First Data on the Occurrence and Genotyping of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Wrestling Camels in Türkiye

Abstract Purpose Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the most prevalent microsporidian parasite and has wide host diversity, including animals and humans. However, there are a limited number of studies on the presence, molecular epidemiology, and genotyping of E. bieneusi in camels worldwide. Currently, no data are available on the occurrence, distribution, and genotypes of E. bieneusi in wrestling camels in Türkiye. This study aimed to address the knowledge gap regarding E. bieneusi in wrestling camels in Türkiye. Methods In this study, a total of 110 fecal samples from camels in various provinces of Türkiye were investigated to reveal the presence of E. bieneusi, and the subsequent zoonotic potential of isolates was assessed at the genotype level by PCR-sequence analysis of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene region. Results Three fecal specimens were detected as E. bieneusi positive, and the overall prevalence was 2.72%. Further sequence analyses revealed a novel genotype hereby named camelEb from wrestling camels in the Aydin (n = 1) and Mugla (n = 2) provinces of Türkiye. In the phylogenetic analyses, the camelEb genotype clustered into group 6 with other genotypes reported from camels. Conclusion This is the first report on the presence of E. bieneusi in wrestling camels, suggesting that camels could also serve as a potential reservoir or carrier for E. bieneusi in Türkiye.