Investigation of the Infection of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Sheep and Goats in Jiangsu, China

Enterocytozoon bieneusi (E. bieneusi) is a parasite that infects both animals and humans. Understanding its distribution and genetic diversity is important for disease prevention and control. This study investigated the presence and genotypes of E. bieneusi in sheep and goats across five regions in Jiangsu Province, China. The research found that E. bieneusi was present in all tested regions, with infection rates varying from 23.65% to 42.81%. The overall infection rate was 36.51%. There was no significant difference in infection rates between sheep and goats or between animals of different ages, but health condition did affect infection rates. Six genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified, all belonging to a non-zoonotic group. These findings contribute to the better understanding and management of E. bieneusi infections in Jiangsu. In order to investigate the infection status and genotypes of Enterocytozoon bieneusi (E. bieneusi) in sheep and goats in Jiangsu Province, a total of 786 fresh fecal samples from 18 farms across five regions in Jiangsu were collected and examined for the presence of E. bieneusi, and the genotype of E. bieneusi was examined using nested-PCR and sequencing of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer. The results showed that E. bieneusi was detected in the fecal samples of sheep and goats in all regions, with infection rates ranging from 23.65% to 42.81%. The overall infection rate was 36.51% (287/786). The infection rate of E. bieneusi showed no significant difference between sheep and goats, as well as among different ages of animals (p > 0.05), but showed a significant difference in sheep and goats with different health conditions (p < 0.05). The positive products were amplified and cloned and subjected to sequenced analysis. Six genotypes, BEB6, CHG2, CHG3, CHC8, CHG14, and COS-I, were found. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the six genotypes belonged to Group 2, which had previously been described as a non-zoonotic group.