Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cryptosporidium parasites in dogs and cats in Rio de Janeiro and risk
By de Oliveira, Amanda Gleyce Lima et al.·Published in PloS one·2021·Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro-Departamento de Parasitologia-Instituto de Veteriná, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs and cats in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, reveals potentially zoonotic species and genotype.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study found that 7.8% of dogs and 5.4% of cats in Rio de Janeiro had a parasite called Cryptosporidium, which can cause diarrhea. The most common types found were Cryptosporidium canis in dogs and Cryptosporidium felis in cats, with some dogs also carrying a potentially zoonotic strain called C. parvum. While the overall infection rates were low, the presence of this strain raises concerns about the risk of transmission to humans. More research is needed to understand how this parasite affects pets and their owners.
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Abstract
Intestinal cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by protists of genus Cryptosporidium that infect a wide variety of hosts, primarily vertebrates. Due to the close contact between humans and their companion animals, especially dogs and cats, there is concern about the potential for zoonotic transmission of this enteric protozoan parasite by infected animals. This study aimed to perform a microscopic and molecular diagnosis of Cryptosporidium spp. in fecal samples from domiciled dogs and cats. One hundred and nineteen fecal samples were processed using sugar centrifugal flotation followed by molecular detection of Cryptosporidium spp. DNA using nested PCR. Subtyping of isolates positive for C. parvum was performed by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene (GP60). Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 7.8% (5/64) and 5.4% (3/55) of the fecal samples from dogs and cats, respectively. Cryptosporidium canis (n = 3) and C. parvum (n = 2) were the main species found in dogs, whereas C. felis (n = 3) was prevalent in cats. Subtype IIaA17G2R2 (potentially zoonotic) was identified in samples positive for C. parvum. Despite the low prevalence of Cryptosporidium observed in the domiciled dogs and cats, the presence of potentially zoonotic C. parvum in dogs evidences a public health concern. Further research is needed to better understand the epidemiology, source, and potential impacts of Cryptosporidium infection in cats and dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34343188/