ISSN 2756-3391
African Journal of Parasitology Research | Vol. 14, No. 9, August 2026 | pp. 709–716
DOI: 10.46882/AJPR/140709
Article Type: Short Communication
Title: Detection and genotyping of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in asymptomatic school-aged children in rural communities of the Okavango Delta, Botswana
Names of Authors: Thabo O. Lekgowe¹, Kabelo M. Motshudi¹, Neo C. Mmoloki²
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. ²Okavango Research Institute, University of Botswana, Maun, Botswana.
Abstract: Microsporidia are emerging opportunistic pathogens capable of causing persistent gastrointestinal disease, yet their baseline occurrence in asymptomatic populations living near wildlife-livestock interfaces remains under-studied. This short communication reports on the prevalence and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) genotype distribution of Enterocytozoon bieneusi among 310 asymptomatic school children (aged 6 to 12 years) across rural settlements in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Fecal specimens were analyzed using nested PCR amplification of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region followed by direct bidirectional sequencing. The molecular screening revealed a baseline Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection rate of 7.4 percent (n = 23). Sequence analysis identified three distinct genotypes: the zoonotic genotype D was the most prevalent (52.2 percent, n = 12), followed by genotype Type IV (30.4 percent, n = 7) and a host-adapted avian lineage genotype Peru6 (17.4 percent, n = 4). No significant statistical correlations were observed between microsporidian infection and participant age or gender (P > 0.05). However, risk assessment modeling linked genotype D positivity to households utilizing unfiltered surface water collected directly from floodplains shared with wild herbivores and livestock (odds ratio = 3.24, 95 percent confidence interval [1.48 to 7.09]). These findings highlight low-level environmental contamination with zoonotic microsporidia genotypes in the Okavango ecosystem, demonstrating the need for improved point-of-use water purification strategies for remote rural communities.
Keywords: Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Microsporidia, ITS genotyping, Asymptomatic infection, Surface water, Botswana
Manuscript Timeline: Received: 18 July 2026; Revised: 14 August 2026; Accepted: 01 September 2026; Published: 15 September 2026
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