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Zoonotic Microsporidia in Wild Lagomorphs in Southern Spain

Anabel Martínez-Padilla1, Javier Caballero-Gómez2,3, Ángela Magnet4

  • 1Departamento de Biología Molecular y Bioquímica, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain.

Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|December 1, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Zoonotic microsporidia, Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon intestinalis, were found in Spanish wild rabbits and hares. This highlights a potential public health concern from consuming these game meats.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Parasitology
  • Foodborne Pathogens
  • Wildlife Health

Background:

  • Microsporidia are opportunistic fungal pathogens infecting diverse animals, including humans.
  • Zoonotic species pose risks through consumption of contaminated animal products.
  • European wild rabbits and Iberian hares are consumed in Spain, necessitating assessment of their pathogen load.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detect zoonotic microsporidia (Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon intestinalis, Encephalitozoon hellem, Encephalitozoon cuniculi) in wild rabbits and hares.
  • To evaluate the risk of foodborne transmission of these microsporidia to humans in Spain.
  • To report the first instances of Encephalitozoon intestinalis in these lagomorph species.

Main Methods:

  • Species-specific PCR was employed to detect microsporidia DNA in tissue samples.
  • Kidney and brain tissues from 383 wild rabbits and 79 Iberian hares were analyzed.
  • Samples were collected from wild lagomorphs in southern Spain between 2015 and 2018.

Main Results:

  • Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in 0.8% of wild rabbits.
  • Encephalitozoon intestinalis was found in 0.3% of wild rabbits and 3.8% of Iberian hares.
  • Encephalitozoon hellem and Encephalitozoon cuniculi were not detected in any analyzed lagomorphs.

Conclusions:

  • The absence of E. hellem and E. cuniculi suggests a low risk from these specific species.
  • The presence of E. bieneusi and E. intestinalis in game meat warrants public health attention.
  • Further research is needed to ascertain the actual prevalence of these microsporidia in wild lagomorph populations.
Keywords:
E. cuniculiE. hellemEncephalitozoon intestinalisEnterocytozoon bieneusiEuropean wild rabbitIberian harefoodbornezoonotic

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