Prevalence of Pentatrichomonas hominis infection in wild rodents

Abstract

Abstract Background Pentatrichomonas hominis is a zoonotic pathogen linked to gastrointestinal diseases in various animal species and humans. However, its prevalence of in wild rodents remains unexplored. Therefore, investigating the prevalence and molecular characteristics of P. hominis in wild rodents is essential. Methods This study assessed the prevalence of P. hominis in wild rodents by analyzing 510 fecal samples using nested PCR. Statistical analysis of risk factors was performed with SAS (v9.0) and SPSS software. Results The infection rates were 18.18% (16/88) in Yunnan, 0.94% (3/319) in Hunan, and 0% (0/103) in Guangxi. Among the species, Rattus rattus sladeni had the highest infection rate at 40% (2/5), followed by R. flavipectus at 23.08% (9/39), while Niviventer lotipes (0%, 0/23) and R. losea (0%, 0/41) showed no infection. Seasonally, the highest prevalence was observed in autumn (18.18%, 16/88) and the lowest in winter (0%, 0/103). Rodents from farmland had significantly higher infection rates than mountain areas (0%, 0/103) and lakeshores (0.32%, 1/312). Although female rodents had a higher infection rate (4.62%, 11/238) compared to males (2.94%, 8/272), the difference was not statistically significant. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all P. hominis strains identified belonged to the zoonotic CC1 genotype. Conclusions This study is the first to describe the distribution of P. hominis in wild rodents, paving the way for further epidemiological research on this parasite in wild animals. Such research is crucial for developing strategies to protect human health from zoonotic threats from wild rodents. Graphical Abstract

Keywords

• Pentatrichomonas hominis
• Wild rodents
• Prevalence
• Genotype
• China