{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,5]],"date-time":"2025-12-05T12:30:40Z","timestamp":1764937840368,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,11]],"date-time":"2025-01-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736553600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"RumiRes","award":["PRR-C05-i03-I-000190"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["PRR-C05-i03-I-000190"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study is the first to report Blastocystis sp. in dairy cattle from Terceira Island, part of the Azores Archipelago. Blastocystis sp. is an enteric protozoan with high genetic diversity and is associated with both zoonotic and non-zoonotic subtypes (STs). The present survey aimed to fill the gap in knowledge regarding the occurrence and genetic characterization of Blastocystis sp. isolates in Holstein-Friesian cattle in this geographical area. A total of 116 stool samples were thus collected from dairy cows, and Blastocystis sp. DNA was detected using qPCR. The results revealed a 14.7% occurrence rate (17\/116), with seven STs identified including ST3, ST5, ST7, ST10, ST14, ST25, and ST42, with variable frequency. Some of these STs (ST5, ST7, ST10, and ST14) are potentially zoonotic, underscoring their potential public health significance. However, the low frequency of Blastocystis sp. in this animal cohort possibly attributed to the extensive grazing system practiced on Terceira Island and the limited presence of zoonotic isolates, suggests a minimal risk of transmission from cattle to humans. This study highlights the importance of further research on the transmission dynamics of Blastocystis sp., particularly in regions with varying farming practices, to better understand its epidemiology and zoonotic potential.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani15020186","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,13]],"date-time":"2025-01-13T04:01:52Z","timestamp":1736740912000},"page":"186","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["First Report on the Frequency and Subtype Distribution of Blastocystis sp. in Extensively Reared Holstein-Friesian Cattle from Terceira Island, Azores Archipelago, Portugal"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8374-3739","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sara","family":"Gomes-Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS\u2014School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-1006-2274","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alexandra","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS\u2014School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-2828-7202","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guilherme","family":"Moreira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS\u2014School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2876-4945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nausicaa","family":"Gantois","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Andaluz de Biolog\u00eda del Desarrollo, CSIC, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-6634-0394","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rub\u00e9n Garcia","family":"Dominguez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro Andaluz de Biolog\u00eda del Desarrollo, CSIC, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5805-7179","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eric","family":"Viscogliosi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019\u2013UMR 9017\u2013CIIL\u2013Centre d\u2019Infection et d\u2019Immunit\u00e9 de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6732-6772","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Magali","family":"Chab\u00e9","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019\u2013UMR 9017\u2013CIIL\u2013Centre d\u2019Infection et d\u2019Immunit\u00e9 de Lille, University of Lille, F-59000 Lille, France"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8769-8103","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o R.","family":"Mesquita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"ICBAS\u2014School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro de Estudos de Ci\u00eancia Animal (CECA), Instituto de Ci\u00eancias, Tecnologias e Agroambiente (ICETA), Universidade do Porto (UP), Rua D. Manuel II, Apartado 55142, 4051-401 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"523","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pt.2013.08.006","article-title":"Blastocystis: Getting to Grips with Our Guileful Guest","volume":"29","author":"Scanlan","year":"2013","journal-title":"Trends Parasitol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"23","DOI":"10.1016\/j.actatropica.2019.02.013","article-title":"First Report on the Prevalence and Subtype Distribution of Blastocystis sp. in Dairy Cattle in Lebanon and Assessment of Zoonotic Transmission","volume":"194","author":"Greige","year":"2019","journal-title":"Acta Trop."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"104939","DOI":"10.1016\/j.rvsc.2023.06.017","article-title":"Distribution of Blastocystis Subtypes Isolated from Various Animal Hosts in Thailand","volume":"162","author":"Tantrawatpan","year":"2023","journal-title":"Res. 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