Genetic Polymorphism and Zoonotic Potential of <i>Enterocytozoon bieneusi</i> from Nonhuman Primates in China

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an important zoonotic pathogen. To assess the human-infective potential of E. bieneusi in nonhuman primates (NHPs), we examined the prevalence and genotype distribution of E. bieneusi in 23 NHP species by PCR and sequence analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS). A total of 1,386 fecal specimens from NHPs from five provinces in China were examined, and E. bieneusi was detected in 158 (11.4%) specimens from five NHP species, including cynomolgus monkey (67.7%), rhesus macaque (8.8%), Japanese macaque (33.3%), white-headed langur (13.6%), and golden snub-nosed monkey (3.5%) (P < 0.0001). The infection rates were 70.2%, 21.5%, 8.5%, 7.5%, and 5.6% in Guangdong, Yunnan, Guangxi, Henan, and Sichuan Provinces, respectively (P < 0.0001). The prevalence was significantly…