{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,17]],"date-time":"2026-04-17T04:46:25Z","timestamp":1776401185476,"version":"3.51.2"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,28]],"date-time":"2021-10-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1635379200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Walter Ehrstr\u00f6m Foundation","award":["WE 2018\/RK"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["WE 2018\/RK"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/100007797","name":"University of Helsinki","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["APC"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["APC"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100007797","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Microorganisms"],"abstract":"<jats:p>There has been a significant increase in the number of reported human cryptosporidiosis cases in recent years. The aim of this study is to estimate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rodents and shrews, and investigate the species and genotype distribution to assess zoonotic risk. Partial 18S rRNA gene nested-PCR reveals that 36.8, 53.9 and 41.9% of mice, voles and shrews are infected with Cryptosporidium species. The highest prevalence occurred in the Microtus agrestis (field vole) and Myodes glareolus (bank vole). Interestingly, bank voles caught in fields were significantly more often Cryptosporidium-positive compared to those caught in forests. The proportion of infected animals increases from over-wintered (spring and summer) to juveniles (autumn) suggesting acquired immunity in older animals. Based on Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, Apodemus flavicollis (yellow-necked mouse) is commonly infected with zoonotic C. ditrichi. Voles carry multiple different Cryptosporidium sp. and genotypes, some of which are novel. C. andersoni, another zoonotic species, is identified in the Craseomys rufocanus (grey-sided vole). Shrews carry novel shrew genotypes. In conclusion, this study indicates that Cryptosporidium protozoan are present in mouse, vole and shrew populations around Finland and the highest zoonotic risk is associated with C. ditrichi in Apodemus flavicollis and C. andersoni in Craseomys rufocanus. C. parvum, the most common zoonotic species in human infections, was not detected.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/microorganisms9112242","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,28]],"date-time":"2021-10-28T23:51:36Z","timestamp":1635465096000},"page":"2242","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":18,"title":["Zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. in Wild Rodents and Shrews"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9533-2259","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rauni","family":"Kivist\u00f6","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sofia","family":"K\u00e4m\u00e4r\u00e4inen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Otso","family":"Huitu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI-33720 Tampere, Finland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jukka","family":"Niemimaa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Heikki","family":"Henttonen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) (2019). The European Union One Health 2018 Zoonoses Report. EFSA J., 17, e05926.","DOI":"10.2903\/j.efsa.2019.5926"},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) (2021, June 09). Tartuntatautirekisterin Tilastotietokanta. Kryptosporidioosi. Available online: https:\/\/sampo.thl.fi\/pivot\/prod\/fi\/ttr\/shp\/fact_shp?row=area-12260&column=time-12059&filter=reportgroup-12109."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"997","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2018.07.009","article-title":"Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Cryptosporidium","volume":"34","author":"Feng","year":"2018","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"957","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijpara.2013.07.005","article-title":"Cryptosporidiosis and Cryptosporidium species in animals and humans: A thirty colour rainbow?","volume":"43","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1885","DOI":"10.1017\/S0950268812002609","article-title":"Occurrence of pathogens in wild rodents caught on Swedish pig and chicken farms","volume":"141","author":"Backhans","year":"2013","journal-title":"Epidemiol. Infect."},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejop.2017.12.006","article-title":"Cryptosporidium apodemi sp. n. and Cryptosporidium ditrichi sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae) in Apodemus spp.","volume":"63","author":"Sak","year":"2018","journal-title":"Eur. J. Protistol."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2017.04.013","article-title":"Rodents as a reservoir of infection caused by multiple zoonotic species\/genotypes of C. parvum, C. hominis, C. suis, C. scrofarum, and the first evidence of C. muskrat genotypes I and II of rodents in Europe","volume":"172","author":"Stanko","year":"2017","journal-title":"Acta Trop."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7692","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.01386-09","article-title":"Cryptosporidium spp. in Wild, Laboratory, and Pet Rodents in China: Prevalence and Molecular Characterization","volume":"75","author":"Lv","year":"2009","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.1016\/j.parint.2018.12.007","article-title":"Occurrence of zoonotic Cryptosporidium and Giardia duodenalis species\/genotypes in urban rodents","volume":"69","author":"Tan","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasitol. Int."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"72","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.17.1.72-97.2004","article-title":"Cryptosporidium Taxonomy: Recent Advances and Implications for Public Health","volume":"17","author":"Xiao","year":"2004","journal-title":"Clin. Microbiol. Rev."},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"220","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182018001142","article-title":"Diversity of Cryptosporidium in common voles and description of Cryptosporidium alticolis sp. n. and Cryptosporidium microti sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporidiidae)","volume":"146","author":"Sak","year":"2019","journal-title":"Parasitology"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104120","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meegid.2019.104120","article-title":"From mice to men: Three cases of human infection with Cryptosporidium ditrichi","volume":"78","author":"Beser","year":"2020","journal-title":"Infect. Genet. Evol."},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"171","DOI":"10.2478\/s11686-012-0016-7","article-title":"Parasite fauna of rodents (Murinae) from El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain): A multidisciplinary approach","volume":"57","author":"Feliu","year":"2012","journal-title":"Acta Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5","DOI":"10.1016\/j.meegid.2013.01.011","article-title":"Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. from wild rats and mice from rural communities in the Philippines","volume":"16","author":"Singleton","year":"2013","journal-title":"Infect. Genet. Evol."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"551","DOI":"10.1016\/j.exppara.2013.09.003","article-title":"A new set of primers directed to 18S rRNA gene for molecular identification of Cryptosporidium spp. and their performance in the detection and differentiation of oocysts shed by synanthropic rodents","volume":"135","author":"Silva","year":"2013","journal-title":"Exp. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"737","DOI":"10.3347\/kjp.2015.53.6.737","article-title":"Detection and Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. from Wild Rodents and Insectivores in South Korea","volume":"53","author":"Song","year":"2015","journal-title":"Korean J. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"326","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182017001524","article-title":"Cryptosporidium infecting wild cricetid rodents from the subfamilies Arvicolinae and Neotominae","volume":"145","author":"Stenger","year":"2018","journal-title":"Parasitology"},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"110","DOI":"10.7589\/0090-3558-30.1.110","article-title":"Prevalence of Cryptosporidium sp. in Peak Density Microtus agrestis, Microtus oeconomus and Clethrionomys glareolus Populations","volume":"30","author":"Laakkonen","year":"1994","journal-title":"J. Wildl. Dis."},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","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":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"772","DOI":"10.1093\/molbev\/mst010","article-title":"MAFFT Multiple Sequence Alignment Software Version 7: Improvements in Performance and Usability","volume":"30","author":"Katoh","year":"2013","journal-title":"Mol. Biol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"W22","DOI":"10.1093\/nar\/gkt389","article-title":"aLeaves facilitates on-demand exploration of metazoan gene family trees on MAFFT sequence alignment server with enhanced interactivity","volume":"41","author":"Kuraku","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nucleic Acids Res."},{"key":"ref_22","first-page":"22","article-title":"Improvement in the accuracy of multiple sequence alignment program MAFFT","volume":"16","author":"Katoh","year":"2005","journal-title":"Genome Inform."},{"key":"ref_23","first-page":"678","article-title":"Estimation of the number of nucleotide substitutions when there are strong transition-transversion and G+C-content biases","volume":"9","author":"Tamura","year":"1992","journal-title":"Mol. Biol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1547","DOI":"10.1093\/molbev\/msy096","article-title":"MEGA X: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis across Computing Platforms","volume":"35","author":"Kumar","year":"2018","journal-title":"Mol. Biol. Evol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"105119","DOI":"10.1016\/j.prevetmed.2020.105119","article-title":"Global prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in rodents: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"182","author":"Taghipour","year":"2020","journal-title":"Prev. Vet. Med."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejop.2019.02.005","article-title":"Diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in Apodemus spp. in Europe","volume":"69","author":"Sak","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur. J. Protistol."},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"180","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mimet.2014.07.029","article-title":"Comparison of seven methods for extraction of bacterial DNA from fecal and cecal samples of mice","volume":"105","author":"Ferrand","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Microbiol. Methods"},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1023","DOI":"10.1016\/j.scitotenv.2013.10.083","article-title":"Spatial and temporal distribution of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in a drinking water resource: Implications for monitoring and risk assessment","volume":"472","author":"Burnet","year":"2014","journal-title":"Sci. Total Environ."},{"key":"ref_29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"478","DOI":"10.1007\/s004360050283","article-title":"The prevalence of Cryptosporidium parvum and C. muris  in Mus domesticus, Apodemus sylvaticus and Clethrionomys glareolus in an agricultural system","volume":"83","author":"Chalmers","year":"1997","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.1016\/S0304-4017(03)00261-9","article-title":"Long-term study of Cryptosporidium prevalence on a lowland farm in the United Kingdom","volume":"116","author":"Sturdee","year":"2003","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"21","DOI":"10.1017\/S0031182002001865","article-title":"Prevalence and abundance of Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia spp. in wild rural rodents from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland","volume":"125","author":"Bajer","year":"2002","journal-title":"Parasitology"},{"key":"ref_32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5604\/12321966.1141359","article-title":"Small rodents as reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in south-western Poland","volume":"22","author":"Hildebrand","year":"2015","journal-title":"Ann. Agric. Environ. Med."},{"key":"ref_33","unstructured":"ECDC (2019). Cryptosporidiosis."},{"key":"ref_34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1016\/j.vetpar.2015.09.020","article-title":"Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Danish organic pig farms: Seasonal and age-related variation in prevalence, infection intensity and species\/genotypes","volume":"214","author":"Petersen","year":"2015","journal-title":"Vet. Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"500","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rvsc.2020.08.002","article-title":"Cryptosporidium\u2014An update with an emphasis on foodborne and waterborne transmission","volume":"132","author":"Zahedi","year":"2020","journal-title":"Res. Vet. Sci."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1016\/j.epidem.2009.03.002","article-title":"Cyclic hantavirus epidemics in humans\u2014Predicted by rodent host dynamics","volume":"1","author":"Kallio","year":"2009","journal-title":"Epidemics"},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1958","DOI":"10.3201\/eid2608.201117","article-title":"Cryptosporidium baileyi Pulmonary Infection in Immunocompetent Woman with Benign Neoplasm","volume":"26","author":"Kopacz","year":"2020","journal-title":"Emerg. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"91","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1550-7408.2000.tb00016.x","article-title":"Cryptosporidium andersoni n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Cryptosporiidae) from Cattle, Bos taurus","volume":"47","author":"Lindsay","year":"2000","journal-title":"J. Eukaryot. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2015.12.001","article-title":"Public health significance of zoonotic Cryptosporidium species in wildlife: Critical insights into better drinking water management","volume":"5","author":"Zahedi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int. J. Parasitol. Parasites Wildl."},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1186\/s13071-015-1102-0","article-title":"The first report of Cryptosporidium andersoni in horses with diarrhea and multilocus subtype analysis","volume":"8","author":"Liu","year":"2015","journal-title":"Parasites Vectors"},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1023","DOI":"10.1007\/s10096-016-2887-2","article-title":"Incidence of Cryptosporidium andersoni in diarrheal patients from southern Assam, India: A molecular approach","volume":"36","author":"Hussain","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis."},{"key":"ref_42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Jiang, Y., Ren, J., Yuan, Z., Liu, A., Zhao, H., Liu, H., Chu, L., Pan, W., Cao, J., and Lin, Y. (2014). Cryptosporidium andersoni as a novel predominant Cryptosporidium species in outpatients with diarrhea in Jiangsu Province, China. BMC Infect. Dis., 14.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-014-0555-7"},{"key":"ref_43","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"471","DOI":"10.1007\/s00436-012-2821-1","article-title":"Variability in susceptibility of voles (Arvicolinae) to experimental infection with Cryptosporidium muris and Cryptosporidium andersoni","volume":"111","author":"Sak","year":"2012","journal-title":"Parasitol. Res."},{"key":"ref_44","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"5977","DOI":"10.1128\/AEM.00915-10","article-title":"Identification of Cryptosporidium Species and Genotypes in Scottish Raw and Drinking Waters during a One-Year Monitoring Period","volume":"76","author":"Nichols","year":"2010","journal-title":"Appl. Environ. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_45","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"717","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2672.2011.05068.x","article-title":"A whole water catchment approach to investigating the origin and distribution of Cryptosporidium species","volume":"111","author":"Robinson","year":"2011","journal-title":"J. Appl. Microbiol."},{"key":"ref_46","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"404","DOI":"10.1016\/j.exppara.2012.05.009","article-title":"Multiple Cryptosporidium genotypes detected in wild black rats (Rattus rattus) from northern Australia","volume":"131","author":"Paparini","year":"2012","journal-title":"Exp. Parasitol."}],"container-title":["Microorganisms"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/9\/11\/2242\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T07:21:51Z","timestamp":1760167311000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2076-2607\/9\/11\/2242"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,28]]},"references-count":46,"journal-issue":{"issue":"11","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,11]]}},"alternative-id":["microorganisms9112242"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/microorganisms9112242","relation":{},"ISSN":["2076-2607"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2076-2607","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,28]]}}}