High zoonotic potential and heavy environmental burden of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in farmed and pet African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris).

ABSTRACT: African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) are widely farmed in southern China and Japan for medicinal materials and as pets. However, little is known about the prevalence, zoonotic potential, and environmental burden of Cryptosporidium spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Giardia duodenalis in these animals. In this study, 380 fecal samples were collected from farmed and pet African pygmy hedgehogs in Guangdong of China, and analyzed for these pathogens by PCR and DNA sequencing. Overall, the detection rates of Cryptosporidium spp., E. bieneusi and G. duodenalis were 35.5%, 70.0% and 0, respectively. By living condition, the highest detection rates of Cryptosporidium spp. (61.5%) and E. bieneusi (100.0%) were both obtained fr

SUBMITTER: Meng X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10288034 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature