The First Case of Diarrhoea in Tibetan Sheep, Ovis aries, Caused by Balantidium coli in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area, China

This study was carried out to determine the pathogen-causing diarrhoea in sheep Ovis aries in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area, China. A trophozoite was identified as species of ciliate alveolates infecting the sheep based on morphological characteristics examined by microscope. It was mostly spheri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Korean journal of parasitology 2018-12, Vol.56 (6), p.603-607
Main Authors: Jian, Ying-Na, Wang, Ge-Ping, Li, Xiu-Ping, Zhang, Xue-Yong, Ma, Li-Qing
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Balantidiasis - parasitology
Balantidiasis - veterinary
Balantidium - classification
Balantidium - cytology
Balantidium - genetics
Balantidium - isolation & purification
Case Report
Cluster Analysis
Diarrhea - parasitology
Diarrhea - veterinary
DNA, Protozoan - chemistry
DNA, Protozoan - genetics
DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry
DNA, Ribosomal - genetics
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry
DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics
Male
Microscopy
Phylogeny
RNA, Ribosomal, 18S - genetics
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Sheep
Sheep Diseases - parasitology
Sheep, Domestic
Tibet
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Summary:This study was carried out to determine the pathogen-causing diarrhoea in sheep Ovis aries in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area, China. A trophozoite was identified as species of ciliate alveolates infecting the sheep based on morphological characteristics examined by microscope. It was mostly spherical, colourless and transparent, with many vesicles. Macronucleus and contractile vacuoles could not be distinguished. Size of the trophozoite was 80-180 × 70-150 μm and its surface was covered with cilia. Molecular analysis based on sequences of 18S rRNA and ITS genes confirmed the ciliate species as Balantidium coli. According to the literature, there have been many epidemiological investigations of B. coli infection in pigs, monkeys and humans. To our knowledge, this was the first report of B. coli infections in sheep in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Area of China, or eleswhere around the world. Importantly, the sheep case was rare but raised our concern that B. coli may spread across species and expand its host range.
ISSN:0023-4001
1738-0006
DOI:10.3347/kjp.2018.56.6.603