Development of a Subtyping Tool for Zoonotic Pathogen Cryptosporidium canis

ABSTRACT

Cryptosporidium canis is an important cause of cryptosporidiosis in canines and humans. Studies of the transmission characteristics of C. canis are currently hampered by the lack of suitable subtyping tools. In this study, we conducted a genomic survey of the pathogen and developed a subtyping tool targeting the partial 60-kDa glycoprotein gene (gp60). Seventy-six isolates previously identified as C. canis were analyzed using the new subtyping tool. Amplicons of the expected size were obtained from 49 isolates, and phylogenetic analysis identified 10 subtypes clustered into five distinct groups (XXa to XXe). The largest group, XXa, contained 43 isolates from four subtypes that differed slightly from each other at the nucleotide level, while groups XXb to XXe contain one to three isolates each. The similar distributions of subtypes in humans and canines suggest that zoonotic transmission might play an important role in the epidemiology of C. canis. In addition, suspected zoonotic transmission of C. canis between dogs and humans in a household was confirmed using the subtyping tool. The subtyping tool and data generated in this study might improve our understanding of the transmission of this zoonotic pathogen.