First report of <i>Enterocytozoon</i> bieneusi and <i>Encephalitozoon intestinalis</i> infection of wild mice in Slovakia

Abstract

Increased risk of zoonotic transmission of the potential human pathogenic species Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis and Encephalitozoon cuniculi was detected in wild immunocompetent mice (Mus musculus musculus; n=280). Analysis was conducted with the use of PMP1/PMP2 primers and SYBR Green RT-PCR. Using Real Time PCR and comparing the sequences with sequences in the GenBank, E. bieneusi was detected in 3 samples (1.07 %), E. cuniculi in 1 sample (0.35 %) and E. intestinalis in 1 sample (0.35 %). The results of this report document the low host specificity of detected microsporidia species, and imply the importance of synanthropic rodents as a potential source of human microsporidial infection.

Keywords

• mice
• microsporidia
• Enterocytozoon bieneusi
• Encephalitozoon intestinalis
• Encephalitozoon cuniculi
• zoonotic potencial