The presence of Giardia lamblia assemblage A in dogs suggests an anthropozoonotic cycle of the parasite in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Maria Fantinatti; Aline Cardoso Caseca; Alexandre Ribeiro Bello; Octavio Fernandes; Alda Maria Da-Cruz

doi:10.1016/j.meegid.2018.07.025

The presence of Giardia lamblia assemblage A in dogs suggests an anthropozoonotic cycle of the parasite in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Infect Genet Evol. 2018 Nov:65:265-269. doi: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.07.025. Epub 2018 Jul 22.

Authors

Maria Fantinatti¹, Aline Cardoso Caseca², Alexandre Ribeiro Bello³, Octavio Fernandes⁴, Alda Maria Da-Cruz⁵

Affiliations

¹ Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 21040-360, Brazil. Electronic address: fantinatti@ioc.fiocruz.br.
² Instituto de Saúde de Nova Friburgo, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Nova Friburgo/RJ, CEP 28625-650, Brazil. Electronic address: accaseca@id.uff.br.
³ Disciplina de Parasitologia-DMIP, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas-UERJ, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 20551-030, Brazil. Electronic address: bello@uerj.br.
⁴ Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 21040-360, Brazil. Electronic address: octaviofernandes@fiocruz.br.
⁵ Laboratório Interdisciplinar de Pesquisas Médicas, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz - FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 21040-360, Brazil; Disciplina de Parasitologia-DMIP, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas-UERJ, Rio de Janeiro/RJ, CEP 20551-030, Brazil. Electronic address: alda@ioc.fiocruz.br.

PMID: 30044958
DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2018.07.025

Abstract

Background: Giardia lamblia is a zoonotic protozoan that is classified into 8 genotypes and is distributed worldwide. Assemblages A and B were found to infect dogs and humans, whereas assemblages C and D are dog host-specific. Our objective was to investigate the G. lamblia genotypes circulating in a canine population in Rio de Janeiro, RJ.

Results: Sixty stool samples positive for G. lamblia from street dogs were characterized. Fragments of the conserved genes encoding beta-giardin (β-gia) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) were used as targets. The sequences from beta-giardin and glutamate dehydrogenase genes obtained from all 60 dog samples were 100% similar to G. lamblia genotype A.

Conclusion: The detection of genotype A suggests that G. lamblia transmission in Rio de Janeiro has a predominantly anthropozoonotic cycle.

Keywords: Assemblage A; Dogs; Giardia lamblia; Molecular characterization.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brazil
Dog Diseases / parasitology*
Dogs
Feces / parasitology
Giardia lamblia / genetics*
Giardia lamblia / isolation & purification
Giardiasis / parasitology
Giardiasis / veterinary*
Phylogeny
Zoonoses