1. Subtyping Cryptosporidium ubiquitum,a zoonotic pathogen emerging in humans.
- Author
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Li N, Xiao L, Alderisio K, Elwin K, Cebelinski E, Chalmers R, Santin M, Fayer R, Kvac M, Ryan U, Sak B, Stanko M, Guo Y, Wang L, Zhang L, Cai J, Roellig D, and Feng Y
- Subjects
- Americas epidemiology, Amino Acid Sequence, Animals, Asia epidemiology, Cryptosporidiosis parasitology, Cryptosporidium genetics, Cryptosporidium pathogenicity, DNA Fingerprinting, DNA, Protozoan classification, DNA, Protozoan genetics, Drinking Water parasitology, Europe epidemiology, Genetic Markers, Humans, Molecular Sequence Data, Protozoan Proteins genetics, Rodentia parasitology, Ruminants parasitology, Sequence Alignment, Sequence Homology, Amino Acid, Cryptosporidiosis epidemiology, Cryptosporidiosis veterinary, Cryptosporidium classification, Genome, Protozoan, Protozoan Proteins classification, Zoonoses
- Abstract
Cryptosporidium ubiquitum is an emerging zoonotic pathogen. In the past, it was not possible to identify an association between cases of human and animal infection. We conducted a genomic survey of the species, developed a subtyping tool targeting the 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene, and identified 6 subtype families (XIIa-XIIf) of C. ubiquitum. Host adaptation was apparent at the gp60 locus; subtype XIIa was found in ruminants worldwide, subtype families XIIb-XIId were found in rodents in the United States, and XIIe and XIIf were found in rodents in the Slovak Republic. Humans in the United States were infected with isolates of subtypes XIIb-XIId, whereas those in other areas were infected primarily with subtype XIIa isolates. In addition, subtype families XIIb and XIId were detected in drinking source water in the United States. Contact with C. ubiquitum-infected sheep and drinking water contaminated by infected wildlife could be sources of human infections.
- Published
- 2014
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