Dataset Information

Large-scale survey of a neglected agent of sparganosis Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in wild frogs in China.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:In China, frogs play an understudied role in the spread of human sparganosis (caused by the larval form of Spirometra). However, our knowledge about the prevalence of sparganum infection in frogs remains fragmented, and the taxonomic identification of the parasite is still controversial. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:The prevalence of sparganum infection in wild frogs was surveyed at 145 geographical locations from 28 of the 34 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in China for six years. The collected sparganum isolates from the different locations were subjected to molecular identification by a multiplex PCR assay and then were analysed with clustering analysis. In the survey, sparganum infection was found in 8 out of 13 of the collected frog species, and the most frequently infected species was Pelophylax nigromaculatus (the infection rate was up to 14.07%). Infected frogs were found in 80 of the 145 surveyed locations. The sparganum infection rates in the wild frogs in several regions of China were still high (above 10%), especially in South and Southwest China. A total of 72 spargana were selected for molecular identification, and the clustering analysis showed that sequences from the Chinese isolates were very similar to those identified as from Spirometra erinaceieuropaei. However, the taxonomy of the genus remains confused and further analysis is required. CONCLUSIONS:Eating wild frogs is associated with considerable health risks in China. Several traditional Chinese folk remedies may increase the risk of infection. The sparganum isolates in China are most likely from S. erinaceieuropaei, but new studies, especially comprehensive morphological analyses, are needed in the future.

SUBMITTER: Zhang X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7043720 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Large-scale survey of a neglected agent of sparganosis Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in wild frogs in China.

Zhang Xi X Hong Xiu X Liu Shi Nan SN Jiang Peng P Zhao Shu Chuan SC Sun Chuan Xi CX Wang Zhong Quan ZQ Cui Jing J

PLoS neglected tropical diseases 20200226 2

<h4>Background</h4>In China, frogs play an understudied role in the spread of human sparganosis (caused by the larval form of Spirometra). However, our knowledge about the prevalence of sparganum infection in frogs remains fragmented, and the taxonomic identification of the parasite is still controversial.<h4>Methodology/principal findings</h4>The prevalence of sparganum infection in wild frogs was surveyed at 145 geographical locations from 28 of the 34 provinces/autonomous regions/municipaliti ...[more]

PMID: 32101542

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Project description:BackgroundSpirometra erinaceieuropaei is a diphylobothriid tapeworm with a complex life-cycle including definitive, intermediate and paratenic (transport) hosts. Multiple routes of parasite transmission often make it impossible to determine what type of host a specific infected animal is considered to be. Spargana larvae cause sparganosis, a severe food- and water-borne disease mainly found in Asia. In Poland, Spirometra sp. was reported in large carnivores in Białowieża Primeval Forest for the first time in the 1940s and was recently confirmed as S. erinaceieuropaei in several mammals and snakes using molecular methods.MethodsIn total, 583 carcasses of 9 carnivore species were necropsied between 2013 and 2019 in north-eastern (NE) Poland. The larvae of S. erinaceieuropaei (spargana) were isolated from subcutaneous tissue, counted, and preserved for genetic analyses. We calculated the prevalence and intensity of infection. To assess spatial variation in S. erinaceieuropaei infection probability in NE Poland, we applied a generalized additive model (GAM) with binomial error distribution. To confirm the species affiliation of isolated larvae, we amplified a partial fragment of the 18S rRNA gene (240 bp in length).ResultsSpirometra larvae were found in the subcutaneous tissue of 172 animals of 7 species and confirmed genetically as S. erinaceieuropaei. The overall prevalence in all studied hosts was 29.5% with a mean infection intensity of 14.1 ± 33.8 larvae per individual. Native European badgers and invasive raccoon dogs were characterized by the highest prevalence. An analysis of parasite spread showed a spatially diversified probability of infection with the highest values occurring in the biodiversity hot spot, Białowieża Primeval Forest.ConclusionsOur study revealed that various mammal species (both native and non-native) can serve as S. erinaceieuropaei reservoirs. The frequency and level of infection may differ between selected hosts and likely depend on host diversity and habitat structure in a given area. Further studies are needed to assess the distribution of the parasite throughout Europe and the environmental and biological factors influencing infection severity in wild mammals.

Dataset Information

Large-scale survey of a neglected agent of sparganosis Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in wild frogs in China.

Publications

Large-scale survey of a neglected agent of sparganosis Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in wild frogs in China.

Similar Datasets

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