Subtypes of Blastocystis in Tibetan Antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii).

Blastocystis is a protist that is distributed in the gut tract of humans and animals. However, the reports about Blastocystis infection in Tibetan antelope are scarce. We collected 173 Tibetan antelope feces samples from Xinjiang, Qinghai and Xizang, and amplified the SSU rRNA gene of 600 bp region of Blastocystis in our research. Fifty-one samples in total were positive for Blastocystis, with all subtypes being ST31. The lowest prevalence of Blastocystis was observed in Xizang (2/20, 9.1%), followed by Qinghai (18/92, 16.4%), Xinjiang (31/61, 33.7%). The highest prevalence of Blastocystis in Tibetan antelope was detected during the summer was (19/30, 38.8%). This is the first research work regarding the Blastocystis subtypes ST31 in Tibetan antelope. Our research provides information for future researches on the distribution of this Blastocystis subtype and the control of Blastocystis infection.

Global prevalence of Plasmodium infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Avian malaria is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium infection transmitted to birds by mosquitoes. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the global prevalence of malaria and risk factors associated with infection in wild birds. A systematic search of the databases CNKI, WanFang, VIP, PubMed, and ScienceDirect was performed from database inception to 24 February 2023. The search identified 3181 retrieved articles, of which 52 articles met predetermined inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model. The estimated pooled global prevalence of Plasmodium infection in wild birds was 16%. Sub-group analysis showed that the highest prevalence was associated with adult birds, migrant birds, North America, tropical rainforest climate, birds captured by mist nets, detection of infection by microscopy, medium quality studies, and studies published after 2016. Our study highlights the need for more understanding of Plasmodium prevalence in wild birds and identifying risk factors associated with infection to inform future infection control measures.

Meta-analysis of the prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in sheep and goats in China.

Giardia duodenum (G. duodenalis) can cause giardiasis and infect a variety of hosts. So far, there have been no detailed data regarding the positive rate of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats in China. Here, a systematic literature review was carried out to investigate the epidemiology of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats in China. To perform the meta-analysis, the databases CNKI, VIP, WanFang, PubMed, Web of science and ScienceDirect were employed for screening studies related to the prevalence of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats in China. The total prevalence of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats was estimated to be 7.00% (95% CI: 4.00-10.00). In the age subgroup, the prevalence of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats of >12 months (11.29%; 95% CI: 8.08-14.97) was higher than that in sheep and goats of ≤12 months (7.57%; 95% CI: 3.95-12.24). An analysis based on seasons showed that the prevalence of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats was higher in summer (11.90%; 95% CI: 0.50-35.05) than that in other seasons. The prevalence of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats after 2016 was 8.57% (95% CI: 5.34-11.79), which was higher than others. The highest prevalence of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats was 13.06% (95% CI: 6.26-19.86) recorded in Southwestern China. The prevalence of Giardia infection in sheep (7.28%; 95% CI: 2.30-14.73) was higher than that in goats (5.43%; 95% CI: 2.73-8.98). The NOAA's National Center for Environmental Information (https://gis.ncdc.noaa.gov/maps/ncei/cdo/monthly) was used to extract relevant geoclimatic data (latitude, longitude, elevation, temperature, precipitation, humidity, and climate). By analyzing the data of each subgroup, it was shown that region, genetype, and climate were potential risk factors for giardiasis prevalence in sheep and goats. Based on the analysis of common factors and geographical factors, it is recommended to strengthen effective management measures (e.g. ventilation and disinfection in warm and humid areas) and formulate relevant policies according to local conditions. Breeders should strengthen the detection of G. duodenalis in sheep and goats, customize corresponding control measures according to the diet and living habits of sheep and goats, and strengthen the protection of sheep and lamb calves, so as to reduce the incidence rate and reduce the economic loss of China's animal husbandry.

Prevalence of bovine coronavirus in cattle in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is one of the important pathogens that cause calf diarrhea (CD), winter dysentery (WD), and the bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC), and spreads worldwide. An infection of BCoV in cattle can lead to death of young animals, stunted growth, reduced milk production, and milk quality, thus bringing serious economic losses to the bovine industry. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent and control the spread of BCoV. Here, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence of BCoV in cattle in China before 2022. A total of 57 articles regarding the prevalence of BCoV in cattle in China were collected from five databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, CNKI, VIP, and Wan Fang). Based on the inclusion criteria, a total of 15,838 samples were included, and 6,136 were positive cases. The overall prevalence of BCoV was 30.8%, with the highest prevalence rate (60.5%) identified in South China and the lowest prevalence (15.6%) identified in Central China. We also analyzed other subgroup information, included sampling years, sample sources, detection methods, breeding methods, age, type of cattle, presence of diarrhea, and geographic and climatic factors. The results indicated that BCoV was widely prevalent in China. Among all subgroups, the sample sources, detection methods, breeding methods, and presence or absence of diarrheal might be potential risk factors responsible for BCoV prevalence. It is recommended to strengthen the detection of BCoV in cattle, in order to effectively control the spread of BCoV.

Global prevalence and risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in Equus: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Intoduction: Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic disease caused by Cryptosporidium infection with the main symptom of diarrhea. The present study performed a metaanalysis to determine the global prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Equus animals. Methods: Data collection was carried out using Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Chinese journal database (VIP), WanFang Data, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases, with 35 articles published before 2021 being included in this systematic analysis. This study analyzed the research data through subgroup analysis and univariate regression analysis to reveal the factors leading to high prevalence. We applied a random effects model (REM) to the metadata. Results: The total prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium in Equus was estimated to be 7.59% from the selected articles. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in female Equus was 2.60%. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium in Equus under 1-year-old was 11.06%, which was higher than that of Equus over 1-year-old (2.52%). In the experimental method groups, the positive rate detected by microscopy was the highest (10.52%). The highest Cryptosporidium prevalence was found in scale breeding Equus (7.86%). The horses had the lowest Cryptosporidium prevalence (7.32%) among host groups. C. muris was the most frequently detected genotype in the samples (53.55%). In the groups of geographical factors, the prevalence rate of Cryptosporidium in Equus was higher in regions with low altitude (6.88%), rainy (15.63%), humid (22.69%), and tropical climates (16.46%). Discussion: The search strategy use of five databases might have caused the omission of some researches. This metaanalysis systematically presented the global prevalence and potential risk factors of Cryptosporidium infection in Equus. The farmers should strengthen the management of young and female Equus animals, improve water filtration systems, reduce stocking densities, and harmless treatment of livestock manure.

Global Prevalence of Echinococcosis in Goats: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Echinococcosis is a foodborne parasitic zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus. This disease can affect goats and other mammals. In this study, a systematic review and meta-analysis for echinococcosis in global goats were performed based on the following five databases (China National Knowledge Infrastructure [CNKI], VIP Chinese Journal Database, Wanfang Data, PubMed, and ScienceDirect). In total, 108,197 samples were collected. The global prevalence of echinococcosis in goats was identified to be 10.85% (3217/108,197). The prevalence of echinococcosis in goats was 6.16% (1369/22,208) and 13.27% (874/5932) in South America and Africa, respectively. The prevalence of echinococcosis in goats before 2010 (9.76%; 112/713) was significantly higher than that from 2010 to 2014 (1.44%; 45/32,145) or after 2014 (2.95%; 154/3889). The prevalence of echinococcosis in goats aged <12 months (4.48%; 70/2911) was higher than that in goats aged ≥12 months (2.88%; 36/819). We also investigated the effects of geographical factors and climates on the prevalence of echinococcosis in goats. The results showed that the prevalence of echinococcosis was higher in the areas with high altitude and cold climate. This meta-analysis indicated that echinococcosis was ubiquitous in goats. Thus, we should improve the feeding conditions for goats, and strengthen the control measures of echinococcosis epidemic in goats, with the aims of reducing the economic losses of animal husbandry and providing protection for humans in the aspects of food security and health.

Born to Win: Reproductive Health Policy and Urban Education Returns in China.

This study explores the relationship between China's reproductive health policy and the rate of return on urban education by using fixed-effect, mediating-effect, and breakpoint regression models. The authors study the impact of China's reproductive health policy on individual years of education, income, return on education, the impact of reproductive health policy on population health, and overall human development. The empirical results show that the implementation of China's reproductive health policy can improve the rate of return on urban education and increase the average length of education of urban residents by 0.29 years. Under the breakpoint regression model, the educational return rate of urban residents is approximately 12.2% higher than the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimate. China's reproductive health policy has significantly promoted the return rate of residents' education and simultaneously effectively promoted the income of urban residents. With the development of the economy, the government should properly adjust reproductive health policies and improve the population health rate so that the adjustment of reproductive health policies can comprehensively promote the health of residents of all ages. The overall relaxation of family restrictions on children's human capital investment will likely reduce the negative impact of the overall relaxation of family planning, not only improving the health of the population but also contributing to sustainable economic development.