Beata Szostakowska

Dr. Beata Szostakowska

Department of Tropical Parasitology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdańsk

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

13Years (2014-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 June 2014 in Veterinary Parasitology
Verified
Journal Article
Closed access
BSBeata Szostakowska
Beata Szostakowska
Anna LassAnna Lass
Anna Lass
KKK. Kostyra
K. Kostyra
HPH. Pietkiewicz
H. Pietkiewicz
PMP. Myjak
P. Myjak

21 July 2020 in Pathogens
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
MRMonika Rudzińska
Monika Rudzińska
BKBeata Kowalewska
Beata Kowalewska
BSBeata Szostakowska
Beata Szostakowska
Maciej GrzybekMaciej Grzybek
Maciej Grzybek
KSKatarzyna Sikorska
Katarzyna Sikorska
AŚAgnieszka Świątalska
Agnieszka Świątalska
Blastocystis is an enteric microorganism commonly found in humans and animals worldwide. Its pathogenic role in humans and transmission patterns has not been fully explained. However, nine subtypes (ST1–8, ST12) are considered as potentially zoonotic. Studies from various regions of the world show that pigs are mainly infected with ST5. Although pigs are important farmed animals in Poland, the question of Blastocystis infection in these animals has not yet been investigated. Herein, 149 pig stool samples from 10 Polish pig farms were analyzed using sequence-tagged-site PCR and barcode region sequencing. The percentage of samples in which Blastocystis was identified using each method separately was similar: 38.25% and 37.58%, respectively. However, the percentage of positive results obtained by combining both methods was 46.97%, which means that, depending on the method used, the number of undetected samples varied between 8.72% and 9.39%. This shows the methodological limitations of up-to-date molecular approaches commonly used in Blastocystis research. A moderate infection rate (44.4–50%) observed in different pig age groups with a vital predominance of ST5 (94.28%) in every age group shows that pigs are a likely natural host of ST5. A small percentage of mixed infections, namely ST5/ST1 (5.26%), ST5/ST3 (1.75%), and ST3/ST1 (1.75%), was observed only in animals of older age, suggesting that ST3 and ST1 can be acquired by pigs during contact with humans. This study provides the first data on the prevalence and Blastocystis subtypes (STs) distribution in pigs in Poland. The results also highlight the need for the development of new methods capable of detecting highly genetically diverse Blastocystis isolates and mixed infections.