Occurrence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in rodents and lagomorphs raised as pets

• Grant number: 11/02730-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2011
• End date: October 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Vasconcelos Meireles
• Grantee: Milena Sato de Souza
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 12/09079-6 - Detection and subgenotyping of Cryptosporidium cuniculus in rabbit fecal samples by Real-Time PCR and high resolution melt curve analysis, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

The infection with some species or genotypes of Cryptosporidium represents a significant risk to public health, mainly because of morbidity and mortality in children aged zero to five years old and in immunosuppressed patients. Although there are some reports of Cryptosporidium infection in rodents and lagomorphs, the role of animals in the epidemiology of human cryptosporidiosis remains uncertain, and the literature on this topic is still rather scarce. Recently, Cryptosporidium cuniculus was described as a zoonotic agent, which demonstrates the need for greater understanding of the biology of Cryptosporidium in some species raised as pets. The aim of this study is to determine the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in fecal samples from rodents and lagomorphs raised as pets, and accomplish its molecular classification to determine the species or genotype of the parasite. Approximately 50 fecal samples from hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus and Phodopus spp.), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), ferrets (Mustela putorius), guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) and chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), of different ages, will be collected according to availability, totaling 250 samples. The samples will consist of approximately 3 grams of feces collected from commercial breeders, pet shops, veterinary clinics and at residencies, in the cities of Araçatuba and São Paulo, and will be harvested in plastic bottles. The determination of the species or genotype of the parasite will be carried out using the real-time PCR to amplify fragments of the 18S subunit of the ribosomal RNA of Cryptosporidium spp., followed by sequencing of amplicons and phylogenetic analysis. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SOUZA, Milena Sato de. Ocorrência de crryptosporidium spp, em animais exóticos de companhia no Brasil: Milena Sato de Souza. -. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp). Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária. Araçatuba Araçatuba.