Abstract:

Objective To determine Cryptospordium infection in primates in a zoo of Shanghai. Methods Fresh fecal samples of primates were collected in a zoo in Shanghai from March 2013 to October 2014. The samples underwent Auramine phenol and modified acid-fast staining to detect oocysts of Cryptosporidium. The 18S rRNA gene was amplified by nested PCR. The PCR products were sequenced and phylogenetic trees were constructed with the neighbor-joining method using Mega 7 software. Results A total of 83 fecal samples were collected from primates from 8 families, 37 species. None was positive for oocysts of Cryptospordium. Nested PCR of 18S rRNA gene generated positive products from 3 samples from No. 3 orangutan, No. 42 and No. 44 mandrills, respectively, with a positive rate of 3.61%(3/83). The sequences of the three products all shared 99% identity with Cryptosporidium andersoni（GenBank Accession No. KT175424, KF271479 and KF271467). The phylogenetic tree showed that the three samples were in the same branch as other species of Cryptosporidium andersoni(GenBank Accession No. KT175424, KF271479, KF271467, KF826314 and KJ917578). This implied that the three Cryptosporidium isolates were C. andersoni. Conclusion Cryptospordium infection exists in primates in the zoo in Shanghai, indicating a potential risk of zoonosis.

Key words: Cryptosporidium, Zoo, Primate, Genotype, Infection