Giardia duodenalis is a waterborne zoonotic protozoan that causes gastrointestinal tract inflammation in humans, cattle, and other animals. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence and potential risk factors for Giardia infection in cattle in Latvia. During 2020-2021, a total of 973 individual faecal samples from cattle aged from 1 day to 12 years old, from 32 cattle herds, were tested for Giardia cyst presence with immunofluorescence staining followed by Giardia assemblage differentiation targeting beta-giardin gene. Using a questionnaire, information was collected to estimate the potential risk factors for G. duodenalis infection in cattle herds. Giardia was found in 8.4% of the examined cattle with a mean intensity of 5756 cysts per gram of faeces. The highest prevalence was observed in the 0 to 3-month-old calves (16.4%). At least one Giardia shedding animal was found in 27 herds with an overall prevalence of 84.4%. Significantly higher prevalence was found for cattle infected with G. duodenalis assemblage E compared to that infected with assemblage A: 88.7% and 11.3%, respectively. Protective factors such as age and rodent control and change of shoes were found to be significant for Giardia infection, while isolating calves for diarrhoea and water bodies (ponds/lakes) in pasture were potential risk factors in Latvian cattle.
Keywords: assemblages; calves; diarrhoea; epidemiology; prevalence; protozoan; risk factors; zoonosis.