Molecular Identification and Genotyping of spp. and sp. in Cattle in Representative Areas of Shanxi Province, North China.

Both spp. and sp. are common intestinal protozoa, which can cause zoonotic diseases and economic losses to livestock industry. To evaluate the prevalence and genetic population structure of spp. and sp. in beef and dairy cattle in Shanxi Province, north China, a total of 795 fecal samples were collected from beef and dairy cattle in three representative counties in Shanxi Province, and these fecal samples were examined using molecular approaches based on 18S small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) of spp. and sp., respectively. Among 795 cattle fecal samples, 23 were detected as -positive and 103 were detected as -positive, and the overall prevalence of spp. and sp. in cattle in Shanxi Province was 2.9% and 13.0%, respectively. For spp., DNA sequence analysis indicated that all 23 positive samples were identified as . Furthermore, five known subtypes (ST1, ST10, ST14, ST21 and ST26) and three unknown subtypes of sp. were detected among 103 positive samples using DNA sequence analysis. This study reported the occurrence and prevalence of spp. and sp. in cattle in Shanxi Province for the first time, which extends the geographical distribution of these two zoonotic parasites and provides baseline data for the prevention and control of these two important zoonotic parasites in cattle in Shanxi Province.