Early life dynamics of ARG and MGE associated with intestinal virome in neonatal piglets.

The pre- and post-weaning stages for piglets are critical periods for the maturation of intestinal functions and contamination with antibiotic resistant bacterial pathogens will threaten their intestinal health. The presence of bacteriophage can also alter bacterial populations in the intestine but whether transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) is affected by phage during maturation of the neonatal piglet intestine is not known. We therefore identified the intestinal virome along with ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGE) from piglet fecal samples collected from 3 to 28 days representing the different growth stages.

A Coccidia-Specific Phosphate Transporter Is Essential for the Growth of Toxoplasma gondii Parasites.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that acquires all necessary nutrients from the hosts, but the exact nutrient acquisition mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we identified three putative phosphate transporters in T. gondii.

Divergent species and host-adapted subtypes in farmed minks, raccoon dogs and foxes in Shandong, China.

spp. are common parasitic pathogens causing diarrhea in humans and various animals. Fur animals are widely farmed in Shandong Province, China, but the prevalence and genetic identity of spp.

Seroprevalence and risk factors of Toxoplasma gondii in urban cats from China.

Background: Toxoplasma gondii infects almost all warm-blooded animals, and cats play a crucial role in the epidemiology of T. gondii as the definitive host. Despite sporadic reports on the seroprevalence of T.

High infectivity and unique genomic sequence characteristics of Cryptosporidium parvum in China.

Zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum infections are mainly caused by IIa and IId subtypes. As most biological characterizations have been performed on IIa subtypes, the biological and genetic characteristics of IId subtypes in China are not clear. We evaluated the infection and genetic characteristics of IId isolates in interferon-γ-knockout mice using qPCR to quantify oocyst shedding, histological examination to monitor pathological changes and comparative genomic analyses to identify infectivity and virulence-associated differences.

Characterization of Dense Granule Metalloproteinase INS-16 in .

The protozoan pathogen infects intestinal epithelial cells and causes diarrhea in humans and young animals. Among the more than 20 genes encoding insulinase-like metalloproteinases (INS), two are paralogs with high sequence identity. In this study, one of them, INS-16 encoded by the cgd3_4270 gene, was expressed and characterized in a comparative study of its sibling, INS-15 encoded by the cgd3_4260 gene.

Decline in Infection in Free-Ranging Rhesus Monkeys in a Park After Public Health Interventions.

Nonhuman primates (NHPs) are considered an important source of parasitic zoonoses. A study in 2010 revealed high prevalence of spp. in free-ranging rhesus monkeys () in a public park in Guiyang, southwestern China, which called for the control of disease in animals and long-term epidemiological tracking of spp.

Identification and Characterization of Three Spore Wall Proteins of .

is the most common microsporidian pathogen in farm animals and humans. Although several spore wall proteins (SWPs) of other human-pathogenic microsporidia have been identified, SWPs of remain poorly characterized. In the present study, we identified the sequences of three SWPs from whole genome sequence data, expressed them in , generated a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against one of them (EbSWP1), and used the mAb in direct immunofluorescence detection of spores in fecal samples.

Sympatric Recombination in Zoonotic Cryptosporidium Leads to Emergence of Populations with Modified Host Preference.

Genetic recombination plays a critical role in the emergence of pathogens with phenotypes such as drug resistance, virulence, and host adaptation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that recombination between sympatric ancestral populations leads to the emergence of divergent variants of the zoonotic parasite Cryptosporidium parvum with modified host ranges. Comparative genomic analyses of 101 isolates have identified seven subpopulations isolated by distance.

Heteroplasmic mitochondrial genomes of a Raillietina tapeworm in wild Pangolin.

Background: Raillietina species belong to the family Davaineidae, which parasitizes in a wide variety of mammals and birds, causing stunted growth, lethargy, emaciation, and digestive tract obstruction. However, only a limited number of Raillietina species have been identified in wild animals.

Methods: We analyzed and annotated the complete mitochondrial (mt) genome of a worm from the intestine of a wild pangolin using Illumina sequencing of whole genomic DNA.

Prevalence and genetic characterization of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in children in Northeast Egypt.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most common microsporidia in humans worldwide, in addition to infecting a wide range of animals. However, there is limited information about this pathogen in children in Egypt. Here, we carried out a molecular epidemiological study of E.

Adaptation of gut microbiome and host metabolic systems to lignocellulosic degradation in bamboo rats.

Bamboo rats (Rhizomys pruinosus) are among the few mammals that lives on a bamboo-based diet which is mainly composed of lignocellulose. However, the mechanisms of adaptation of their gut microbiome and metabolic systems in the degradation of lignocellulose are largely unknown. Here, we conducted a multi-omics analysis on bamboo rats to investigate the interaction between their gut microbiomes and metabolic systems in the pre- and post-weaning periods, and observed significant relationships between dietary types, gut microbiome, serum metabolome and host gene expression.

Characterization of Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 2A, a Potential Drug Target Against Cryptosporidiosis.

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are important in calcium influx, triggering several biological processes in spp. As they are not present in mammals, CDPKs are considered promising drug targets. Recent studies have characterized CDPK1, CDPK3, CDPK4, CDPK5, CDPK6, and CDPK9, but the role of CPK2A remains unclear.

Risk factors for Ebola virus disease among household care providers, Sierra Leone, 2015.

Background: Household contacts who provide care to an Ebola virus disease (EVD) case have a 3-fold higher risk of EVD compared with contacts who do not provide care.

Methods: We enrolled persons with confirmed EVD from December 2014 to April 2015 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, and their household contacts. Index cases and contacts were interviewed, and contacts were followed for 21 days to identify secondary cases.

Age and episode-associated occurrence of Cryptosporidium species and subtypes in a birth-cohort of dairy calves.

The role of species-specific immunity in infection patterns of Cryptosporidium spp. in humans and farm animals is not well understood. In the present study, the dynamics of Cryptosporidium infections in a natural cryptosporidiosis model was examined using genotyping, subtyping and whole genome sequencing tools.

Molecular detection of a novel Ancylostoma sp. by whole mtDNA sequence from pangolin Manis javanica.

Background: Ancylostoma species are hematophagous parasites that cause chronic hemorrhage in various animals and humans. Pangolins, also known as scaly anteaters, are mammals that live in soil environments where they are readily exposed to soil-borne parasitic nematodes. However, only a limited number of helminth species have been identified in this animal host so far.

Diarrhoea outbreak caused by coinfections of Cryptosporidium parvum subtype IIdA20G1 and rotavirus in pre-weaned dairy calves.

Diarrhoea is one of the most important syndromes in neonatal calves. In industrialized nations with intensive animal farming, Cryptosporidium spp. and rotavirus are primary causes of calf diarrhoea, but the role of these and other enteric pathogens is not clear in China.

Comparative Characterization of CpCDPK1 and CpCDPK9, Two Potential Drug Targets Against Cryptosporidiosis.

As the invasion, egress, and growth of spp. are regulated by the calcium ion, calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are considered potential drug targets against these pathogens. In this study, we expressed CpCDPK1 of encoded by the cgd3_920 gene and CpCDPK9 encoded by the the cgd7_1260 gene in , and we conducted some comparative studies with quantitative PCR, immunofluorescence staining, and in vitro neutralization assays.

A productive immunocompetent mouse model of cryptosporidiosis with long oocyst shedding duration for immunological studies.

Objectives: Studies on the pathogenesis and immune responses of Cryptosporidium infection and development of drugs and vaccines use mostly immunocompromised mouse models. In this study, we establish an immunocompetent mouse model of cryptosporidiosis with high intensity and long duration of infection.

Methods: We have obtained a Cryptosporidium tyzzeri isolate from laboratory mice, and infect adult C57BL/6 J mice experimentally with the isolate for determinations of infectivity, infection patterns, pathological changes, and transcriptomic responses.

Association of Common Zoonotic Pathogens With Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.

Animal farming has intensified significantly in recent decades, with the emergence of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in industrialized nations. The congregation of susceptible animals in CAFOs can lead to heavy environmental contamination with pathogens, promoting the emergence of hyper-transmissible, and virulent pathogens. As a result, CAFOs have been associated with emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses, hepatitis E virus, O157:H7, , livestock-associated methicillin-resistant , and in farm animals.

Hen raising helps chicks establish gut microbiota in their early life and improve microbiota stability after H9N2 challenge.

Background: Early gut microbial colonization is important for postnatal growth and immune development of the chicken. However, at present, commercial chickens are hatched and raised without adult hens, thus are cut off from the microbiota transfer between hens and chicks. In this study, we compared the gut microbiota composition between hen-reared and separately reared chicks, and its impact on the resistance to H9N2 avian influenza virus, with the motive of investigating the impact of this cutoff in microbiota transfer.

Emergence of zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum in China.

Zoonotic cryptosporidiosis is a major public health problem in industrialized nations; in those countries it is caused mainly by Cryptosporidium parvum IIa subtypes that are prevalent in dairy calves. Because of the short history of intensive animal farming in China, strains of C. parvum are found only on some dairy farms in this country and are the IId subtypes.

differs from other spp. in codon usage.

spp. are important enteric pathogens in a wide range of vertebrates including humans. Previous comparative analysis revealed conservation in genome composition, gene content, and gene organization among spp.