Molecular Detection of Blastocystis Subtypes in Domestic Pigeons and Their Owners in Tafresh City

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
S. Abdolahi 1
A. Dalimi 2
M. Piranestani 3
1 Graduate of Parasitology, Faculty of medical science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of medical Parasitology and Entomology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University
3 Department of medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University
10.52547/iem.8.4.317
Abstract
Aims: Blastocystis is a common intestinal parasite among humans and various animals, including birds. The parasite has at least 28 known subtypes, of which nine subtypes have been reported in humans and livestock. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate and common subtypes of Blastocystis hominis in pigeons and their owners in Tafresh city.

Materials & Methods: The present study was designed and conducted as a case control in Tafresh city (Markazi province) during 2020-2021. For this purpose, fecal samples were collected from pigeons (300 samples) and their owners (100 samples). Stool samples were studied by microscopic methods (direct and trichrome staining examinations). Then positive stool samples were examined by PCR method through amplification of 18 SrRNA gene and sequencing.

Findings: In direct stool examination, 39 (13%) out of 300 pigeon samples and 18 (18%) out of 100 human fecal samples were found to be positive for Blastocystis. In trichrome staining method, 18% of human samples and 15% of pigeon samples were positive, while in PCR test, only 2.5% of pigeon samples and 4.5% of human samples were Blastocystis positive. The alignment results showed that all Blastocystis strains isolated in this study (100%) were similar to subtype 3.

Conclusion: Due to the low prevalence rate of this parasite in pigeons in Tafresh city, their owners are less likely to be infected with this parasite. Therefore, the relative transmission risk of this parasite from pigeons to humans is low.

Keywords

Subjects

1. Mehlhorn H. Blastocystis hominis, Brumpt 1912: are there different stages or species? Parasitol Res, 1988; 74(4):393-5.
2. Tan S, Singh M, Yap E, Ho L, Moe K, Howe J, et al. Colony formation of Blastocystis hominis in soft agar. Parasitol Res, 1996;82(4):375-7.
3. Moe K, Singh M, Howe J, Ho L, Tan S, Chen X, et al. Experimental Blastocystis hominis infection in laboratory mice. Parasitol Res, 1997;83(4):319-25.
4. Ok ÜZ, Cirit M, Üner A, Ok E, Akçiçek F, Başçi A, et al. Cryptosporidiosis and blastocystosis in renal transplant recipients. Nephron. 1997;75(2):171-4.
5. Moe K, Singh M, Howe J, Ho L, Tan S, Chen X, et al. Development of Blastocystis hominis cysts into vacuolar forms in vitro. Parasitol Res, 1999;85(2):103-8.
6. Iguchi A, Ebisu A, Nagata S, Saitou Y, Yoshikawa H, Iwatani S, et al. Infectivity of different genotypes of human Blastocystis hominis isolates in chickens and rats. Parasitol Int, 2007; 56(2):107-12.
7. Chandrasekaran H, Govind SK, Panchadcharam C, Bathmanaban P, Raman K, Thergarajan G. High lipid storage in vacoular forms of subtype 6 Blastocystis sp. in ostrich. Parasit Vectors. 2014;7(1):469.
8. Roberts T, Stark D, Harkness J, Ellis J. Subtype distribution of Blastocystis isolates from a variety of animals from New South Wales, Australia. Vet Parasitol, 2013;196(1-2):85-9.
9. Wang J, Gong B, Liu X, Zhao W, Bu T, Zhang W, et al. Distribution and genetic diversity of Blastocystis subtypes in various mammal and bird species in northeastern China. Parasit Vectors. 2018;11(1):522.
10. Maloney JG, Molokin A, da Cunha MJR, Cury MC, Santin M. Blastocystis subtype distribution in domestic and captive wild bird species from Brazil using next generation amplicon sequencing. Parasite Epidemiol. Control, 2020;9:e00138.
11. Asghari A, Sadraei J, Pirestani M, Mohammadpour I. First molecular identification and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. isolated from hooded crows (Corvus cornix) and pigeons (Columba livia) in Tehran Province, Iran. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis, 2019;62:25-30.
12. Doyle JJ, Doyle JL. A rapid DNA isolation procedure for small quantities of fresh leaf tissue. Phytochem Bull 1987;19:11–15
13. dos Santos Zanetti A, Malheiros AF, De Matos TA, Longhi FG, Moreira LM, Silva SL, et al. Prevalence of Blastocystis sp. infection in several hosts in Brazil: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Parasit Vectors, 2020;13(1):1-15.
14. Sadeghi H, Bakht M, Saghafi H, Shahsavari T. Prevalence of intestinal parasites in a population in Eghbalieh city from Qazvin Province, Iran. J Parasit Dis. 2015;39(2):126-9.
15. Nasiri V, Esmailnia k, karimi Gh, Nasiri m, Akhavan O. Intestinal Parasitic infections among inhabitants of karaj city, Iran in 2006-2008. Korean J Parasitol. 2009;47(3):265-8.
16. Haghighi A, Khorashad AS, Nazemalhosseini-Mojarad B, Kazemi B , Rostami-Nejad M, Rasti S. Frequency of enteric protozoan parasites among patients with gastrointestinal complaints in medical centers of Zahedan, Iran. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg. 2009; 103(5): 452-4.
17. Molavi GhR, Mirahmadi H, Rezaian M, Bigemkia E, Daryani N, Rokni MB. Prevalence of intestinal parasites in tribal parts of Khuzestan province during 2005-2007. Govaresh J. 2007; 12(4): 219-228.
18. Neghab M, Moosavi S, Moemenbellah-Frad MD. Prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among catering Staff of students canteens at Shiraz, Southern Iran. Pakistan J Biol Science. 2006; 9(14): 2699-2703.
19. Bairami Kuzehkanani A, Rezaei S, Babaei Z, Niyyati M, Hashemi SN, Rezaeian M. Enteric Protozoan Parasites in Rural Areas of Bandar- Abbas southern Iran: comparison of past and present Situation. Iranian j Pub Health. 2011; 40(1): 80-85.
20. Ebadi m, Anvarim.H, Rajabioun A, Dehyhani A.A. Parasitic infections in cases Referring to Yazd central laboratory ۲۰۰۲-۲۰۰۴. JSSU, 2008; 15(4): 53-58.
21. Akhlaghi L, Shamsedin J, Meamar AR, Razmjou E, Oormazdi H. Frequency of intestinal Parasites in Tehran. Iranian j Parasitol. 2009; 4(2): 44-47.
22. Nemati S, Zali MR, Johnson P, H Mirjalali, Karanis PMolecular prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. in Asia and in Australia. J Water Health. 2021; 19 (5): 687. doi: 10.2166/wh.2021.011
23. Motazedian, H., Ghasemi, H. & Sadjjadi, S. M. 2008 Genomic diversity of Blastocystis hominis from patients in southern Iran. Ann. Trop. Med. Parasitol. 102 (1), 85–88
24. Moosavi, A., Haghighi, A., Mojarad, E. N., Zayeri, F., Alebouyeh, M., Khazan, H., Kazemi, B. & Zali, M. R. 2012 Genetic variability of Blastocystis sp. isolated from symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals in Iran. Parasitol. Res. 111 (6), 2311–2315.
25. Badparva, E., Sadraee, J., Kheirandish, F. & Frouzandeh, M. 2014 Genetic diversity of human Blastocystis isolates in Khorramabad, central Iran. Iran J. Parasitol. 9 (1), 44–49
26. Azizian, M., Basati, G., Abangah, G., Mahmoudi, M. R. & Mirzaei, A. 2016 Contribution of Blastocystis hominis subtypes and associated inflammatory factors in development of irritable bowel syndrome. Parasitol. Res. 115 (5), 2003–2009.
27. Beiromvand, M., Hashemi, S. J., Arjmand, R., Sadjadei, N. & Hardanipasand, L. 2017 Comparative prevalence of Blastocystis in patients with the irritable bowel syndrome and healthy individuals: a case control study. Jundishapur J. Microbiol. 10 (6), e13572.
28. Jalallou, N., Iravani, S., Rezaeian, M., Alinaghizade, A. & Mirjalali, H. 2017 Subtypes distribution and frequency of Blastocystis sp. isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic patients. Iran J. Parasitol. 12 (1), 63–68.
29. Khademvatan, S., Masjedizadeh, R., Rahim, F., Mahbodfar, H., Salehi, R., Yousefi-Razin, E. & Foroutan, M. 2017 Blastocystis and irritable bowel syndrome: frequency and subtypes from Iranian patients. Parasitol. Int. 66 (2), 142–145.
30. Khademvatan, S., Masjedizadeh, R., Yousefi-Razin, E., Mahbodfar, H., Rahim, F., Yousefi, E. & Foroutan, M. 2018 PCR-based molecular characterization of Blastocystis hominis subtypes in southwest of Iran. J. Infect. Public Health 11 (1), 43–47.
31. Mirjalali, H., Abbasi, M. R., Naderi, N., Hasani, Z., Mirsamadi, E. S., Stensvold, C. R., Balaii, H., Asadzadeh Aghdaei, H. & Zali, M. R. 2017 Distribution and phylogenetic analysis of Blastocystis sp. subtypes isolated from IBD patients and healthy individuals in Iran. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 36 (12), 2335–2342.
32. Rezaei Riabi, T., Haghighi, A., Mirjalali, H., Mohammad Ali Gol, S., Karamati, S. A., Ghasemian, M., Bahadori Monfared, A., Aghamohammadi, E. & Zojaji, H. 2017 Study of prevalence, distribution and clinical significance of Blastocystis isolated from two medical centers in Iran. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. Bed. Bench. 10 (Suppl 1), S102–S107.
33. Rezaei Riabi, T., Mirjalali, H., Haghighi, A., Rostami Nejad, M., Pourhoseingholi, M. A., Poirier, P., Delbac, F., Wawrzyniak, I. & Zali, M. R. 2018 Genetic diversity analysis of Blastocystis subtypes from both symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects using a barcoding region from the 18S rRNA gene. Infect. Genet. Evol. 61, 119–126.
34. Salehi, R., Haghighi, A., Stensvold, C. R., Kheirandish, F., Azargashb, E., Raeghi, S., Kohansal, C. & Bahrami, F. 2017 Prevalence and subtype identification of Blastocystis isolated from humans in Ahvaz, Southwestern Iran. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. Bed. Bench. 10 (3), 235–241.
35. Piranshahi, A. R., Tavalla, M. & Khademvatan, S. 2018 Genomic analysis of Blastocystis hominis isolates in patients with HIV-positive using locus SSU-rDNA. J. Parasit. Dis. 42 (1), 28–33.
36. Mardani Kataki, M., Tavalla, M. & Beiromvand, M. 2019 Higher prevalence of Blastocystis hominis in healthy individuals than patients with gastrointestinal symptoms from Ahvaz, southwestern Iran. Comp. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 65, 160–164.
37. Taghipour, A., Javanmard, E., Mirjalali, H., Haghighi, A., Tabarsi, P., Sohrabi, M. R. & Zali, M. R. 2019 Blastocystis subtype 1 (allele 4); predominant subtype among tuberculosis patients in Iran. Comparat. Immunol. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 65, 201–206.
38. Alinaghizade, A., Mirjalali, H., Mohebali, M., Stensvold, C. R. & Rezaeian, M. 2017. Inter- and intra-subtype variation of Blastocystis subtypes isolated from diarrheic and non-diarrheic patients in Iran. Infect. Genet. Evol. 50, 77–82.
39. Badparva, E., Sadraee, J. & Kheirandish, F. 2015 Genetic diversity of Blastocystis isolated from cattle in Khorramabad, Iran. Jundishapur J. Microbiol. 8 (3), e14810.
40. Javanmard, E., Rahimi, H. M., Niyyati, M., Aghdaei, H. A., Sharifdini, M., Mirjalali, H., Zali, M. R. & Karanis, P. 2019 Molecular analysis of Blastocystis sp. & its subtypes from treated wastewater routinely used for irrigation of vegetable farmlands in Iran. J. Water Health. 17 (5), 837–844.
41. Rene, B.A. Stensvold C.R., Badsberg J.H. & Nielsen H.V. 2009. Subtype analysis of Blastocystis isolates from Blastocystis cyst excreting patients. Am J Trop Med Hyg 80: 588-592.
42. Souppart, L., Sanciu G., Cian A., Wawrzyniak I., Delbac F., Capron M., Dei-Cas E., Boorom K., Delhaes L. & Viscogliosi E.. 2009. Molecular epidemiology of human Blastocystis isolates in France. Parasitol. Res. 105: 413-421.
43. Thathaisong, U., Worapong J., Mungthin M., Tan-Ariya P., Viputtigul K., Sudatis A., Noonai A. & Leelayoova S. 2003. Blastocystis isolates from a pig and a horse are closely related to Blastocystis hominis. J. Clin. Microbiol. 41: 967-975
Infection Epidemiology and Microbiology
Volume 8, Issue 4
December 2022
Pages 317-325