frequently transmitted to humans through contaminated water and food, is a zoonotic infection. While the infection is generally asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, it can cause diarrhea, keratitis, myositis, cholecystitis, sinusitis, encephalitis, and disseminated infections in immunocompromised individuals.</span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">To date, approximately 220 genera and 1,700 species of </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Microsporidium</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> spp. have been identified, with </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Enterocytozoon bieneusi</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> (</span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">E. bieneusi</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">) and </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Encephalitozoon intestinalis</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> (</span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Enc. intestinalis</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">) being the most frequently detected species in human infections. These two species, along with </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Enc. cuniculi </em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">and </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Enc. hellem</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">, have been suggested to be zoonotic due to their widespread detection in humans and many animals. </span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">According to the One Health approach, the health of a community depends on the health of animals and the environment. Therefore, dogs can be potential reservoirs for microsporidiosis transmission due to their large living spaces and close contact with humans. Although many studies have been conducted in recent years on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Microsporidium </em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">spp. infection in dogs, there are gaps in the data of most countries. To date, the only study investigating the prevalence of </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Microsporidium</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> in dogs in Türkiye detected the zoonotic species </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Enc. intestinalis</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> (12.4%) and </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Enc. cuniculi</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> (2.1%) in stool samples and determined their genotypes. In our study, the frequency, species, and genotypes of </span><em style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);">Microsporidium</em><span style="color: rgb(60, 64, 67); background-color: rgb(245, 245, 245);"> spp. will be determined for the first time using molecular diagnostic methods in conjunctival swab samples previously collected randomly from 100 stray dogs and stored at -20°C. Thus, the zoonotic potential of dogs for these pathogens that threaten human health will be evaluated.</span></p><p><br></p>