Survey and Molecular Characterization of <i>Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto</i> from Livestock and Humans in the Altai Region of Xinjiang, China
Baoping Guo,
Li Zhao,
Lu Zhao,
Rongsheng Mi,
Xu Zhang,
Bingjie Wang,
Gang Guo,
Yuan Ren,
Wenjing Qi,
Zhuangzhi Zhang
Affiliations
Baoping Guo
State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No.137, Liyushan Road, Urumqi 830054, China
Li Zhao
Veterinary Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, No. 726, Dongrong Street, Urumqi 830013, China
Lu Zhao
College of Life Sciences, Shaanxi Normal University, No. 620 Xi Chang‘an Avenue, Xi’an 710119, China
Rongsheng Mi
Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture, Laboratory of Quality and Safety Risk Assessment for Animal Products on Biohazards (Shanghai) of Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China
Xu Zhang
Veterinary Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, No. 726, Dongrong Street, Urumqi 830013, China
Bingjie Wang
Veterinary Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, No. 726, Dongrong Street, Urumqi 830013, China
Gang Guo
State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No.137, Liyushan Road, Urumqi 830054, China
Yuan Ren
State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No.137, Liyushan Road, Urumqi 830054, China
Wenjing Qi
State Key Laboratory of Pathogenesis, Prevention and Treatment of High Incidence Diseases in Central Asia, Xinjiang Medical University, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University, No.137, Liyushan Road, Urumqi 830054, China
Zhuangzhi Zhang
Veterinary Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, No. 726, Dongrong Street, Urumqi 830013, China
Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the metacestode Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), is an important zoonotic parasite, endemic in the Altai region of China. It is a serious human health risk and causes livestock losses. To evaluate the prevalence, genetic variation, and population structure of CE, 2898 sheep and 703 cattle were examined from October 2019 to mid-February 2020 in the Altai region (Altai, Habahe, Fuhai, and Buerjin). Sheep had an infection rate of 4.52% (131/2898) and cattle had an infection rate of 4.84% (34/703). In total, 180 cyst isolates were obtained, including 131 sheep, 34 cattle, and 15 from CE human patients. The cysts were investigated using mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1). Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) results showed that, among the two genotypes of E. granulosus s.s., there were 22 different haplotypes (Haps). Phylogenetic analysis and parsimony network indicated that seventeen (77.27%) Haps belonged to the sheep strain (G1 genotype) and five Haps (22.73%) belonged to the buffalo strain (G3 genotype). Hap3 was the most common haplotype (65.00%, 112/180), which belongs to the G1 genotype. Hap18–Hap22 were found in human samples, indicating that sheep and cattle reservoirs of human CE. Molecular diversity indices revealed the high levels of haplotype diversity and relatively low levels of nucleotide diversity. Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs tests displayed that the Altai population had a significant deviation from neutrality. Based on pairwise fixation index (Fst) values, a low level of genetic differentiation was found between the populations of E. granulosus s.s. isolated from different regions. The present survey findings represent an epidemiological survey of CE in the Altai region where there were two genotypes simultaneously and will provide more information on the genetic structure of E. granulosus s.s. within this region.
