Assessing Zoonotic Risks of <i>Blastocystis</i> Infection in Singapore

• 發表在: Pathogens
• Main Authors: Thet Tun Aung, Charlotte Kai Qi How, Jean-Marc Chavatte, Nazmi Bin Nazir, Edgar Macabe Pena, Bryan Ogden, Grace Rou’en Lim, Yasmina Arditi Paramastri, Lois Anne Zitzow, Hanrong Chen, Niranjan Nagarajan, Kevin Shyong Wei Tan, Benoit Malleret
• 格式: Article
• 語言: 英语
• 出版: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
• 主題: zoonosis; <i>Blastocystis</i> spp.; macaque
• 在線閱讀: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0817/14/8/773

<i>Blastocystis</i> spp. is an enteric protist that is present worldwide. Despite being discovered a century ago, there is still much to be learned about its pathogenicity and transmission. Different subtypes (ST) of <i>Blastocystis</i> spp. have been identified in various hosts, including humans, birds, and insects, and there is potential for zoonotic transmission through contact between humans and animals. The prevalence of <i>Blastocystis</i> spp. in humans and macaques in Singapore was understudied, and the findings revealed a significant prevalence of the parasite, with rates of 90% and 100% observed in each respective <i>Macaca fascicularis</i> population 1 and 2, with main subtypes (ST1, ST2, ST3, and ST5). Using metagenomics, the different subtypes of <i>Blastocystis</i> spp. (comprising ST2, ST3, and ST17) were identified in a healthy Singaporean cohort. Additionally, seven incidental findings of <i>Blastocystis</i> spp. were discovered in human patients with other gut parasites, including two ST1, two ST2, two ST3, and one ST8. Several factors such as diet or reverse zoonotic transmission are suggested to play a role in <i>Blastocystis</i> sp. subtype distribution.