Zoonotic potential of guinea pigs: Outbreak of cryptosporidiosis combined with chlamydiosis in a breeding guinea pig herd.

INTRODUCTION In a guinea pig herd with 26 breeding animals, several individuals of all age categories died (16/26) after three animals had been newly introduced from another herd. Furthermore, the population suffered of apathy, anorexia, severe weight loss and conjunctivitis, as well as abortions and stillbirths. At the same time, the owner experienced a SARS-CoV-2 infection with pneumonia, which was confirmed by taking a PCR test. Chlamydia caviae was detected from the conjunctiva and vagina/uterus in one juvenile animal together with an intestinal Cryptosporidium wrairi infection. Oocysts were found histologically in the small intestine, which was confirmed by PCR. C. wairi is a parasite adapted to guinea pigs with zoonotic potential, which causes diarrhoea with frequent deaths in larger guinea pig herds. C. caviae is also a zoonotic pathogen and often the cause of conjunctivitis, pneumonia and abortions in guinea pigs and can lead to upper respiratory tract disease, conjunctivitis but also severe pneumonia in humans. The increased death cases and the clinical signs could be traced back to an infection with Cryptosporidium wrairi, complicated by a co-infection of C. caviae. We suspect that the abortions were caused by C. caviae, but since the population was treated with various antibiotics effective against chlamydial infections, it was no longer possible to verify this by PCR testing. Unfortunately, more animals succumbed and finally only two animals of the originally 26 were left. With this case report, we would like to point out to veterinarians that guinea pigs can be an important source of zoonotic infections for various pathogens, especially since they are popular pets and often come into close contact with children where hygiene might not always be strictly followed.

[1]  Z. Zhong,et al.  CRYPTOSPORIDIUM SPP. IN PET DWARF WINTER WHITE RUSSIAN HAMSTERS (PHODOPUS SUNGORIS SUNGORIS) IN CHINA. , 2021, The Journal of parasitology.

[2]  Lihua Xiao,et al.  Genetic characterizations of Cryptosporidium spp. from pet rodents indicate high zoonotic potential of pathogens from chinchillas , 2021, One health.

[3]  D. Vanrompay,et al.  Avian Chlamydiosis , 2015, Current Clinical Microbiology Reports.

[4]  U. Ryan,et al.  Prevalence and genotyping identification of Cryptosporidium in adult ruminants in central Iran , 2019, Parasites & Vectors.

[5]  Z. Zhong,et al.  First detection of Cryptosporidium spp. in red-bellied tree squirrels (Callosciurus erythraeus) in China , 2019, Parasite.

[6]  A. Pospischil,et al.  A Review on Chlamydial Diseases in Animals: Still a Challenge for Pathologists? , 2018, Veterinary pathology.

[7]  D. Vanrompay,et al.  Zoonotic Chlamydia caviae Presenting as Community-Acquired Pneumonia. , 2017, The New England journal of medicine.

[8]  R. Fayer,et al.  Cryptosporidium species in humans and animals: current understanding and research needs , 2014, Parasitology.

[9]  R. Salehi,et al.  The identification of Cryptosporidium species in Isfahan, Iran by PCR-RFLP analysis of the 18S rRNA gene , 2007, Molecular Biology.

[10]  A. Pospischil,et al.  Chlamydiales in guinea-pigs and their zoonotic potential. , 2006, Journal of veterinary medicine. A, Physiology, pathology, clinical medicine.

[11]  Stefanie Goellner,et al.  Optimized DNA microarray assay allows detection and genotyping of single PCR-amplifiable target copies. , 2006, Molecular and cellular probes.

[12]  Una Ryan,et al.  Cryptosporidium Taxonomy: Recent Advances and Implications for Public Health , 2004, Clinical Microbiology Reviews.

[13]  D. Longbottom,et al.  Animal chlamydioses and zoonotic implications. , 2003, Journal of comparative pathology.

[14]  M. Suckow,et al.  Cryptosporidiosis in guinea pigs: an animal model , 1990, Infection and immunity.

[15]  J. Finlayson,et al.  Observations on the pathogenesis of Chlamydia psittaci infection of pregnant sheep. , 1990, Journal of comparative pathology.

[16]  H. Munro,et al.  Infectivity of a strain of Cryptosporidium found in the guinea-pig (Cavia porcellus) for guinea-pigs, mice and lambs. , 1985, Journal of comparative pathology.