AUTHOR=Köster Pamela C. , Martínez-Nevado Eva , González Andrea , Abelló-Poveda María T. , Fernández-Bellon Hugo , de la Riva-Fraga Manuel , Marquet Bertille , Guéry Jean-Pascal , Knauf-Witzens Tobias , Weigold Annika , Dashti Alejandro , Bailo Begoña , Imaña Elena , Muadica Aly S. , González-Barrio David , Ponce-Gordo Francisco , Calero-Bernal Rafael , Carmena David 

TITLE=Intestinal Protists in Captive Non-human Primates and Their Handlers in Six European Zoological Gardens. Molecular Evidence of Zoonotic Transmission

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=8

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.819887

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2021.819887

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<p>We assessed the occurrence, genetic diversity, and zoonotic potential of four protozoan (<italic>Cryptosporidium</italic> spp., <italic>Entamoeba histolytica, Entamoeba dispar, Giardia duodenalis</italic>), one stramenopile (<italic>Blastocystis</italic> sp.), one microsporidia (<italic>Enterocytozoon bieneusi</italic>), and two ciliate (<italic>Balantioides coli, Troglodytella abrassarti</italic>) intestinal parasite or commensal protist species in captive non-human primates (NHP) and their zookeepers from six European zoological gardens in France (<italic>n</italic> = 1), Germany (<italic>n</italic> = 1), and Spain (<italic>n</italic> = 4). Faecal samples from NHP (<italic>n</italic> = 454) belonging to 63 species within 35 genera and humans (<italic>n</italic> = 70) were collected at two sampling periods in each participating institution between October 2018-August 2021. Detection and species identification was accomplished by PCR and Sanger sequencing of the <italic>ssu</italic> rRNA and/or ITS genes. Sub-genotyping analyses using specific markers were conducted on isolates positive for <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> (<italic>gdh, bg, tpi</italic>) and <italic>Cryptosporidium</italic> spp. (<italic>gp60</italic>). Overall, 41.0% (186/454) and 30.0% (21/70) of the faecal samples of NHP and human origin tested positive for at least one intestinal protist species, respectively. In NHP, <italic>Blastocystis</italic> sp. was the most prevalent protist species found (20.3%), followed by <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> (18.1%), <italic>E. dispar</italic> (7.9%), <italic>B. coli</italic> and <italic>T. abrassarti</italic> (1.5% each), and <italic>Cryptosporidium</italic> spp. and <italic>E. bieneusi</italic> (0.9% each). Occurrence rates varied largely among NHP host species, sampling periods, and zoological institutions. The predominant protist species found in humans was <italic>Blastocystis</italic> sp. (25.7%), followed by <italic>Cryptosporidium</italic> spp. (2.9%), <italic>E. dispar</italic> (1.4%), and <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> (1.4%). Sequencing of PCR-positive amplicons in human and/or NHP confirmed the presence of <italic>Cryptosporidium</italic> in six isolates (<italic>C. hominis</italic>: 66.7%, <italic>C. parvum</italic>: 33.3%), <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> in 18 isolates (assemblage A: 16.7%, assemblage B: 83.3%), <italic>Blastocystis</italic> in 110 isolates (ST1:38.2%, ST2:11.8%, ST3: 18.2%, ST4: 9.1%, ST5: 17.3%, ST8: 2.7%, ST13: 0.9%), and <italic>E. bieneusi</italic> in four isolates (CM18: 75.0%, Type IV: 25.0%). Zoonotic transmission events involving <italic>Blastocystis</italic> ST1–ST4 were identified in four zoological institutions. Zoonotic transmission of <italic>C. hominis</italic> was highly suspected, but not fully demonstrated, in one of them. Monitoring of intestinal protist species might be useful for assessing health status of captive NHP and their zookeepers, and to identify transmission pathways of faecal-orally transmitted pathogens.</p>