Occurrence and Zoonotic Evaluation of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Dogs and Cats in Wenzhou, Southern China

Background: Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are important enteric diarrheal pathogens commonly found in various animals and humans and have significant implications for public health. The purpose of present study was to investigate the prevalence, species and genotypes and zoonotic evaluation of the two parasitic pathogens in dogs and cats in Wenzhou, southern of China. Methods: 89 fecal samples collected from 51 dogs and 38 cats were used to investigate the positive rates of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi using the nested polymerase chain reaction amplification on methods, species and genotypes of them were conformed by sequencing and alignment. Result: The positive rates of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi were 7.8%(4/51), 17.6%(9/51) in dogs and 7.9%(3/38) ,10.5%(4/38) in cats, respectively. Sequence analysis revealed that Cryptosporidium canis, genotypes PtEb IX, CD9 and NED3 of E. bieneusi were confirmed in dogs, Cryptosporidium felis, Type IV in cats, respectively. C canis, C. felis and Type IV of E. bieneusi genotype belong to the zoonotic pathogens.The zoonotic species/genotype of these two pathogens identified in pets in this study indicated the potential zoonotic risk in pets-to- humans transmission. The effective interventions should be taken to prevent the spread of these enteric zoonotic pathogens.