Prevalence and genotype analysis of Cryptosporidium spp. in nine species of wild rodents in China.

Cryptosporidium is a significant zoonotic parasite with broad distribution in both humans and rodents. In this study, 510 fecal samples were collected from nine species of wild rodents across Guangxi, Yunnan, and Hunan Provinces in China. Nested PCR analysis targeting the SSU rRNA gene revealed an overall Cryptosporidium infection rate of 1.8% (9/510) among rodents in these provinces. The highest positivity rate was observed in Guangxi Province at 4.9% (5/103), followed by Yunnan Province (2.3%, 2/88), and Hunan Province (0.6%, 2/319). Notably, Rattus losea exhibited the highest prevalence rate at 9.8% (4/41), while Rattus flavipectus and Niviventer lotipes showed rates of 5.1% (2/39) and 4.4% (1/23), respectively. Various genotypes/species were identified, including Cryptosporidium viatorum, Cryptosporidium muris, Cryptosporidium vole genotype VII, and Cryptosporidium ratti, rat genotypes II, and IV. The study also found that wild rodents inhabiting mountainous areas had a higher prevalence rate at 4.9% (5/103) compared to those residing in fields and lake beaches, where prevalence rates were 2.1% (2/95) and 0.6% (2/312), respectively. This study provides new insights into Cryptosporidium infection rates among wild rodents and identifies two zoonotic species, C. viatorum and C. muris. These findings underscore the potential risk posed by Chinese wild rodent populations in transmitting zoonotic Cryptosporidium, which could significantly impact public health. Therefore, effective control strategies are needed to prevent transmission between humans and rodents.