Morphological and molecular identification of Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in dairy cattle, Bos taurus from intensive dairy cattle farms in some areas of China

IF 2.2 2区农林科学 Q2 PARASITOLOGY

Veterinary parasitology Pub Date : 2025-09-30 DOI:10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110621

Jiashu Lang , Huikai Qin , Jinfeng Zhao , Kaihui Zhang , Zi Yan , Ziyang Qin , Junqiang Li , Yayun Wu , Yixuan Niu , Yifan Zhang , Longxian Zhang

{"title":"Morphological and molecular identification of Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in dairy cattle, Bos taurus from intensive dairy cattle farms in some areas of China","authors":"Jiashu Lang , Huikai Qin , Jinfeng Zhao , Kaihui Zhang , Zi Yan , Ziyang Qin , Junqiang Li , Yayun Wu , Yixuan Niu , Yifan Zhang , Longxian Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110621","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Coccidiosis is among the most prevalent diseases affecting dairy cattle globally, imposing significant economic losses on the dairy industry annually. To better understand the epidemiology and species distribution of Eimeria spp. in key dairy-producing regions of China, as well as to improve species-level identification, we developed an integrated approach combining morphological characterization with single-oocyst selection technology and multi-locus-nested PCR amplification. This method enables comprehensive genetic profiling of individual oocysts through multi-locus genotyping. A total of 900 fecal samples were collected from the rectums of dairy cattle, the overall prevalence of Eimeria spp. infection was 34.78 % (313/900). Thirteen Eimeria spp. were identified with the following distribution: Eimeria alabamensis (12.46 %, 39/313), E. auburnensis (28.43 %, 89/313), E. bovis (42.81 %, 134/313), E. bukidnonensis (5.75 %,18/313), E. canadensis (27.80 %,87/313), E. cylindrica (30.67 %,96/313), E. ellipsoidalis (37.06 %,116/313), E. pellita (0.30 %,1/313), E. subspherical (28.12 %,88/313), E. zuernii (50.48 %,158/313), E. illinoisensis (25.56 %,80/313), E. wyomingensis (3.83 %,12/313), E. ildefonsoi (1.28 %,4/313). Among these, E. bovis and E. zuernii were the predominant species. Our study contributes new data of Eimeria spp. infection in dairy cattle from key dairy-producing regions of China. We provide updated morphological characterizations for several Eimeria species, for the first time in China, the presence of E. ildefonsoi. Additionally, we performed comparative sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA and COI loci. The results revealed sequence homology ranges of 93.00 %–100.00 % (SSU rRNA) and 83.30 %–98.80 % (COI) among the 13 Eimeria species examined. Phylogenetic analysis based on these two loci effectively differentiated all 13 Eimeria species. This study represents the first report of single-oocyst-derived sequences for Eimeria spp. in dairy cattle at the SSU rRNA and COI loci, establishing a robust method for precise species identification and expanding the genetic database for bovine Eimeria.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23716,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology","volume":"340 ","pages":"Article 110621"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Veterinary parasitology","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304401725002328","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PARASITOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Coccidiosis is among the most prevalent diseases affecting dairy cattle globally, imposing significant economic losses on the dairy industry annually. To better understand the epidemiology and species distribution of Eimeria spp. in key dairy-producing regions of China, as well as to improve species-level identification, we developed an integrated approach combining morphological characterization with single-oocyst selection technology and multi-locus-nested PCR amplification. This method enables comprehensive genetic profiling of individual oocysts through multi-locus genotyping. A total of 900 fecal samples were collected from the rectums of dairy cattle, the overall prevalence of Eimeria spp. infection was 34.78 % (313/900). Thirteen Eimeria spp. were identified with the following distribution: Eimeria alabamensis (12.46 %, 39/313), E. auburnensis (28.43 %, 89/313), E. bovis (42.81 %, 134/313), E. bukidnonensis (5.75 %,18/313), E. canadensis (27.80 %,87/313), E. cylindrica (30.67 %,96/313), E. ellipsoidalis (37.06 %,116/313), E. pellita (0.30 %,1/313), E. subspherical (28.12 %,88/313), E. zuernii (50.48 %,158/313), E. illinoisensis (25.56 %,80/313), E. wyomingensis (3.83 %,12/313), E. ildefonsoi (1.28 %,4/313). Among these, E. bovis and E. zuernii were the predominant species. Our study contributes new data of Eimeria spp. infection in dairy cattle from key dairy-producing regions of China. We provide updated morphological characterizations for several Eimeria species, for the first time in China, the presence of E. ildefonsoi. Additionally, we performed comparative sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA and COI loci. The results revealed sequence homology ranges of 93.00 %–100.00 % (SSU rRNA) and 83.30 %–98.80 % (COI) among the 13 Eimeria species examined. Phylogenetic analysis based on these two loci effectively differentiated all 13 Eimeria species. This study represents the first report of single-oocyst-derived sequences for Eimeria spp. in dairy cattle at the SSU rRNA and COI loci, establishing a robust method for precise species identification and expanding the genetic database for bovine Eimeria.

查看原文本刊更多论文

中国部分地区集约化牛场奶牛艾美耳球虫属（顶复合体：艾美耳球虫科）的形态与分子鉴定

球虫病是影响全球奶牛的最普遍疾病之一，每年给乳制品行业造成重大经济损失。为了更好地了解艾美耳球虫在中国重点产奶区的流行病学和物种分布，提高物种水平的鉴定水平，本研究采用形态学鉴定、单卵囊选择技术和多位点巢式PCR扩增相结合的方法。这种方法可以通过多位点基因分型对单个卵囊进行全面的遗传分析。共采集奶牛直肠粪便900份，艾美耳虫感染率为34.78 %（313/900）。十三艾美球虫属种虫害是认同以下分配:艾美球虫属alabamensis(12.46 %,39/313),大肠auburnensis(28.43 %,89/313),e .宝(42.81 %,134/313),大肠bukidnonensis(5.75 %,18/313),e .黄花(27.80 %,87/313),大肠cylindrica(30.67 %,96/313),大肠ellipsoidalis(37.06 %,116/313),大肠pellita(0.30 %,1/313),大肠subspherical(28.12 %,88/313),大肠zuernii(50.48 %,158/313),大肠illinoisensis(25.56 %,80/313),大肠wyomingensis(3.83 %,12/313),大肠ildefonsoi(1.28 %,4/313)。其中，牛伊螨和猪伊螨为优势种。本研究为中国主要产奶区奶牛艾美耳虫感染提供了新的数据。我们更新了几个艾美球虫种的形态特征，首次在中国发现了艾美球虫的存在。此外，我们对SSU rRNA和COI位点进行了比较序列分析。结果表明，13种艾美耳球虫的序列同源性范围分别为93.00 % ~ 100.00 % （SSU rRNA）和83.30 % ~ 98.80 % （COI）。基于这两个基因座的系统发育分析能够有效区分13种艾美耳球虫。该研究首次报道了奶牛艾美耳球虫单卵囊衍生序列的SSU rRNA和COI位点，建立了一种可靠的物种精确鉴定方法，并扩展了牛艾美耳球虫遗传数据库。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Veterinary parasitology 农林科学-寄生虫学

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

7.70%

发文量

126

审稿时长

36 days

期刊介绍： The journal Veterinary Parasitology has an open access mirror journal,Veterinary Parasitology: X, sharing the same aims and scope, editorial team, submission system and rigorous peer review. This journal is concerned with those aspects of helminthology, protozoology and entomology which are of interest to animal health investigators, veterinary practitioners and others with a special interest in parasitology. Papers of the highest quality dealing with all aspects of disease prevention, pathology, treatment, epidemiology, and control of parasites in all domesticated animals, fall within the scope of the journal. Papers of geographically limited (local) interest which are not of interest to an international audience will not be accepted. Authors who submit papers based on local data will need to indicate why their paper is relevant to a broader readership. Parasitological studies on laboratory animals fall within the scope of the journal only if they provide a reasonably close model of a disease of domestic animals. Additionally the journal will consider papers relating to wildlife species where they may act as disease reservoirs to domestic animals, or as a zoonotic reservoir. Case studies considered to be unique or of specific interest to the journal, will also be considered on occasions at the Editors'' discretion. Papers dealing exclusively with the taxonomy of parasites do not fall within the scope of the journal.