Person:
Mateo Barrientos, Marta

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First Name
Marta
Last Name
Mateo Barrientos
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/86419
Affiliation
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Faculty / Institute
Farmacia
Department
Microbiología y Parasitología
Area
Parasitología
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Start date: 2017 × Subject: 579.62 ×

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    Detection and Molecular Diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in the Endangered Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), Spain
    (Animals, 2024) Matas Méndez, Pablo; Ávalos, Gabriel; Caballero Gómez, Javier; Dashti, Alejandro; Castro-Scholten, Sabrina; Jiménez Martín, Débora; González Barrio, David; Muñoz de Mier, Gemma J.; Bailo Barroso, Begoña; Cano-Terriza, David; Mateo Barrientos, Marta; Nájera, Fernando; Xiao, Lihua; Köster, Pamela C.; García Bocanegra, Ignacio; Carmena, David
    Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are the main non-viral causes of diarrhoea in humans and domestic animals globally. Comparatively, much less information is currently available in free-ranging carnivore species in general and in the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) in particular. Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis were investigated with molecular (PCR and Sanger sequencing) methods in individual faecal DNA samples of free-ranging and captive Iberian lynxes from the main population nuclei in Spain. Overall, Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis were detected in 2.4% (6/251) and 27.9% (70/251) of the animals examined, respectively. Positive animals to at least one of them were detected in each of the analysed population nuclei. The analysis of partial ssu rRNA gene sequences revealed the presence of rodent-adapted C. alticolis (n = 1) and C. occultus (n = 1), leporid-adapted C. cuniculus (n = 2), and zoonotic C. parvum (n = 2) within Cryptosporidium, and zoonotic assemblages A (n = 5) and B (n = 3) within G. duodenalis. Subgenotyping analyses allowed for the identification of genotype VaA19 in C. cuniculus (gp60 locus) and sub-assemblages AI and BIII/BIV in G. duodenalis (gdh, bg, and tpi loci). This study represents the first molecular description of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis in the Iberian lynx in Spain. The presence of rodent/leporid-adapted Cryptosporidium species in the surveyed animals suggests spurious infections associated to the Iberian lynx’s diet. The Iberian lynx seems a suitable host for zoonotic genetic variants of Cryptosporidium (C. parvum) and G. duodenalis (assemblages A and B), although the potential risk of human transmission is regarded as limited due to light parasite burdens and suspected low excretion of infective (oo)cysts to the environment by infected animals. More research should be conducted to ascertain the true impact of these protozoan parasites in the health status of the endangered Iberian lynx.