ABSTRACT
Abstract Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an opportunistic intestinal pathogen that infects humans and a wide variety of animals worldwide. Our aim in this study was to investigate the occurrence of E. bieneusi in a domestic cat population in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Sixty fecal samples from diarrheic cats were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the amplicons were sequenced for identification. E. bieneusi was detected in two samples (3.3%), both identified as genotype D. This genotype has already been reported in animals and humans and is considered a zoonotic genotype. Our findings represent the first report of E. bieneusi in domestic cats in Brazil, reinforcing the importance of identifying this agent as a source of infection in animals and humans.
Resumo Enterocytozoon bieneusi é um patógeno intestinal oportunista que infecta humanos e uma variedade de animais em todo o mundo. O objetivo no presente estudo foi investigar a ocorrência de E. bieneusi em uma população de gatos domésticos em Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Sessenta amostras fecais de gatos diarréicos foram submetidas a reação em cadeia da polimerase (PCR) e os produtos de amplificação foram sequenciados para identificação molecular. E. bieneusi foi detectado em duas amostras (3,3%), ambos identificados como genótipo D. Esse genótipo tem sido relatado em animais e humanos e é considerado um genótipo zoonótico. Nossos resultados representam a primeira descrição de E. bieneusi em gatos domésticos no Brasil, reforçando a importância desse agente como fonte de infecção para animais e humanos.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cats , Cat Diseases/diagnosis , Microsporidiosis/veterinary , Enterocytozoon/genetics , Feces/microbiology , Brazil , Cat Diseases/microbiology , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Microsporidiosis/diagnosis , Sequence Analysis, DNA , Enterocytozoon/isolation & purification , GenotypeABSTRACT
BACKGROUND Enterocytozoon bieneusi are the most common microsporidia associated with different clinical manifestations such as diarrhoea, respiratory tract inflammation and acalculous cholecystitis, especially in immunocompromised patients. Infection usually occurs by ingestion of food and water contaminated with spores, but can also result from direct contact with spores through broken skin, eye lesions, and sexual transmission, depending on the microsporidian species. Although there are reports of E. bieneusi found in humans and animals in Brazil, there are no published studies of environmental samples examined by molecular methods. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to verify the presence of E. bieneusi in raw sewage and treated effluent from a combined system by molecular methods. METHODS Raw sewage and treated effluent samples collected from a combined system were analysed for the presence of E. bieneusi using the internal transcriber spacer (ITS) region of E. bieneusi by nested polymerase chain reaction. FINDINGS The analysis revealed E. bieneusi presence and a novel genotype (EbRB) in one raw sewage sample and one treated effluent. MAIN CONCLUSIONS The presence of E. bieneusi in final effluent indicates that the combined system may not remove microsporidian spores. This study is the first report of E. bieneusi in environmental samples in Brazil.
Subject(s)
DNA, Fungal/genetics , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Enterocytozoon/isolation & purification , Enterocytozoon/genetics , Phylogeny , Brazil , Sequence Analysis , GenotypeABSTRACT
Los microsporidios pueden provocar infecciones emergentes y oportunistas en individuos inmunocomprometidos de todo el mundo. Se realizó éste estudio para identificar las especies de microsporidios intestinales presentes en pacientes con VIH-SIDA del Servicio Autónomo Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo (SAHUM). Se recolectaron 50 muestras fecales de individuos con diagnóstico confirmado de VIH durante los años 2007-2008; se obtuvieron las cifras de CD4 de solo 42 pacientes. Las muestras se analizaron mediante PCR separadas para la identificación de Encephalitozoon intestinalis y Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Las especies de microsporidios presentaron un 36% de prevalencia, 10 pacientes presentaron Encephalitozoon intestinalis, 4 Enterocytozoon bieneusi y 4 ambas especies. Se determinó una relación inversamente proporcional y estadísticamente significativa entre el contaje de CD4 y la presencia de microsporidios en la muestra fecal. Es destacable la elevada prevalencia de especies de microsporidios observada en los pacientes VIH estudiados, donde predominó E. intestinalis.
Microsporidioses are considered emerging and opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals worldwide. The purpose of this study was to identify the species of intestinal microsporidia in patients with HIV-AIDS from the Servicio Autónomo Hospital Universitario de Maracaibo, Venezuela (SAHUM). Fecal samples were collected from 50 patients with confirmed diagnosis of HIV, during the years 2007 and 2008; the CD4 values were obtained from 42 patients. The samples were analyzed by separate PCRs to identify Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Microsporidia species showed a 36% prevalence: ten patients had Encephalitozoon intestinalis, four Enterocytozoon bieneusi and four both species. An inverse and statistically significant relationship between the CD4 count and the presence of microsporidia in the fecal sample was also found. It is remarkable the high prevalence of microsporidia species observed in the HIV patients studied, with a predominance of E. intestinalis.