Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Giardia infection types found in stray dogs in Sichuan China
By Zhang, Yue et al.·Published in Parasite (Paris, France)·2017·College of Veterinary Medicine, China·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Detection and multilocus genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in dogs in Sichuan province, China.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of stray dogs in Sichuan province, China, was found to have Giardia duodenalis, a parasite that can cause diarrhea. Out of 159 fecal samples collected, 18 tested positive for this parasite, with infection rates varying by city. The study identified specific genetic types of the parasite in these dogs, but the types known to commonly infect humans were not found. This suggests that while Giardia is present and can lead to health issues in dogs, the risk of transmission to humans from these particular strains may be lower.
People also search for: dog diarrhea causes · Giardia in dogs treatment · stray dog health issues
Abstract
Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. intestinalis) is a flagellated protozoan that parasitizes the small intestine and is a common causal agent of zoonotic infections in humans and animals. To assess the genetic diversity and zoonotic transmission potential of G. duodenalis in stray dogs, 159 fecal specimens were collected from dogs in Chengdu, Yaan, and Leshan in Sichuan province, China. Of the 159 fecal samples from stray dogs, 18 (11.3%) were G. duodenalis-positive based on nested PCR amplification of the beta giardin (bg) gene, and the occurrence varied from 1.8% to 35% in different cities. Dog-specific assemblages C (n = 9) and D (n = 9) were identified. The glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) genes of all bg-positive isolates were characterized. A total of 16 and 8 isolates were positive for the gdh and tpi genes, respectively. Two novel sequences of the bg locus were detected among genetic assemblage D isolates, and one novel gdh sequence and four novel tpi sequences were identified among genetic assemblage C isolates. Mixed infections of assemblages C and D were also detected. Assemblages A and B, which have high zoonotic potential, were not detected. Our results show that G. duodenalis is prevalent and a cause of diarrhea in dogs in Sichuan province, China.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28770713/