This is the first report of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in an equid species. Feces from 195 horses from 4 locations in Colombia were examined for E. bieneusi by polymerase chain reaction. Of these, 21 horses (10.8%) were found positive for E. bieneusi . The prevalence of E. bieneusi in horses 1 yr of age (2.5%). No significant differences in prevalence were observed between male (13.7%) and female horses (9%). Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region of the SSUrRNA locus identified 3 genotypes. Two genotypes appear to be unique to horses and were named Horse 1 and Horse 2. A third genotype, identified as genotype D, was detected in 4 horses. This genotype, previously reported to infect humans, beaver, cattle, dogs, falcons, foxes, macaques, muskrats, pigs, and raccoons, is the most ubiquitous of the E. bieneusi zoonotic genotypes. Our findings indicate that E. bieneusi from horses can be a potential source of infection for humans.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in dogs in Bogota, Colombia for the first time. Of 120 dogs, 15% were positive by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Infected dogs ranged from 2 to 14 years of age, and more male than female dogs were infected with E. bieneusi (20% versus 5%). All PCR-positive specimens were sequenced and three genotypes were identified. A dog-specific genotype (PtEbIX) was identified in feces from 16 dogs. For two dogs, the nucleotide sequences obtained were genetically identical to the E. bieneusi Peru 5 and K genotypes previously reported as human pathogens. This is the first time that Peru 5 and K genotypes have been identified in dogs. This study confirms that dogs are infected with both human pathogenic and host-specific genotypes.

The aim of this work was to detect and identify Rickettsia species in ticks collected in rural areas of Villeta, Colombia. Tick specimens were collected from domestic animals and walls of houses in five rural villages of Villeta town and from humans in Naranjal village (same town). Moreover, a flea collected from the same area was also processed. DNA was extracted and tested by conventional, semi-nested, and nested PCR reactions targeting rickettsial genes. In the ticks collected from humans from Naranjal village, a nymph of Amblyomma cajennense sensu lato was amplified using primers for ompA and sequenced (100% identity with “Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii”). Last, three amplicons from the Ctenocephalides felis flea, corresponding to gltA, ompB, and 16S rRNA genes, showed high identity with R. felis (98.5%, 97.3%, and 99.2%, respectively) and “Candidatus Rickettsia asemboensis” (99.7% and 100%, respectively). To our knowledge, these results correspond to the first molecular detection in Colombia of “Candidatus Rickettsia amblyommii” and “Ca. Rickettsia asemboensis” in fleas.

R. rickettsii in A. patinoi Ticks