Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Blastocystis parasite types found in shelter dogs and cats in Turkey
By Ayan, A et al.·Published in Polish journal of veterinary sciences·2024·Department of Genetics·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Molecular detection and subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. from shelter dogs and cats in Van, Turkey: First report of ST10 in cats and ST1, ST10 and ST30 in dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of shelter dogs and cats in Turkey were tested for a common intestinal parasite called Blastocystis. The study found that about 1% of the cats and 1.5% of the dogs had this parasite, with higher rates in younger animals and females. The researchers identified different types of Blastocystis in the pets, including some that could potentially infect humans. This suggests that stray dogs and cats might spread this parasite to other animals and possibly to people.
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Abstract
Blastocystis is an intestinal protist commonly found in humans and many different animal species. It is probably the most common enteric parasite with an estimated one billion infections worldwide. The fecal materials for this study were collected from 100 cats and 200 dogs of different ages and sexes in shelters in Van, Turkey. DNA extraction, PCR amplification, and sequence analysis were performed on the fecal samples. A prevalence of 1% (1/100) in cats and 1.5% (3/200) in dogs was detected. The prevalence was higher in both cats and dogs in age groups younger than one year and in females. Sequence analysis revealed Blastocystis sp. ST10 in cats and Blastocystis sp. ST1, ST10, and ST30 in dogs. The sequences obtained were deposited in GenBank. In conclusion, stray cats and dogs may be a source of infection for other cats and dogs, and the detection of zoonotic ST1 in dogs suggests that dogs may be a reservoir for human infection.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39736147/