Pentatrichomonas hominis: prevalence and molecular characterization in humans, dogs, and monkeys in Northern China

Pentatrichomonas hominis is an anaerobic amitochondrial flagellated protist that primarily colonizes the large intestines of a number of species, including cats, dogs, nonhuman primates, and humans. The prevalence of this parasite in dogs, monkeys, and humans is, however, poorly understood. In this study, a total of 362 fecal samples including 252 dogs, 60 monkeys, and 50 humans from northern China were collected for an epidemiological survey of P. hominis infection.The average prevalence of P. hominis infection determined by nested PCR was 27.38 % (69/252), 4.00 % (2/50), and 46.67 %(28/60) in dogs, humans, and monkeys, respectively. The prevalence was significantly higher in 6-month-old dogs (41.53 %) and children (7.69 %) than in older dogs (14.39 %) and adults (0 %) ( P