Gastrointestinal protozoa in pet cats from Anhui province: prevalence and molecular characterization.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: To investigate the prevalence of,,,,, andin domestic cats in Anhui Province, China, and their potential role as zoonotic hosts for human infection, a total of 304 fecal samples from two different sources were screened for the presence of related pathogens. METHODS: Using microscopy, along with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or nested PCR amplification, followed by genotyping through sequence analysis. RESULTS: The infection rates of,,,,, andwere 5.6%, 0%, 1.7%, 0.7%, 2.6%, and 0%, respectively. The evolutionary relationships and genetic characteristics ofbased on the GDH gene,based on the SSU rRNA gene, andbased on the ITS sequence were assessed: five cases ofwere identified, with four belonging to assemblage F and one to zoonotic assemblage B, twocases were identified as, and all eightcases were identified as belonging to group 1, with three cases being genotype D, three EbpA, and two EbpC. DISCUSSION: Age, neutering status, and deworming were identified as potential risk factors. Further analysis revealed that diarrhea, as a clinical symptom, could serve as an indicator for pathogen infection. Although the pathogen infection rates detected in this study were relatively low, their zoonotic transmission potential cannot be ignored. Therefore, special attention should be paid, and it is essential to establish targeted prevention plans.