The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in the Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis argyropus). Pathogens were identified using PCR which included Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Rickettsia, and Theileria. Rickettsia was not detected, whereas Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Theileria infections were detected in 4, 2, and 8 animals, respectively. The most prevalent pathogen was Theileria. Of the 8 Theileria-positive animals, 2 were mixed-infected with 3 pathogens (Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Theileria) and another 2 animals showed mixed-infection with 2 pathogens (Anaplasma and Theileria). Sequencing analysis was used to verify the PCR results. The pathogens found in this study were identified as Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, and Theileria sp. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report identifying these 3 pathogens in the Korean water deer. Our results suggest that the Korean water deer may serve as a major reservoir for these tick-borne pathogens, leading to spread of tick-borne diseases to domestic animals, livestock, and humans. Further studies are needed to investigate their roles in this respect.
Anaplasma/isolation & purification ; Animals ; Bacterial Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary ; Cluster Analysis ; Coinfection/epidemiology/microbiology/veterinary ; DNA, Bacterial/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Ehrlichia/*isolation & purification ; Korea/epidemiology ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Prevalence ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Rickettsia/*isolation & purification ; Ruminants/*microbiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Theileria/*isolation & purification

This study examined the occurrence of Anaplasma spp. and hemoplasma infection in leopard cats, Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus, in Korea. Twenty-nine biological samples were tested by molecular analysis. Two (6.9%) and eight (27.6%) tested specimens were positive for Anaplasma bovis and hemoplasma infection, respectively. Based on our results, Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp. and hemoplasma are regularly infecting leopard cat populations of Korea. Considering their endangered status, regular monitoring of infection by arthropod-borne pathogens known to cause clinical symptoms in feline hosts such as Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp. and hemoplasma would be crucial as part of ongoing conservation efforts.
Anaplasma/*isolation & purification ; Anaplasmosis/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Animals ; DNA, Bacterial/genetics ; *Felidae ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mycoplasma/*isolation & purification ; Mycoplasma Infections/epidemiology/microbiology/*veterinary ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S/genetics ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary

The objective of this study was to genetically characterize isolates of Giardia duodenalis and to determine if zoonotic potential of G. duodenalis could be found in stray cats from urban and suburban environments in Guangzhou, China. Among 102 fresh fecal samples of stray cats, 30 samples were collected in Baiyun district (urban) and 72 in Conghua district (suburban). G. duodenalis specimens were examined using light microscopy, then the positive specimens were subjected to PCR amplification and subsequent sequencing at 4 loci such as glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta-giardin (bg), and small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) genes. The phylogenetic trees were constructed using obtained sequences by MEGA5.2 software. Results show that 9.8% (10/102) feline fecal samples were found to be positive by microscopy, 10% (3/30) in Baiyun district and 9.7% (7/72) in Conghua district. Among the 10 positive samples, 9 were single infection (8 isolates, assemblage A; 1 isolate, assemblage F) and 1 sample was mixed infection with assemblages A and C. Based on tpi, gdh, and bg genes, all sequences of assemblage A showed complete homology with AI except for 1 isolate (CHC83). These findings not only confirmed the occurrence of G. duodenalis in stray cats, but also showed that zoonotic assemblage A was found for the first time in stray cats living in urban and suburban environments in China.
Animals ; Cat Diseases/*parasitology ; Cats ; China ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Feces/parasitology ; Giardia lamblia/*classification/cytology/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Giardiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Microscopy ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

The objective of this study was to genetically characterize isolates of Giardia duodenalis and to determine if zoonotic potential of G. duodenalis could be found in stray cats from urban and suburban environments in Guangzhou, China. Among 102 fresh fecal samples of stray cats, 30 samples were collected in Baiyun district (urban) and 72 in Conghua district (suburban). G. duodenalis specimens were examined using light microscopy, then the positive specimens were subjected to PCR amplification and subsequent sequencing at 4 loci such as glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta-giardin (bg), and small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA) genes. The phylogenetic trees were constructed using obtained sequences by MEGA5.2 software. Results show that 9.8% (10/102) feline fecal samples were found to be positive by microscopy, 10% (3/30) in Baiyun district and 9.7% (7/72) in Conghua district. Among the 10 positive samples, 9 were single infection (8 isolates, assemblage A; 1 isolate, assemblage F) and 1 sample was mixed infection with assemblages A and C. Based on tpi, gdh, and bg genes, all sequences of assemblage A showed complete homology with AI except for 1 isolate (CHC83). These findings not only confirmed the occurrence of G. duodenalis in stray cats, but also showed that zoonotic assemblage A was found for the first time in stray cats living in urban and suburban environments in China.
Animals ; Cat Diseases/*parasitology ; Cats ; China ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Feces/parasitology ; Giardia lamblia/*classification/cytology/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Giardiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Microscopy ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Protozoan Proteins/genetics ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) in pigs, farm workers, and the environment in northern Thailand, and to assess LA-MRSA isolate phenotypic characteristics. One hundred and four pig farms were randomly selected from the 21,152 in Chiang Mai and Lamphun provinces in 2012. Nasal and skin swab samples were collected from pigs and farm workers. Environmental swabs (pig stable floor, faucet, and feeder) were also collected. MRSA was identified by conventional bacterial culture technique, with results confirmed by multiplex PCR and multi locus sequence typing (MLST). Herd prevalence of MRSA was 9.61% (10 of 104 farms). Among pigs, workers, and farm environments, prevalence was 0.68% (two of 292 samples), 2.53% (seven of 276 samples), and 1.28% (four of 312 samples), respectively. Thirteen MRSA isolates (seven from workers, four from environmental samples, and two from pigs) were identified as Staphylococcal chromosomal cassette mec IV sequences type 9. Antimicrobial sensitivity tests found 100% of the MRSA isolates resistant to clindamycin, oxytetracycline, and tetracycline, while 100% were susceptible to cloxacillin and vancomycin. All possessed a multidrug-resistant phenotype. This is the first evidence of an LA-MRSA interrelationship among pigs, workers, and the farm environment in Thailand.
*Animal Husbandry ; Animals ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Genotype ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus/classification/*genetics/*isolation & purification ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests/veterinary ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Multilocus Sequence Typing/veterinary ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Occupational Diseases/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Phylogeny ; Prevalence ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary ; Staphylococcal Infections/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/microbiology ; Thailand/epidemiology

This study aimed to identify the assemblages (or subassemblages) of Giardia duodenalis by using normal or nested PCR based on 4 genetic loci: glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), triose phosphate isomerase (tpi), beta-giardin (bg), and small subunit ribosomal DNA (18S rRNA) genes. For this work, a total of 216 dogs' fecal samples were collected in Guangdong, China. The phylogenetic trees were constructed with MEGA5.2 by using the neighbor-joining method. Results showed that 9.7% (21/216) samples were found to be positive; moreover, 10 samples were single infection (7 isolates assemblage A, 2 isolates assemblage C, and 1 isolate assemblage D) and 11 samples were mixed infections where assemblage A was predominant, which was potentially zoonotic. These findings showed that most of the dogs in Guangdong were infected or mixed-infected with assemblage A, and multi-locus sequence typing could be the best selection for the genotype analysis of dog-derived Giardia isolates.
Animals ; China ; Cluster Analysis ; Coinfection/parasitology/veterinary ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics ; DNA, Protozoan/chemistry/genetics ; Dog Diseases/parasitology ; Dogs ; Genotype ; Giardia lamblia/*classification/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Giardiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Glutamate Dehydrogenase/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; *Multilocus Sequence Typing ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S/genetics ; Triose-Phosphate Isomerase/genetics

Hydatid cyst caused by Echinococcus granulosus is one of the most important parasitic diseases around the world and many countries in Asia, including Iran, are involved with this infection. This disease can cause high mortality in humans as well as economic losses in livestock. To date, several molecular methods have been used to determine the genetic diversity of E. granulosus. So far, identification of E. granulosus using real-time PCR fluorescence-based quantitative assays has not been studied worldwide, also in Iran. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the genetic diversity of E. granulosus from center of Iran using real-time PCR method. A total of 71 hydatid cysts were collected from infected sheep, goat, and cattle slaughtered in Isfahan, Iran during 2013. DNA was extracted from protoscolices and/or germinal layers from each individual cyst and used as template to amplify the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) (420 bp). Five cattle isolates out of 71 isolates were sterile and excluded from further investigation. Overall, of 66 isolates, partial sequences of the cox1 gene of E. granulosus indicated the presence of genotypes G1 in 49 isolates (74.2%), G3 in 15 isolates (22.7%), and G6 in 2 isolates (3.0%) in infected intermediate hosts. Sixteen sequences of G1 genotype had microgenetic variants, and they were compared to the original sequence of cox1. However, isolates identified as G3 and G6 genotypes were completely consistent with original sequences. G1 genotype in livestock was the dominant genotype in Isfahan region, Iran.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics ; Echinococcosis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Echinococcus granulosus/*classification/*genetics/isolation & purification ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; *Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Goats ; Iran ; Phylogeny ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sheep

Anisakiasis, a human infection of Anisakis L3 larvae, is one of the common foodborne parasitic diseases in Korea. Studies on the identification of anisakid larvae have been performed in the country, but most of them have been focused on morphological identification of the larvae. In this study, we analyzed the molecular characteristics of 174 Anisakis type I larvae collected from 10 species of fish caught in 3 different sea areas in Korea. PCR-RFLP and sequence analyses of rDNA ITS and mtDNA cox1 revealed that the larvae showed interesting distribution patterns depending on fish species and geographical locations. Anisakis pegreffii was predominant in fish from the Yellow Sea and the South Sea. Meanwhile, both A. pegreffii and A. simplex sensu stricto (A. simplex s.str.) larvae were identified in fish from the East Sea, depending on fish species infected. These results suggested that A. pegreffii was primarily distributed in a diverse species of fish in 3 sea areas around Korea, but A. simplex s.str. was dominantly identified in Oncorhynchus spp. in the East Sea.
Animals ; Anisakiasis/parasitology/*veterinary ; Anisakis/*classification/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Aquatic Organisms ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry/genetics ; Electron Transport Complex IV/genetics ; Fish Diseases/*parasitology ; Fishes ; Korea ; Larva/classification/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

The rumen parasite, Gastrothylax crumenifer (Platyhelminthes: Gastrothylacidae), is a highly pathogenic trematode parasite of goat (Capra hircus). It sucks blood that causes acute disease like anemia, and severe economic losses occur due to morbidity and mortality of the ruminant infected by these worms. The study of these rumen paramphistomes, their infection, and public health importance remains unclear in India especially in the western part of state Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), Meerut, India, where the goat meat consumption is very high. This paper provides the molecular characterization of G. crumenifer recovered from the rumen of Capra hircus from Meerut, U.P., India by the partial sequence of 28S rDNA. Nucleotide sequence similarity searching on BLAST of 28S rDNA from parasites showed the highest identity with those of G. crumenifer from the same host Capra hircus. This is the first report of molecular identification of G. crumenifer from this part of India.
Animals ; Cluster Analysis ; DNA, Helminth/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Ribosomal/chemistry/genetics ; Goat Diseases/*parasitology ; Goats ; India ; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Platyhelminths/*classification/genetics/*isolation & purification/ultrastructure ; RNA, Ribosomal, 28S/genetics ; Rumen/parasitology ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Trematode Infections/parasitology/*veterinary

Echinococcus granulosus is the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis with medical and veterinary importance in China. Our main objective was to discuss the genotypes and genetic diversity of E. granulosus present in domestic animals and humans in western China. A total of 45 hydatid cyst samples were collected from sheep, humans, and a yak and subjected to an analysis of the sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene. The amplified PCR product for all samples was a 1,068 bp band. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all 45 samples were identified as E. granulosus (genotype G1). Ten haplotypes were detected among the samples, with the main haplotype being H1. The haplotype diversity was 0.626, while the nucleotide diversity was 0.001. These results suggested that genetic diversity was low among our samples collected from the west of China based on cytb gene analysis. These findings may provide more information on molecular characteristics of E. granulosus from this Chinese region.
Animals ; Animals, Domestic/parasitology ; Base Composition ; Base Sequence ; Cattle/*parasitology ; China ; Cytochromes b/*genetics ; DNA, Helminth/genetics ; Echinococcosis ; Echinococcus granulosus/classification/*genetics ; Genetic Variation ; Haplotypes/genetics ; Humans ; Mitochondria/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/*veterinary ; Sequence Alignment ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sheep/*parasitology ; Tibet