{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,31]],"date-time":"2026-10-31T02:34:50Z","timestamp":1793414090085,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]],"date-time":"2024-05-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1717027200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title><jats:p>Wild rodents are key hosts for <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium<\/jats:italic> transmission, yet there is a dearth of information regarding their infection status in the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and Liaoning Province of China. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence and genetic characteristics of <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium<\/jats:italic> among wild rodents residing in these two provinces.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>A total of 486 rodents were captured, and fresh feces were collected from each rodent\u2019s intestine for DNA extraction. Species identification of rodents was performed through PCR amplification of the vertebrate cytochrome b (<jats:italic>cytb<\/jats:italic>) gene. To detect the presence of <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium<\/jats:italic> in all fecal samples, PCR analysis and sequencing of the partial small subunit of the ribosomal RNA (<jats:italic>rRNA<\/jats:italic>) gene were performed.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Four species of rodents were identified: <jats:italic>Rattus norvegicus<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Mus musculus<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Apodemus agrarius<\/jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Cricetulus barabensis<\/jats:italic>. Positive results for <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium<\/jats:italic> were obtained for 9.2% (18\/195), 6.6% (7\/106), 5.6% (5\/89), and 6.3% (6\/96) of these rodents, respectively, with an average infection rate of 7.4% (36\/486). The identification revealed the presence of five <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium<\/jats:italic> species, <jats:italic>C. ubiquitum<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u20098), <jats:italic>C. occultus<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u20095), <jats:italic>C. muris<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u20092), <jats:italic>C. viatorum<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u20091), and <jats:italic>C. ratti<\/jats:italic> (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u20091), along with two <jats:italic>Cryptosporidium<\/jats:italic> genotypes: Rat genotype III (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u200910) and Rat genotype IV (<jats:italic>n<\/jats:italic> =\u20099).<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title><jats:p>Based on the molecular evidence presented, the wild rodents investigated were concurrently infected with zoonotic (<jats:italic>C. muris<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>C. occultus<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>C. ubiquitum<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>C. viatorum<\/jats:italic>) as well as rodent-adapted (<jats:italic>C. ratti<\/jats:italic> and Rat genotype III and IV) species\/genotypes, actively participating in the transmission of cryptosporidiosis.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2024.1406564","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]],"date-time":"2024-05-30T12:18:39Z","timestamp":1717071519000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium in wild rodents from the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region and Liaoning Province, China: assessing host specificity and the potential for zoonotic transmission"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Li","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Qunfang","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aiying","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fansheng","family":"Zeng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wei","family":"Zhao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Feng","family":"Tan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"909","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(17)30276-1","article-title":"Estimates of global, regional, and national morbidity, mortality, and eaetiologies of diarrhoeal diseases: a systematic analysis for the global burden of disease study 2015","volume":"17","year":"2017","journal-title":"Lancet Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"681","DOI":"10.14202\/vetworld.2018.681-686","article-title":"Cryptosporidiosis: a zoonotic disease concern","volume":"11","author":"Pumipuntu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Vet World"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1421","DOI":"10.2166\/wh.2023.094","article-title":"Waterborne transmission of protozoan parasites: a review of worldwide outbreaks - an update 2017-2022","volume":"21","author":"Bourli","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Water Health"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2017.09.004","article-title":"Foodborne cryptosporidiosis","volume":"48","author":"Ryan","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"121165","DOI":"10.1016\/j.watres.2024.121165","article-title":"Critters and contamination: zoonotic protozoans in urban rodents and water quality","volume":"251","author":"Egan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Water Res"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"3307","DOI":"10.3390\/ani11113307","article-title":"An update on zoonotic Cryptosporidium species and genotypes in humans","volume":"11","author":"Ryan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Animals"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"290","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2019.12.016","article-title":"A one health approach to tackle cryptosporidiosis","volume":"36","author":"Innes","year":"2020","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100364","DOI":"10.1016\/j.onehlt.2021.100364","article-title":"Public health and ecological significance of rodents in Cryptosporidium infections","volume":"14","author":"Zhang","year":"2021","journal-title":"One Health"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1578","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.65.4.1578-1583.1999","article-title":"Phylogenetic analysis of Cryptosporidium parasites based on the small-subunit rRNA gene locus","volume":"65","author":"Xiao","year":"1999","journal-title":"Appl Environ Microbiol"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"28","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1471-8286.2003.00340.x","article-title":"Novel universal primers establish identity of an enormous number of animal species for forensic application","volume":"3","author":"Verma","year":"2003","journal-title":"Mol Ecol"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"106244","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2021.106244","article-title":"A review of the diversity of Cryptosporidium in Rattus norvegicus, R. Rattus and Mus musculus: what we know and challenges for the future","volume":"226","author":"Hancke","year":"2022","journal-title":"Acta Trop"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"105060","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2019.105060","article-title":"Molecular screening approach to identify protozoan and trichostrongylid parasites infecting one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius)","volume":"197","author":"El-Alfy","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acta Trop"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"134","DOI":"10.1016\/j.exppara.2014.03.021","article-title":"Cryptosporidium species in sheep and goats from Papua New Guinea","volume":"141","author":"Koinari","year":"2014","journal-title":"Exp Parasitol"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"571","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-019-3822-z","article-title":"Genetic characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in dogs and cats in Guangdong, China","volume":"12","author":"Li","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"84","DOI":"10.1186\/s12917-020-02292-9","article-title":"Prevalence and genotypic identification of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in captive Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in Heilongjiang and Fujian provinces of China","volume":"16","author":"Wang","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Vet Res"},{"key":"ref16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"534","DOI":"10.2166\/wh.2021.059","article-title":"Molecular surveillance of Cryptosporidium spp. for microbial source tracking of fecal contamination in Laguna Lake, Philippines","volume":"19","author":"Dela Pe\u00f1a","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Water Health"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"66","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-020-04566-5","article-title":"Molecular characterization of the waterborne pathogens Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Cyclospora cayetanensis and Eimeria spp. in wastewater and sewage in Guangzhou, China","volume":"14","author":"Fan","year":"2021","journal-title":"Parasit Vectors"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.2166\/wh.2009.185","article-title":"Detection of Cryptosporidium species and sources of contamination with Cryptosporidium hominis during a waterborne outbreak in north West Wales","volume":"8","author":"Chalmers","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Water Health"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"635","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2018.07.024","article-title":"Profiling the diversity of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes in wastewater treatment plants in Australia using next generation sequencing","volume":"644","author":"Zahedi","year":"2018","journal-title":"Sci Total Environ"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"50","DOI":"10.4269\/ajtmh.14-0525","article-title":"Cryptosporidium muris: infectivity and illness in healthy adult volunteers","volume":"92","author":"Chappell","year":"2015","journal-title":"Am J Trop Med Hyg"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejop.2018.02.001","article-title":"Cryptosporidium occultus sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) in rats","volume":"63","author":"Kv\u00e1\u010d","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur J Protistol"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"16","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-019-4693-9","article-title":"First report of Cryptosporidium viatorum and Cryptosporidium occultus in humans in China, and of the unique novel C. Viatorum subtype XVaA3h","volume":"20","author":"Xu","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"217","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2002.121797","article-title":"Subtyping Cryptosporidium ubiquitum, a zoonotic pathogen emerging in humans","volume":"20","author":"Li","year":"2014","journal-title":"Emerg Infect Dis"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"537","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-022-07756-5","article-title":"Molecular characterization and prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in sheep and goats in western Inner Mongolia, China","volume":"122","author":"Lang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Parasitol Res"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"675","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2012.04.016","article-title":"Cryptosporidium viatorum n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) among travelers returning to Great Britain from the Indian subcontinent, 2007-2011","volume":"42","author":"Elwin","year":"2012","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"18","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2018.01.004","article-title":"Cryptosporidium viatorum from the native Australian swamp rat Rattus lutreolus - an emerging zoonotic pathogen?","volume":"7","author":"Koehler","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"783508","DOI":"10.3389\/fcimb.2021.783508","article-title":"Molecular detection of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection in wild rodents from six provinces in China","volume":"11","author":"Ni","year":"2021","journal-title":"Front Cell Infect Microbiol"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"317","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2019.03.017","article-title":"Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rats (Rattus spp.) from the Hainan Province, China: molecular detection, species\/genotype identification and implications for public health","volume":"9","author":"Zhao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2024.1406564\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]],"date-time":"2024-05-30T12:18:41Z","timestamp":1717071521000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2024.1406564\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]]},"references-count":28,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2024.1406564"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2024.1406564","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,30]]},"article-number":"1406564"}}