Wide Genetic Diversity of Blastocystis in White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Maryland, USA
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 21 June 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by MDPI AG in Microorganisms
- Vol. 9 (6), 1343
- https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9061343
Abstract
Blastocystis is a gastrointestinal protist frequently reported in humans and animals worldwide. Wildlife populations, including deer, may serve as reservoirs of parasitic diseases for both humans and domestic animals, either through direct contact or through contamination of food or water resources. However, no studies of the occurrence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis in wildlife populations have been conducted in the United States. PCR and next generation amplicon sequencing were used to determine the occurrence and subtypes of Blastocystis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Blastocystis was common, with 88.8% (71/80) of samples found to be positive. Twelve subtypes were identified, ten previously reported (ST1, ST3, ST4, ST10, ST14, ST21, and ST23–ST26) and two novel subtypes (ST30 and ST31). To confirm the validity of ST30 and ST31, MinION sequencing was used to obtain full-length SSU rRNA gene sequences, and phylogenetic and pairwise distance analyses were performed. ST10, ST14, and ST24 were the most commonly observed subtypes. Potentially zoonotic subtypes ST1, ST3, or ST4 were present in 8.5% of Blastocystis-positives. Mixed subtype infections were common (90.1% of Blastocystis-positives). This study is the first to subtype Blastocystis in white-tailed deer. White-tailed deer were found to be commonly infected/colonized with a wide diversity of subtypes, including two novel subtypes, zoonotic subtypes, and subtypes frequently reported in domestic animals. More studies in wildlife are needed to better understand their role in the transmission of Blastocystis.Keywords
Funding Information
- Agricultural Research Service (8042-32000-112-00-D)
This publication has 53 references indexed in Scilit:
- Subtype distribution of Blastocystis isolates from a variety of animals from New South Wales, AustraliaVeterinary Parasitology, 2013
- Genetic Diversity of Blastocystis in Livestock and Zoo AnimalsProtist, 2013
- Blastocystis sp.: waterborne zoonotic organism, a possibility?Parasites & Vectors, 2012
- Molecular characterization of Blastocystis isolates from zoo animals and their animal-keepersVeterinary Parasitology, 2010
- BLAST+: architecture and applicationsBMC Bioinformatics, 2009
- Subtype distribution of Blastocystis isolates from synanthropic and zoo animals and identification of a new subtypeInternational Journal for Parasitology, 2009
- Blastocystis sp. subtype 5: a possibly zoonotic genotypeZeitschrift für Parasitenkunde, 2007
- Terminology for Blastocystis subtypes – a consensusTrends in Parasitology, 2007
- DNA Barcoding of BlastocystisProtist, 2006
- A simple method for estimating evolutionary rates of base substitutions through comparative studies of nucleotide sequencesJournal of Molecular Evolution, 1980