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JFMS Open Reports 2018Chronic diarrhea is a common and recurring problem in feline medicine. Intestinal trichomonads have been reported as causative agents of diarrhea in cats. While is...
CASE SERIES SUMMARY
Chronic diarrhea is a common and recurring problem in feline medicine. Intestinal trichomonads have been reported as causative agents of diarrhea in cats. While is considered commensal, has been found to cause feline large bowel diarrhea in cats. In our report, two young cats infected with the feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and presenting with chronic diarrhea were identified as having trichomonads in their feces, based on direct examination and fecal culture. Molecular assays (PCR and DNA sequencing) revealed that the parasite involved was , not , as was suspected. The animals had already been subjected to ineffective therapy with metronidazole, and after the use of ronidazole, their feces became dry and formed.
RELEVANCE AND NOVEL INFORMATION
This case report describes infection as a possible cause of chronic diarrhea in two young cats also infected by FeLV. The parasite was probably resistant to metronidazole, the drug of choice in the literature, and sensitive to ronidazole. Although considered commensal, infection should be evaluated as a differential diagnosis in cats with chronic diarrhea, especially those that are immunocompromised. Moreover, a combination of techniques such as direct examination and/or fecal culture and PCR is essential for an accurate diagnosis of infection.
PubMed: 29872537
DOI: 10.1177/2055116918774959 -
PloS One 2018Intestinal parasitic infections are considered a serious public health problem and widely distributed worldwide, mainly in urban and rural environments of tropical and...
BACKGROUND
Intestinal parasitic infections are considered a serious public health problem and widely distributed worldwide, mainly in urban and rural environments of tropical and subtropical countries. Globally, soil-transmitted helminths and protozoa are the most common intestinal parasites. Blastocystis sp. is a highly prevalent suspected pathogenic protozoan, and considered an unusual protist due to its significant genetic diversity and host plasticity.
METHODOLOGY/MAIN FINDINGS
A total of 294 stool samples were collected from inhabitants of three rural valleys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The stool samples were evaluated by parasitological methods, fecal culture, nested PCR and PCR/Sequencing. Overall prevalence by parasitological analyses was 64.3% (189 out of 294 cases). Blastocystis sp. (55.8%) was the most prevalent, followed by Endolimax nana (18.7%), Entamoeba histolytica complex (7.1%), hookworm infection (7.1%), Entomoeba coli (5.8%), Giardia intestinalis (4.1%), Iodamoeba butchilii (1.0%), Trichuris trichiura (1.0%), Pentatrichomonas hominis (0.7%), Enterobius vermicularis (0.7%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.7%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (0.7%). Prevalence of IPIs was significantly different by gender. Phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis sp. and BLAST search revealed five different subtypes: ST3 (34.0%), ST1 (27.0%), ST2 (27.0%), ST4 (3.5%), ST8 (7.0%) and a non-identified subtype.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
Our findings demonstrate that intestinal parasite infection rates in rural areas of the Sumidouro municipality of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil are still high and remain a challenge to public health. Moreover, our data reveals significant genetic heterogeneity of Blastocystis sp. subtypes and a possible novel subtype, whose confirmation will require additional data. Our study contributes to the understanding of potential routes of transmission, epidemiology, and genetic diversity of Blastocystis sp. in rural areas both at a regional and global scale.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Base Sequence; Blastocystis; Blastocystis Infections; Brazil; Child; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA, Protozoan; Feces; Female; Genetic Variation; Helminthiasis; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Middle Aged; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Protozoan Infections; Ribotyping; Rural Population; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Young Adult
PubMed: 29522552
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193860 -
Parasites & Vectors Feb 2018Global data regarding the molecular epidemiology of Blastocystis sp. and Pentatrichomonas hominis in sheep and goats are sparse. China has one of the largest sheep and...
BACKGROUND
Global data regarding the molecular epidemiology of Blastocystis sp. and Pentatrichomonas hominis in sheep and goats are sparse. China has one of the largest sheep and goat populations in the world. In this study we investigated the occurrence of Blastocystis sp. and P. hominis in domestic sheep and goats in China, and analyzed the genetic characterization of these two parasite species.
METHODS
In total, we collected fresh fecal samples from 832 sheep and 781 goats located on seven and ten farms, respectively, in the central eastern region of China. The corresponding sequences obtained in this study were subject to molecular analysis for subtype and allele identification of Blastocystis sp., and species and genotype confirmation of P. hominis.
RESULTS
The occurrence of Blastocystis sp. was 6.0% (50/832) in sheep and 0.3% (2/781) in goats. The most predominant subtype (ST) of Blastocystis sp. in sheep was ST10 (50.0%), followed by ST14 (20%), ST5 (16%), novel sequence 1 (6%), novel sequence 4 (4%), novel sequence 2 (2%) and novel sequence 3 (2%). However, only ST1 was observed in goats. No mixed infections with different subtypes were found in this study. The 18S alleles showed allele 2 (100%) for ST1; allele 115 (75%) for ST5; and no match allele for ST5 (25%), ST10 (100%), ST14 (100%), novel sequence 1 (100%), novel sequence 2 (100%), novel sequence 3 (100%), and novel sequence 4 (100%) on the Blastocystis subtype (18S) and Sequence Typing (MLST) database. For P. hominis, two goats (0.3%) and zero sheep (0%) were identified as positive in this study. The 18S rRNA gene sequences of two P. hominis isolates from goats displayed 100% identity to type CC1, found previously in dogs, monkeys and humans.
CONCLUSIONS
These results provide the detailed data on the occurrence and molecular epidemiology of Blastocystis sp. and P. hominis in sheep and goats in China. They also contribute to and expand our knowledge of the Blastocystis sp. and P. hominis epidemiology around the world.
Topics: Animals; Blastocystis; China; DNA, Protozoan; Feces; Genotype; Geography; Goats; Molecular Epidemiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Protozoan Infections, Animal; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Sheep; Trichomonadida
PubMed: 29454366
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2671-5 -
Veterinary Parasitology Sep 2017Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic flagellated protozoan that primarily parasitizes the gastrointestinal tract and is a conditional pathogen. It has an extensive...
Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic flagellated protozoan that primarily parasitizes the gastrointestinal tract and is a conditional pathogen. It has an extensive host range and is well known as a potential causative agent of zoonotic disease. The objective of this study was to provide the first findings of the prevalence of P. hominis in six farmed wildlife species, sika deer (S.D.), Rex rabbits (R.R.), blue foxes (B.F.), silver foxes (S.F.), raccoon dogs (R.D.) and minks (M.), that are commercially important in Jilin Province, China. In this study, 450 faecal samples were tested for P. hominis infection by culturing and nested PCR assays. The average prevalence of P. hominis infections were as follows: S.D. 20% (26/130), R.R. 16.25% (13/80), B.F. 45% (27/60), S.F. 43.33% (26/60), R.D. 53.33% (32/60) and M. 48.33% (29/60). The prevalence in herbivores (18.57% for S.D. and R.R.) was significantly lower than that in non-herbivores (47.5%). PCR product sequencing indicated that infections were mainly caused by the P. hominis strain Changchun Canine 1, and we found a P. hominis strain with a mutated sequence, Changchun-RR, which had three mutations compared with the referenced homologous P. hominis sequences. Morphological observations of the Changchun-RR strain showed that it was similar to P. hominis. Our study suggests that P. hominis is widespread in six farmed wildlife species in Jilin Province and provides baseline information for the presence of this parasite in these animals.
Topics: Animals; China; Deer; Feces; Female; Foxes; Humans; Male; Mink; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Rabbits; Raccoon Dogs; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Trichomonadida; Zoonoses
PubMed: 28917308
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.07.032 -
Veterinary Parasitology Sep 2017Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) is a flagellated protozoa that infects the distal ileum and proximal colon of domestic cats, as well as the urogenital tract of cattle....
Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) is a flagellated protozoa that infects the distal ileum and proximal colon of domestic cats, as well as the urogenital tract of cattle. Feline trichomonosis is recognized as a prevalent cause of chronic diarrhea in cats worldwide. The suspected route of transmission is fecal-oral, with cats in densely crowded environments at highest risk for infection. Thus, the recommended strategy for minimizing spread of infection is to identify and isolate T. foetus-positive cats from the general population. Rapid identification of infected cats can be challenging due to the inability to accurately and quickly detect the organism in samples at point of care facilities. Thus, identification of targets for use in development of a novel diagnostic test, as well as a vaccine or therapy for T. foetus infection is a significant area of research. Despite a difference in organ tropism between T. foetus genotypes, evidence exists for conserved virulence factors between feline and bovine T. foetus. The bovine T. foetus surface antigen, TF1.17, is an adhesin that is conserved across isolates. Vaccination with the purified antigen results in amelioration of cytopathogenicity and more rapid clearance of infection in cattle. We previously showed that three feline isolates of T. foetus were positive for TF1.17 antigen so we further hypothesized that TF1.17 is conserved across feline T. foetus isolates and that this antigen would represent an attractive target for development of a novel diagnostic test or therapy for feline trichomonosis. In these studies, we used monoclonal antibodies previously generated against 1.15 and 1.17 epitopes of the bovine T. foetus TF1.17 antigen, to evaluate for the presence and role of TF1.17 in the cytopathogenicity of feline T. foetus. A previously validated in vitro co-culture approach was used to model feline T. foetus infection. Immunoblotting, immunofluorescence assays, and flow cytometric analysis confirmed the presence and surface localization of antigen TF1.17 across all feline T. foetus isolates tested. Antigen TF1.17 was notably absent in the presumably nonpathogenic intestinal trichomonad, Pentatrichomonas hominis, a parasite that can be confused microscopically with T. foetus. Similar to bovine trichomoniasis, TF1.17 was found to promote T. foetus adhesion to the intestinal epithelium. These results support further characterization and development of the TF1.17 antigen as a possible target for the diagnosis and prevention of feline T. foetus infection.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antigens, Protozoan; Antigens, Surface; Cat Diseases; Cats; Diarrhea; Epitopes; Genotype; Intestinal Mucosa; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Tritrichomonas foetus; Vaccination
PubMed: 28917306
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.08.001 -
Veterinary Parasitology Sep 2017Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) is a flagellated protozoan parasite that is recognized as a significant cause of diarrhea in domestic cats with a prevalence rate as...
Tritrichomonas foetus (T. foetus) is a flagellated protozoan parasite that is recognized as a significant cause of diarrhea in domestic cats with a prevalence rate as high as 30%. No drugs have been shown to consistently eliminate T. foetus infection in all cats. Cysteine proteases (CPs) have been identified as mediators of T. foetus-induced adhesion-dependent cytotoxicity to the intestinal epithelium. These CPs represent novel targets for the treatment of feline trichomonosis. However, cats also produce CPs that are part of life-critical systems. Thus, parasitic CPs need to be selectively targeted to reduce the potential for host toxicity. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of a specific CP, CP30, in mediating bovine and human trichomonad cytopathogenicity. This CP has also recently been identified in feline T. foetus, although the function of this protease in the feline genotype remains unknown. Therefore, the study objectives were to characterize the presence of CP30 in feline T. foetus isolates and to evaluate the effect of targeted inhibition of CP30 on feline T. foetus-induced adhesion dependent cytotoxicity. The presence of CP30 in feline T. foetus isolates was identified by In gel zymography and proteomic analysis, indirect immunofluorescence (IF), and flow cytometry using a rabbit polyclonal antibody that targets bovine T. foetus CP30 (α-CP30). The effect of inhibition of CP30 activity on T. foetus adhesion and cytotoxicity was determined using CFSE-labeled feline T. foetus and crystal violet spectrophotometric assays in a previously validated co-culture model. CP30 expression was confirmed in all feline T. foetus isolates tested by all assays. Targeted inhibition of feline T. foetus CP30 resulted in decreased T. foetus adhesion to and cytotoxicity towards IPEC-J2 monolayers compared to rabbit IgG-treated T. foetus isolates. These studies establish that CP30 is expressed by feline T. foetus isolates and may be an important virulence factor in the cytopathogenicity of feline T. foetus. The results of these studies provide strong evidence-based justification for investigation of CP30 as a novel target for the treatment of feline trichomonosis.
Topics: Animals; Cat Diseases; Cats; Cell Line; Coculture Techniques; Cysteine Proteases; Diarrhea; Genotype; Intestinal Mucosa; Proteomics; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Tritrichomonas foetus
PubMed: 28917301
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.07.034 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Dec 2016The trichomonad species and were recently detected in the feces of dogs with diarrhea. However, little information is available on the prevalence and pathogenicity of...
The trichomonad species and were recently detected in the feces of dogs with diarrhea. However, little information is available on the prevalence and pathogenicity of these parasites in the canine population. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and molecular characterization of trichomonads infecting pet dogs in Anhui and Zhejiang provinces, east China. In total, 315 pet dogs, with or without diarrhea, from 7 pet hospitals were included in this epidemiological survey. Microscopy and PCR detected in 19.7% (62/315) and 31.4% (99/315) of fecal samples, respectively. infection was detected in 0% (0/315) of samples with microscopy and in 0.6% (2/315) with PCR. The prevalence of was significantly higher in young dogs (≤12 months) than in adult dogs (>12 months), and was significantly higher in diarrheic dogs (50.6%) than in non-diarrheic dogs (24.3%; <0.05). Infection with did not correlate with any risk factors evaluated in this study. A sequence analysis of the PCR products showed minor allelic variations between our sequences and those of strains from other hosts in different parts of the world. Type CC1 was the most common strain in dogs in east China. The internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1)-5.8S rRNA gene sequences from the 2 isolates detected in this study displayed 100% identity and were homologous to the sequences of other strains isolated from domestic cats in other countries.
Topics: Animals; Base Sequence; Cats; China; DNA, Protozoan; DNA, Ribosomal; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Microscopy; Molecular Sequence Data; Pets; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Protozoan Infections, Animal; RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Trichomonadida
PubMed: 28095654
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2016.54.6.703 -
Omics : a Journal of Integrative Biology Nov 2016Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic flagellated protist that colonizes the large intestine of a number of mammals, including cats, dogs, nonhuman primates, and...
Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic flagellated protist that colonizes the large intestine of a number of mammals, including cats, dogs, nonhuman primates, and humans. The wide host range of this organism is alarming and suggests a rising zoonotic emergency. However, knowledge on in-depth biology of this protist is still limited. Similar to the human pathogen, Trichomonas vaginalis, P. hominis possesses hydrogenosomes instead of mitochondria. Studies in T. vaginalis indicated that hydrogenosome is essential for cell survival and associated with numerous pivotal biological functions, including drug resistance. To further decipher the biology of this important organelle, we undertook proteomic research in P. hominis hydrogenosomes. Lacking a decoded P. hominis genome, we utilized an RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data set generated from P. hominis axenic culture as the reference for proteome analysis. Using this in-house reference data set and mass spectrometry (MS), we identified 442 putative hydrogenosomal proteins. Interestingly, the composition of the P. hominis hydrogenosomal proteins is very similar to that of T. vaginalis, but proteins such as Hmp36, Pam16, Pam18, and Isd11 are absent based on both MS and the RNA-seq. Our data underscore that P. hominis expresses different homologs of multiple gene families from T. vaginalis. To the best of our knowledge, we present here the first hydrogenosome proteome in a protist other than T. vaginalis that offers crucial new scholarship for global health, therapeutics, diagnostics, and veterinary medicine research. In addition, the research strategy used here using RNA sequencing and proteomics might inform future multi-omics research in other understudied organisms without decoded genomes.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Dogs; Humans; Mass Spectrometry; Organelles; Proteome; Proteomics; Protozoan Infections; Protozoan Proteins; Sequence Analysis, RNA; Trichomonadida; Zoonoses
PubMed: 27828770
DOI: 10.1089/omi.2016.0111 -
Annals of Parasitology 2016A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed to detect the sexually-transmitted parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis in vaginal swabs. The presence of...
A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed to detect the sexually-transmitted parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis in vaginal swabs. The presence of T. vaginalis was detected from 121 female sex workers attending a social hygiene clinic in Balibago, Angeles City, Pampanga, Philippines using culture, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and the developed LAMP assay. The high analytical sensitivity of LAMP detected a higher prevalence of T. vaginalis (42.06%) compared to culture (8.26%) and PCR (7.44%). Additionally, this assay did not cross-react with DNAs of other trichomonads that can infect humans such as Trichomonas tenax and Pentatrichomonas hominis as well as the pathogens, Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus. The LAMP assay developed had a limit of detection (0.036 ng/μl) lower than that of PCR using the primers TvK3 and TvK7 (0.36 ng/μl). Prevalence of T. vaginalis in female sex workers in this area of the Philippines may be higher than previously estimated. Discordant results of PCR and LAMP may be due to different reactions to different kinds of inhibitors in the vaginal swabs.
Topics: DNA, Protozoan; Female; Humans; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Philippines; Sex Workers; Time Factors; Trichomonas Vaginitis; Trichomonas vaginalis
PubMed: 27262954
DOI: 10.17420/ap6201.28 -
Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences 2015Trichomonadidae family is a protozoan occurring in different animal species. It inhabits the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. P. hominis is rarely found in faecal...
Trichomonadidae family is a protozoan occurring in different animal species. It inhabits the gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. P. hominis is rarely found in faecal samples of dogs, and its identification and differentiation from other trichomonads by light microscopy are difficult. Methods of molecular biology are the most effective in this case, because they confirm the presence of the specific species in animal organisms, irrespective of the protozoan form. The aim of this study was to find P. hominis in selected dog kennels in North-Eastern Poland. Forty-one faecal samples of dogs from 7 dog kennels were examined. The occurrence of P. hominis in 5 faecal samples of dogs with no symptoms of diarrhoea was the first one to be confirmed in Poland.
Topics: Animals; Dog Diseases; Dogs; Female; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Trichomonadida
PubMed: 26812819
DOI: 10.1515/pjvs-2015-0100