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Detection and genotyping of Cryptosporidium from brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) captured in an urban area of Japan

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Abstract

We investigated the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium parasite in 50 brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) inhabiting an urban area of Japan. Fecal samples collected from the animals were examined by an immuno-fluorescence assay (IFA). Genomic DNA was extracted directly from fecal sample of each animal and nested PCR was performed to amplify part of the 18S ribosomal RNA (18SrRNA) of the Cryptosporidium species. The detection rate was 8% by IFA and 38% by nested PCR. The sequence and phylogenetic analyses of 13 PCR products showed that the Cryptosporidium from brown rats were clustered into four distinct genotypes. Interestingly, one of the four genotypes was significantly distinct from the C. parvum and C. hominis genotypes. Our results suggest the existence of a new genotype of Cryptosporidium in brown rats.

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Acknowledgment

We thank Dr. Motohiro Iseki of Kanazawa University, School of Medicine for his stimulating and helpful discussions and for providing us the C. parvum HNJ-1strain. We are also grateful to Dr. Guy Harris of DMC Corporation for his review of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Virology, Osaka Prefecture Institute of Public Health, 1-3-69 Nakamichi, Higashinari-ku, Osaka, 537-0025, Japan

    Akio Kimura

  2. Department of Environment and Water, Osaka Prefecture Institute of Public Health, Osaka, Japan

    Akiko Edagawa

  3. Division of Environmental Hygiene, Nishinomiya City Office, Nishinomiya, Hyougo, Japan

    Kunihiro Okada, Atsutoshi Takimoto & Shizuo Yonesho

  4. National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan

    Panagiotis Karanis

  5. Medical and Molecular Parasitology, Centre of Anatomy, Institute II, Medical School, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany

    Panagiotis Karanis

Authors
  1. Akio Kimura
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  2. Akiko Edagawa
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  3. Kunihiro Okada
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  4. Atsutoshi Takimoto
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  5. Shizuo Yonesho
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  6. Panagiotis Karanis
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Correspondence to Akio Kimura.

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Kimura, A., Edagawa, A., Okada, K. et al. Detection and genotyping of Cryptosporidium from brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) captured in an urban area of Japan. Parasitol Res 100, 1417–1420 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0488-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-007-0488-9

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