AUTHOR=Cui Zhaohui , Wang Qilin , Huang Xiyao , Bai Jiayi , Zhu Bingyang , Wang Bingchen , Guo Xiaohang , Qi Meng , Li Junqiang 

TITLE=Multilocus Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in Alpine Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster) in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2022.856429

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2022.856429

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Giardia duodenalis</italic> is the underlying cause of a significant number of outbreaks of gastrointestinal illness in humans and animals worldwide. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the prevalence and genetic diversity of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> in captive alpine musk deer (<italic>Moschus chrysogaster</italic>) in China. A total of 202 fecal samples were collected from three farms in Gansu Province, China. Identification of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> was conducted by nested PCR targeting the genes coding for SSU rRNA, β-giardin (<italic>bg</italic>), glutamate dehydrogenase (<italic>gdh</italic>) and triosephosphate isomerase (<italic>tpi</italic>). The overall prevalence of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> in captive alpine musk deer in surveyed area was 19.3% (39/202). Two <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> genetic assemblages were identified, namely assemblage A and E. Mixed genotype infections (A+E) were found in 15.4% (6/39) of positive samples. Multilocus genotyping (MLG) analysis of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> isolates revealed six novel assemblage A MLGs formed by two newly-described MLG-subtypes which belonged to sub-assemblage AI. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on MLG of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> isolates in captive alpine musk deer in China. The presence of zoonotic assemblages and sub-assemblages of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> in deer species suggests that these animals may potentially act as a reservoir of this protozoan for humans.</p>