1
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Peake L, Inns T, Jarvis C, King G, Rabie H, Henderson J, Wensley A, Jarratt R, Roberts C, Williams C, Orife O, Browning L, Neilson M, McCarthy C, Millar P, Love N, Elwin K, Robinson G, Mannes T, Young N, Chalmers R, Elson R, Vivancos R. Preliminary investigation of a significant national Cryptosporidium exceedance in the United Kingdom, August 2023 and ongoing. Euro Surveill 2023; 28:2300538. [PMID: 37883039 PMCID: PMC10604540 DOI: 10.2807/1560-7917.es.2023.28.43.2300538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Routine laboratory surveillance has identified an unprecedented and ongoing exceedance of Cryptosporidium spp. across the United Kingdom, notably driven by C. hominis transmission, since 14 August 2023. Information from 477 reported cases in England and Wales, followed up with a standardised exposure questionnaire as of 25 September 2023, identified foreign travel in 250 (54%) of 463 respondents and swimming in 234 (66%) of 353 cases. A significant, common exposure has not yet been identified in first analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Peake
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Inns
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | | | - Grace King
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Hussein Rabie
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Joan Henderson
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Adrian Wensley
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Reece Jarratt
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Paul Millar
- Health and Safety Committee (HSC) Public Health Agency, Belfast, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom
| | - Nicola Love
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, Liverpool, the United Kingdom
| | - Kristin Elwin
- Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales, Swansea, the United Kingdom
| | - Guy Robinson
- Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales, Swansea, the United Kingdom
| | - Trish Mannes
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Nick Young
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Rachel Chalmers
- Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales, Swansea, the United Kingdom
| | - Richard Elson
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, Liverpool, the United Kingdom
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response, London, the United Kingdom
| | - Roberto Vivancos
- United Kingdom Health Security Agency, London, the United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Protection Research Unit in Gastrointestinal Infections, Liverpool, the United Kingdom
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, Liverpool, the United Kingdom
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2
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Veronesi F, Deak G, Diakou A. Wild Mesocarnivores as Reservoirs of Endoparasites Causing Important Zoonoses and Emerging Bridging Infections across Europe. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12020178. [PMID: 36839450 PMCID: PMC9964259 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12020178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesocarnivores are small- or mid-sized carnivore species that display a variety of ecologies and behaviours. In Europe, wild mesocarnivores are represented by the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the golden jackal (Canis aureus), the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), the Mustelidae of the genera Meles, Martes, Mustela, Lutra, the invasive species of raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and American mink (Neogale vison). These abundant animals thrive in various habitats and often develop their activity close to human settlements. Thus, they may play an important role in the introduction, maintenance, and transmission of major parasitic zoonoses and promote bridging infections with domestic animals. Against this background, this article reports and discusses some of the most important endoparasites of wild mesocarnivores living in Europe, on the basis of their actual role as reservoirs, spreaders, or sentinels. The data derived from epizootiological studies in different European countries, and the proven or speculated implications of the detected endoparasites in human and domestic animals' health, are discussed. Through older and recent literature review, the state-of-the-art knowledge on the occurrence and prevalence of the parasites under consideration is presented, showing further, warranted investigations and the need for surveillance and vigilance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizia Veronesi
- Parasitology Laboratory of the University Teaching Hospital, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06124 Perugia, Italy
- Correspondence: (F.V.); (G.D.); (A.D.)
| | - Georgiana Deak
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Correspondence: (F.V.); (G.D.); (A.D.)
| | - Anastasia Diakou
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Correspondence: (F.V.); (G.D.); (A.D.)
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3
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Ryan U, Hill K, Deere D. Review of generic screening level assumptions for quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) for estimating public health risks from Australian drinking water sources contaminated with Cryptosporidium by recreational activities. WATER RESEARCH 2022; 220:118659. [PMID: 35635918 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2022.118659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As urban communities continue to grow, demand for recreational access (including swimming) in drinking water sources have increased, yet relatively little is understood about the public health implications this poses for drinking water consumers. Preventative risk-based approaches to catchment management, informed by quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA), requires accurate input data to effectively model risks. A sound understanding of the knowledge gaps is also important to comprehend levels of uncertainty and help prioritise research needs. Cryptosporidium is one of the most important causes of waterborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis globally due to its resistance to chlorine. This review was undertaken by Water Research Australia to provide the most up-to-date information on current Cryptosporidium epidemiological data and underlying assumptions for exposure assessment, dose response and risk assessment for generic components of QMRA for Cryptosporidium and highlights priorities for common research. Key interim recommendations and guidelines for numerical values for relatively simple screening level QMRA modelling are provided to help support prospective studies of risks to drinking water consumers from Cryptosporidium due to body-contact recreation in source water. The review does not cover site-specific considerations, such as the levels of activity in the source water, the influence of dilution and inactivation in reservoirs, or water treatment. Although the focus is Australia, the recommendations and numerical values developed in this review, and the highlighted research priorities, are broadly applicable across all drinking source water sources that allow recreational activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Ryan
- Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Perth, Australia.
| | - Kelly Hill
- Water Research Australia, 250 Victoria Square, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Dan Deere
- Water Futures, Sydney, Australia and Water Research Australia, Australia
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4
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Tichkule S, Cacciò SM, Robinson G, Chalmers RM, Mueller I, Emery-Corbin SJ, Eibach D, Tyler KM, van Oosterhout C, Jex AR. Global population genomics of two subspecies of Cryptosporidium hominis during 500 years of evolution. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6550530. [PMID: 35302613 PMCID: PMC9004413 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidiosis is a major global health problem and a primary cause of diarrhea, particularly in young children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum and anthroponotic Cryptosporidium hominis cause most human infections. Here, we present a comprehensive whole-genome study of C. hominis, comprising 114 isolates from 16 countries within five continents. We detect two lineages with distinct biology and demography, which diverged circa 500 years ago. We consider these lineages two subspecies and propose the names C. hominis hominis and C. hominis aquapotentis (gp60 subtype IbA10G2). In our study, C. h. hominis is almost exclusively represented by isolates from LMICs in Africa and Asia and appears to have undergone recent population contraction. In contrast, C. h. aquapotentis was found in high-income countries, mainly in Europe, North America, and Oceania, and appears to be expanding. Notably, C. h. aquapotentis is associated with high rates of direct human-to-human transmission, which may explain its success in countries with well-developed environmental sanitation infrastructure. Intriguingly, we detected genomic regions of introgression following secondary contact between the subspecies. This resulted in high diversity and divergence in genomic islands of putative virulence genes, including muc5 (CHUDEA2_430) and a hypothetical protein (CHUDEA6_5270). This diversity is maintained by balancing selection, suggesting a co-evolutionary arms race with the host. Finally, we find that recent gene flow from C. h. aquapotentis to C. h. hominis, likely associated with increased human migration, maybe driving the evolution of more virulent C. hominis variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapnil Tichkule
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Simone M Cacciò
- Department of Infectious Disease, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy
| | - Guy Robinson
- Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales Microbiology, Singleton Hospital, Swansea, UK.,Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
| | - Rachel M Chalmers
- Cryptosporidium Reference Unit, Public Health Wales Microbiology, Singleton Hospital, Swansea, UK.,Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, UK
| | - Ivo Mueller
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Samantha J Emery-Corbin
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Daniel Eibach
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine Hamburg, Bernhard-Nocht-Strasse 74, 20359 Hamburg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Germany
| | - Kevin M Tyler
- Biomedical Research Centre, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK.,Center of Excellence for Bionanoscience Research, King Abdul Aziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Cock van Oosterhout
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - Aaron R Jex
- Population Health and Immunity, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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5
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Baz-González E, Martín-Carrillo N, García-Livia K, Foronda P. Molecular Detection of Cryptosporidium cuniculus in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Vet Sci 2022; 9:vetsci9020091. [PMID: 35202344 PMCID: PMC8877424 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9020091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cryptosporidium cuniculus is a zoonotic parasite responsible for cryptosporidiosis cases and outbreaks in both humans and rabbits. Since there are no molecular Cryptosporidium spp. infection data in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) from Spain, our aim was to gather information about this parasite in wild European rabbits from Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain). A total of 100 faecal samples were collected from rabbits from eight municipalities of Tenerife. Microscopic analysis showed that 4.0% of the samples presented structures compatible with Cryptosporidium oocyst. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene fragments was carried out, and sequencing confirmed the identity of C. cuniculus in one sample (1.0%). The sample was successfully subtyped using nested PCR analysis of the 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene as the subtype VbA26R3. This study confirms the presence of C. cuniculus in wild rabbits from Tenerife, providing new information on the occurrence of this zoonotic parasite. Further studies are required to better understand the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild rabbits in Spain and their possible public health repercussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar Baz-González
- Department Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; (E.B.-G.); (N.M.-C.); (K.G.-L.)
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Natalia Martín-Carrillo
- Department Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; (E.B.-G.); (N.M.-C.); (K.G.-L.)
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Katherine García-Livia
- Department Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; (E.B.-G.); (N.M.-C.); (K.G.-L.)
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
| | - Pilar Foronda
- Department Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain; (E.B.-G.); (N.M.-C.); (K.G.-L.)
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
- Correspondence:
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