Molecular Prevalence and Genotype Distribution of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Different Hosts in Türkiye: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the most common zoonotic pathogens, infecting a wide range of hosts and has also been reported worldwide. In this study, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis showing the prevalence and genotypic characterization of E. bieneusi in Türkiye. Four databases [PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Turkish Academic Network and Information Center (Ulakbim)] were used for the search, and a total of 15 studies were included. These studies were distributed across eleven provinces and ten hosts, including humans, livestock, pets, and milk samples from cattle, sheep, and water buffalo. A total of 3427 samples were examined, and the pooled prevalence of E. bieneusi was calculated to be 9.4% (95% CI, 5.5–15.5%). Most samples in the dataset were from humans (n = 723). ERUSS1 (n = 73) was the dominant genotype among the identified E. bieneusi genotypes. The five genotypes (D, Type IV, YNDCEB-90, Peru 6, and ERUNT1) were assigned to Group 1, which is considered zoonotic and poses a major public health threat to humans, and the remaining genotypes (n = 20) were assigned to Group 2, known as a ruminant-specific group. No genotypic characterization of human samples was performed. We recommend additional studies to identify E. bieneusi genotypes in humans and in unstudied areas as target regions to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of E. bieneusi in Türkiye.