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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1493928
This article is part of the Research Topic Parasites in One Health Interface View all 16 articles

Existence of Pentatrichomonas hominis in Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii)

Provisionally accepted
Shuo Liu Shuo Liu 1Jing-Hao Li Jing-Hao Li 2Si-Yuan Qin Si-Yuan Qin 2Jing Jiang Jing Jiang 3*Zhen-Jun Wang Zhen-Jun Wang 4Tao Ma Tao Ma 4Jun-Hui Zhu Jun-Hui Zhu 4Hong-Li Geng Hong-Li Geng 1Wei-Lan Yan Wei-Lan Yan 1Nian-Yu Xue Nian-Yu Xue 5Yan Tang Yan Tang 6He-Ting Sun He-Ting Sun 2
  • 1 Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China
  • 2 Center of Prevention and Control Biological Disaster, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Shenyang, China
  • 3 Changchun Sci-Tech University, Shuangyang, China
  • 4 Jilin University, Changchun, Hebei Province, China
  • 5 Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 6 Guizhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Pentatrichomonas hominis is a conditional pathogen that parasitizes the intestines of vertebrates and has been detected in various wild animals. However, its infection rate in Tibetan antelopes has not been previously studied. In this study, 503 fecal samples from Tibetan antelopes were analyzed to determine the prevalence and molecular characteristics of P. hominis. Results showed that 1.19% (6/503) of the samples tested positive, and although the prevalence was low, this finding underscores the importance of monitoring wild animals population as hosts of zoonotic pathogens. Additionally, the highest prevalence in Nima County (6.25%, 4/64), followed by Shenza County (2.44%, 2/82). No P. hominis was detected in samples from Shuanghu, Ruoqiang, Qiemo, and Qumarlêb Counties. Seasonally, the highest prevalence was recorded in autumn (1.42%, 6/423). Interestingly, P. hominis was only detected in 2020 (2%, 6/300), with no infections found in 2023 (0/50) or 2024 (0/153). Additionally, the phylogenetic analysis indicated that most islolates belonged to the CC1 genotype, with one representing a potential novel genotype. This is the first s to report the presence of P. hominis in Tibetan antelopes, revealing that Tibetan antelopes may be a potential transmitter of zoontic P. hominis. These findings offer new insights into its epidemiology and contribute valuable data for Tibetan antelope conservation efforts.

    Keywords: Pentatrichomonas hominis, Prevalence, Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), Risk factors, China

    Received: 12 Sep 2024; Accepted: 24 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Li, Qin, Jiang, Wang, Ma, Zhu, Geng, Yan, Xue, Tang and Sun. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jing Jiang, Changchun Sci-Tech University, Shuangyang, China

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