Infection Genetics and Evolution最新文献

{"title":"In silico comparative analysis of genetic diversity and natural selection of Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium vivax etramp11.2 gene.","authors":"Ahmed Saif, Pratisthita Baruah, Syeda Wasfeea Wazid, Ashish Panigrahi, Jin-Hee Han, Md Atique Ahmed, Fu Shi Quan","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105733","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105733","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A comprehensive analysis of genetic diversity in field samples is essential for developing an effective strain-transcending malaria vaccine and antigens capable of producing cross-protective immunity can be crucial in combatting malaria. We explored the genetic diversity, natural selection, epitope prediction, and haplotype network analysis of etramp11.2, a potential antigen recently shown to exhibit cross-species reactivity in clinical samples of Plasmodium knowlesi and Plasmodium vivax. We retrieved gene sequences of etramp11.2 from P. knowlesi (n = 42) and P. vivax (n = 112) from public databases and studied the genetic diversity, natural selection, haplotype diversity, and epitope prediction analyses. Both species exhibited low worldwide nucleotide diversity within the cross-reactive domain. Purifying selection was stronger in P. knowlesi compared to P. vivax. Regional analysis in Pvetramp11.2 revealed higher genetic diversity in Africa, followed by North and South America, compared to low nucleotide diversity observed in Asia and Oceania. Haplotype network analysis showed shared clusters and with no geographical clustering of samples. In silico epitope prediction identified six potential epitopes in P. knowlesi and two in P. vivax, including a fully conserved epitope (AERKKRN) in both species. This study provides a preliminary snapshot of ETRAMP11.2 diversity in field samples and its potential for future studies towards a cross-protective vaccine target against both species. Further studies with higher numbers of sequences and functional antibody analyses are needed to validate these findings.</p>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"105733"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143538184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylodynamics and phylogeography of watermelon mosaic virus: Multiple local invasion routes in southern France and recombination-driven limits to global analysis.","authors":"Patrick Hoscheit, Cécile Desbiez","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105732","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105732","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Watermelon mosaic virus (WMV) is a major plant pathogen, infecting over 170 plant species, including cucurbits and legumes. Though mostly propagated locally by aphids in a non-persistent manner, long-range dispersal can occur through human-induced plant or vector movements. Understanding patterns of local and global spread of WMV is crucial to help formulate adequate control strategies. We used phylodynamic methods based on partial and whole-genome sequences collected in France between 2000 and 2017 to reconstruct the introduction of new lineages in the past 30 years and their subsequent diffusion in the country. We identified at least 11 different introduction events, hailing from different parts of the global diversity of WMV, highlighting the critical role international exchanges play in the spread of plant pathogens. For three of these lineages, we estimated the time and location of their introduction in the mid-1990s in the south of France and the speed at which they spread in this specific landscape. We also showed that the highly recombinogenic nature of WMV, as with most potyviruses, makes the use of whole genomes necessary to classify these viruses on a global scale and must be taken into consideration to reconstruct viral evolutionary history. Our results demonstrate how genomic sequencing of plant viruses can help reconstruct specific viral outbreaks and understand global circulation patterns of plant pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"105732"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143531088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reassessing the dengue virus type 4 in Brazil: Genomic sequencing and dispersion dynamics, 2011–2017","authors":"Priscila Fonseca Ferreira ,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando Almeida Machado ,&nbsp;Jedson F. Cardoso ,&nbsp;Luciano C. Franco Filho ,&nbsp;Alex Ranieri Jerônimo Lima ,&nbsp;Marcelo Adriano Mendes dos Santos ,&nbsp;James Siqueira Pereira ,&nbsp;Márcio R.T. Nunes","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105731","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105731","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Orthoflavivirus denguei</em> (Dengue virus) type 4; (DENV-4) has emerged as a significant public health concern in Brazil, particularly following its reintroduction in the early 21st century. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of DENV-4's genetic characterization and its spatiotemporal dynamics reassessment within Brazil, with a focus on the period between 2010 and 2017. We performed direct genomic sequencing on 24 human samples obtained from various Brazilian states using a multiplex sequencing approach on the Ion Torrent platform. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the new isolates belong exclusively to the genotype 4II, lineage 4II_B.1.1, with no detection of genotype 4I, which was previously identified in Brazil. This absence of genotype 4I in our findings suggests a potential decline, not adaptation to mosquito host, sub endemic circulation or displacement of this genotype in the country. The phylogeographic analysis indicates multiple introduction events of genotype 4II into Brazil, with significant dispersion across different regions, including the North, Northeast, Midwest, and Southeast. The temporal analysis confirmed a robust evolutionary signal, supporting the observed phylogenetic clustering. Eighteen of the 24 genomes in this study had unique nonsynonymous mutations across the entire coding sequences and seven genomes showed mutations that altered the biochemical property of the amino acids at E, NS1, NS2B, NS3,and NS5 genes compared with genotype 4I. Our findings underscore the ongoing spread of DENV-4 within Brazil, and in the Americas driven by complex networks of viral dispersion, and highlight the dynamic nature of DENV-4 genotype distribution. This study emphasizes the importance of advanced direct genomic sequencing tools in understanding the DENV-4 dynamics and spreading, providing critical insights for public health strategies on genomic surveillance to control further dengue outbreaks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 105731"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143519519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unraveling the genome of Proteus mirabilis strain representing the O78 serogroup: Insights into the unique features of the O-antigen biosynthesis gene cluster.","authors":"Katarzyna Zegadło, Dominika Drzewiecka, Grzegorz Czerwonka","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105730","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105730","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the outermost component of Gram-negative bacterial cells, is critical to bacterial pathogenicity, functioning as an endotoxin that activates the human immune system and induces an inflammatory response during infection. LPS comprises three primary components: lipid A, the oligosaccharide core, and the O-antigen. The O-antigen, in particular, is highly variable and strain-specific, playing a pivotal role in how the host immune system recognizes bacterial cells. This study focuses on the Proteus mirabilis 1B-m strain, belonging to serogroup O78, the most prevalent serogroup in hospitals in Lodz, Poland. Given the increasing hospitalization rates, particularly among the elderly and catheterized patients, understanding the common strains and their virulence factors is crucial. This work presents bioinformatics analyses based on next-generation sequencing data (both short and long reads), aimed at elucidating the structure of the gene cluster responsible for O-antigen biosynthesis in the 1B-m strain. Our results suggest the presence of a unique wzx flippase in the strain, alongside the characterization of role of the licD gene, which was most often assigned a role in the phosphocholine decoration process of LPS. The function of licD in this strain appears to be linked to the ispD gene, potentially involved in the biosynthesis of CDP-ribitol. Additionally, we explored other genomic features, including the strain's genetic similarity to closely related microorganisms, the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes, and prophage elements. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic factors underlying the pathogenicity of the P. mirabilis 1B-m strain and its potential implications for hospital-acquired infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":" ","pages":"105730"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143506152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Duplex PCR-Nanopore sequencing assay for Cryptosporidium species and subtype determination","authors":"Gustav Killander ,&nbsp;Georgina Isak ,&nbsp;Anna-Malin Linde ,&nbsp;Abdolreza Advani ,&nbsp;Caroline Rönnberg ,&nbsp;Ioana Bujila","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105727","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105727","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The protozoan parasite <em>Cryptosporidium</em> is a global cause of gastrointestinal disease and cryptosporidiosis outbreaks are common. Current widely used methods for <em>Cryptosporidium</em> species and subtype determination, i.e., analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (<em>ssu RNA</em>) and the 60 kDa glycoprotein (<em>gp60</em>) using Sanger sequencing, are complex and labor intensive. As such, developing a more rapid, accurate, automated and cost-effective method for species and subtype determination is desired. In this study, we describe the design of a new method for rapid simultaneous PCR-amplification of the <em>ssu rRNA</em> and <em>gp60</em> loci followed by Nanopore sequencing.</div><div>Species and subtypes assessed by Sanger sequencing, were successfully detected using Nanopore sequencing with 95 % concordance. Further, sequence similarity was assessed by comparing <em>ssu rRNA</em> and <em>gp60</em> sequences attained from the two methods. Minor differences between the two methods in regards to <em>ssu rRNA</em> sequences were detected, however these differences did not affect species determination. In regards to the <em>gp60</em> gene, all sequences were identical.</div><div>Overall, duplex PCR followed by Nanopore sequencing correlated well with Sanger sequencing, which is commonly used for <em>Cryptosporidium</em> species and subtype determination. As such, this newly developed method will replace Sanger sequencing at the Public Health Agency of Sweden.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 105727"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437550","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genotoxic risks in patients with COVID-19","authors":"Nurşen Başaran ,&nbsp;Olga Szewczyk-Roszczenko ,&nbsp;Piotr Roszczenko ,&nbsp;Yegor Vassetzky ,&nbsp;Nikolajs Sjakste","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105728","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105728","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous deaths worldwide. Despite the mitigation of infection manifestations in recent months, the possible consequences of the epidemic remain difficult to predict. Genotoxicity and subsequent development of neoplasms are possible outcomes. This review summarises the data on these questions. Studies from several countries have reported increased levels of DNA damage in nucleated blood cells of patients with severe forms of COVID-19 infection. The level of DNA damage can be used as a prognostic factor for the disease outcome. It is considered that SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins play a crucial role in DNA damage; however, the virus also inhibits the DNA repair system. Co-morbidities and use of antiviral drugs may also contribute to DNA damage in patients with COVID-19.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 105728"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative phylogenetic and sequence identity analysis of internal transcribed spacer 2 and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I as DNA barcode markers for the most common equine Strongylidae species","authors":"Irina Diekmann ,&nbsp;Jürgen Krücken ,&nbsp;Tetiana A. Kuzmina ,&nbsp;Christina M. Bredtmann ,&nbsp;Mariana Louro ,&nbsp;Vitaliy A. Kharchenko ,&nbsp;Thomas Tzelos ,&nbsp;Jacqueline B. Matthews ,&nbsp;Luís M. Madeira de Carvalho ,&nbsp;Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105729","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105729","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Morphologically, 64 strongylid species have been described in equines. Co-infections are common, with up to 29 species reported in a single horse. Morphological identification of these species is time consuming and requires expert knowledge due to their similar appearance. Therefore, non-invasive identification methods are needed. DNA barcoding offers a rapid and reliable tool for species identification and the discovery of cryptic species for these most common parasitic nematodes of equines. In total, 269 cytochrome <em>c</em> oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and 312 internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2) sequences from 27 equine Strongylidae species, including sequences from two uncharacterised species, <em>Coronocyclus sagittatus</em> and <em>Triodontophorus tenuicollis</em>, were generated and combined with COI and ITS-2 sequences data from six Cyathostominae species from previous studies. This study represents a comprehensive DNA barcoding analysis of 22 Cyathostominae and six Strongylinae species using mitochondrial COI gene and ITS-2 sequences. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed and the intra- and interspecific genetic distances for both markers were compared. Analysis revealed complex phylogenetic relationships. Para- and polyphyletic relationships were observed among most genera within Strongylinae and Cyathostominae. This challenges current morphological classifications. Although both markers showed overlapping pairwise identities in intra- and inter-species comparisons, COI had higher discriminatory power than ITS-2. Expanding the COI and ITS-2 reference database, including the first sequences for <em>Coronocyclus sagittatus</em> and <em>Triodontophorus tenuicollis,</em> improve a reliable species identification and advanced studies on Strongylinae and Cyathostominae diversity using barcoding and metabarcoding.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 105729"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143426838","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phylodynamic analysis of a prolonged meningococcal epidemic reveals multiple introductions and pre-epidemic expansion","authors":"Zuyu Yang ,&nbsp;Heather Davies ,&nbsp;Jane Clapham ,&nbsp;Liza Lopez ,&nbsp;Holly B. Bratcher ,&nbsp;Audrey Tiong ,&nbsp;Xavier Didelot ,&nbsp;Martin C.J. Maiden ,&nbsp;Philip E. Carter ,&nbsp;Xiaoyun Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105726","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105726","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Neisseria meningitidis</em> is the causative agent of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), a form of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia, leading to isolated cases, outbreaks, and epidemics worldwide. Between 1991 and 2008, Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ) experienced a prolonged hyperendemic group B IMD outbreak caused by the NZMenB epidemic strain, belonging to clonal-complex 41/44 (cc41/44) and identified by the PorA variant P1.7–2,4 (B:4:P1.7–2,4:cc41/44). NZMenB continues to account for approximately one-quarter of group B meningococcal disease cases in NZ. To understand NZMenB origin and initiation we used phylodynamic tools to analyse approximately 97 % of all NZMenB isolates submitted to the NZ Meningococcal Reference Laboratory from 1990 to 2019. We found NZMenB can be divided into three major clades: clade41, clade154, and clade42, each with distinct origins and expansion patterns. Our evidence from molecular dating and clonal expansion analysis suggests that NZMenB was circulating and had expanded before the epidemic. Comparison with international data showed multiple importations and re-introductions of NZMenB into NZ, while not suggesting close relationships with international variants. The recent COVID-19 health emergency and differing governmental responses have brought societal and environmental contributions to epidemics and pandemics into focus. We propose the NZMenB epidemic may have been triggered by increasing societal inequality and household crowding resulting from government policies at the time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 105726"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143384145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diamonds in the rif: Alignment-free comparative genomics analysis reveals strain-transcendent Plasmodium falciparum antigens amidst extensive genetic diversity","authors":"Jonathan G. Lawton ,&nbsp;Albert E. Zhou ,&nbsp;Emily M. Stucke ,&nbsp;Shannon Takala-Harrison ,&nbsp;Joana C. Silva ,&nbsp;Mark A. Travassos","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105725","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105725","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The repetitive interspersed family (<em>rif</em>) and subtelomeric variable open reading frames (<em>stevor</em>) are highly diverse multi-gene families in the malaria parasite <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em>. Embedded on the surface of infected erythrocytes, RIFIN and STEVOR proteins are involved in cytoadherence and immune evasion, but the extent of family-wide sequence diversity across strains has yet to be comprehensively investigated in light of improved resolution of the subtelomeric genome sequences. Using a <em>k-mer</em> frequency approach, we analyzed long-read genomic sequence data from 18 geographically diverse <em>P. falciparum</em> genome assemblies, including lab strains and clinical isolates. We hypothesized that <em>k-mer</em> sequence comparison can identify existing RIFIN and STEVOR subgroups, identify novel subgroups, and generate more robust and reliable estimates of family-wide sequence diversity. Full-length RIFIN and STEVOR proteins shared on average 49.5% and 61.1% amino acid <em>k-mer</em> similarity, respectively, which fell to 25.1% and 20% in the hypervariable regions alone. Despite this diversity, we identified 11 RIFINs and five STEVORs that were conserved across strains above expected thresholds. A subset of these strain-transcendent genes was similar and syntenic to genes in related <em>Plasmodium</em> species, suggesting an ancient origin. Additionally, <em>in silico</em> structural predictions from AlphaFold showed that three-dimensional structures of RIFIN receptor-binding regions were more conserved than their sequences suggested. Evolutionarily constrained RIFINs and STEVORs may have critical functions in parasite survival or pathogenesis. This study provides a framework for investigating diversity in highly variable multi-gene families and highlights the potential of strain-transcendent RIFIN and STEVOR proteins as vaccine candidates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"129 ","pages":"Article 105725"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143375029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of microsporidia in stool specimens isolated from multiple sclerosis patients in the west of Iran","authors":"Hadi Abbasnia ,&nbsp;Taher Mohammadian ,&nbsp;Mohammadbagher Khademerfan ,&nbsp;Fares Bahrami ,&nbsp;Mansoureh Paknejadi","doi":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105720","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.meegid.2025.105720","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Intestinal microsporidiosis is an emerging opportunistic infection that primarily affects individuals with compromised immune systems. This study investigated intestinal microsporidia infections in individuals diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and elucidated the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of microsporidia.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 116 stool samples were collected from individuals diagnosed with MS, including 54 men and 63 women, during 2022–2023 in Kurdistan Province, western Iran. The mean age of the participants was 38.28 ± 7.8 years. RNA extraction was performed, followed by amplification of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) to identify and characterize microsporidia and their associated genetic markers. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA X software to explore the evolutionary relationships among the isolates.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>PCR revealed <em>Enterocytozoon bieneusi</em> in 5 of 116 samples (4.3 %), whereas no positive cases of <em>Encephalitozoon</em> species were detected. Additionally, no statistically significant associations were observed between the presence of microsporidia and variables such as age, sex, or geographic region.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study highlights the clinical significance of <em>Enterocytozoon bieneusi</em> in immunocompromised populations, particularly in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The findings underscore the potential role of zoonotic transmission and highlight the urgent need for enhanced diagnostic capabilities and preventive strategies to combat intestinal microsporidiosis in vulnerable groups, particularly in regions such as western Iran.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54986,"journal":{"name":"Infection Genetics and Evolution","volume":"128 ","pages":"Article 105720"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143226891","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}