First molecular detection and multilocus genotyping of Enterocytozoon bieneusi from pigs in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous region, Southern China

Abstract Background enterocytozoon bieneusi is a cosmopolitan microsporidian that infects a wide range of vertebrate and invertebrate hosts including humans, domestic animals and wild game. In this study, we determined the prevalence of E. bieneusi in pigs from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, examined the different genotypes present, and assessed their zoonotic potential. Methods This study investigate the prevalence and multilocus genotyping of E. bieneusi in pigs from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in China. We collected 721 fecal samples from pigs in four regions (Guigang, Nanning, Hezhou and Yulin). These samples were subsequently analyzed using nested PCR and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Results The results demonstrated that the overall prevalence of E. bieneusi in pigs was 24.55%, ranging from 11.48 to 43.26% among four regions. The infection rates of E. bieneusi in pigs of four types (breeding pigs, piglets, nursery pigs and fattening pigs) and two feeding modes (free-range farming and intensive farming) ranged from 9.71 to 42.42%, and 16.71–34.71% respectively. The results of statistical analysis revealed that there were significant differences in the prevalence of E. bieneusi in different regions, types and feeding modes (P < 0.05). Ten novel genotypes (GXP-1 to GXP-10) and 12 known genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified. Genotype EbpC and EbpA were the main prevalent genotypes in this study. All the identified E. bieneusi genotypes were clustered to zoonotic group 1 by phylogenetic analysis. Fifty-seven samples were simultaneously amplified at three microsatellite loci and one minisatellite loci, resulting in the formation of 44 distinct multilocus genotypes (MLGs). Conclusions The present study for the first time revealed the prevalence and genotypes diversity of E. bieneusi in pigs from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, providing foundational data for the prevention and control of this parasitic disease. Moreover, the observed genotype distribution of E. bieneusi suggests a substantial risk of zoonotic transmission, highlighting the need for sustained surveillance and targeted intervention strategies.