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Journal Article Epublish 16 citations

PubMed: 35208899 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020446

Detection, Molecular Identification and Transmission of the Intestinal Protozoa sp. in Guinea from a Large-Scale Epidemiological Study Conducted in the Conakry Area.

Microorganisms 10(2)

Authors: Timothé Guilavogui, Nausicaa Gantois, Gaël Even, Jeremy Desramaut, Ellena Dautel, Constance Denoyelle, Fode Ibrahima Cissé, Salif Cherif Touré, Bakary Luther Kourouma, Manasi Sawant, Magali Chabé, Gabriela Certad, Eric Viscogliosi

Affiliations

  • CNRS, Inserm, CHU Lille, Institut Pasteur de Lille, U1019-UMR 9017-CIIL-Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille, Université de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.
  • Unité d'Appui à la Gestion et la Coordination des Programmes, Ministère de la Santé, Conakry BP 585, Guinea.
  • Gènes Diffusion, F-59501 Douai, France.
  • PEGASE-Biosciences (Plateforme d'Expertises Génomiques Appliquées aux Sciences Expérimentales), Institut Pasteur de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.
  • Hôpital National Ignace Deen CHU de Conakry, Laboratoire de Parasitologie, 6ème Avenue-Kouléwardy, Kaloum, Conakry BP 1263, Guinea.
  • Centre de Santé Anastasis, Quartier Nongo, Conakry BP 1032, Guinea.
  • Délégation à la Recherche Clinique et à l'Innovation, Groupement des Hôpitaux de l'Institut Catholique de Lille, F-59000 Lille, France.

Abstract

sp. is a single-celled parasite estimated to colonize the digestive tract of 1 to 2 billion people worldwide. Although it represents the most frequent intestinal protozoa in human stools, it remains still under-investigated in countries with a high risk of infection due to poor sanitary and hygiene conditions, such as in Africa. Therefore, the present study was carried out to determine the prevalence and subtype (ST) distribution of sp. in the Guinean population. For this purpose, fecal samples were collected from 500 individuals presenting or not digestive disorders in two hospitals of Conakry. Search for the parasite in stools was performed by real-time PCR targeting the small subunit rDNA gene followed by sequencing of the PCR products for subtyping of the isolates. A total of 390 participants (78.0%) was positive for sp. Five STs were identified in the Guinean cohort (ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4 and ST14) with varying frequency, ST3 being predominant. Among them, ST4 was found in only two patients confirming its global rarity in Africa whereas infections by ST14 were likely the result of zoonotic transmission from bovid. No significant association was detected between sp. colonization or ST distribution and the symptomatic status of Guinean subjects or the presence of digestive symptoms. In contrast, drilling water consumption represented a significant risk factor for infection by sp. Predominance of ST3 coupled with its low intra-ST diversity strongly suggested large-scale human-to-human transmission of this ST within this cohort. In parallel, the highest intra-ST diversity of ST1 and ST2 was likely correlated with various potential sources of infection in addition to anthroponotic transmission. These findings highlighted the active circulation of the parasite in Guinea as reported in some low-income African countries and the necessity to implement prevention and control measures in order to limit the circulation of this parasite in this endemic geographical area.

MeSH

Infections, Risk, Epidemiologic Studies, Molecular Epidemiology, Gastrointestinal Tract, Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

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