POTENTIAL CROSS-CONTAMINATION OF SIMILAR Giardia duodenalis ASSEMBLAGE IN CHILDREN AND PET DOGS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL, AS DETERMINED BY PCR-RFLP

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Rosiléia Marinho de QUADROS, Paulo Henrique Exterchoter WEISS, Sandra Marcia Tietz MARQUES, Luiz Claudio MILETTI
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP)
• Subjects: Giardia duodenalis; Pet dogs; Zoonotic genotypes; PCR-RFLP; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S1678-9946201658066; https://doaj.org/article/d0cf3500d28f42f49f8fe61b9979f29d

SUMMARY Giardia duodenalis is an enteric parasite that has distinct genetic groups. Human infections are mainly caused by assemblages A and B, although sporadic infections by assemblages C and D have also been reported. Animals can be infected by a wide range of assemblages (A to H). The aim of this study is to identify the assemblages and sub-assemblages of G. duodenalis with zoonotic features in fecal samples of school-aged children, and in dogs that coexist in the same households in Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Fecal samples of 91 children and 108 dogs were obtained and G. duodenalis cysts were detected in samples from 11 (12.08%) children and 10 (9.25%) dogs. DNA extracted from the 21 positive samples was analyzed by PCR-RFLP, using the gdh gene. Results showed the presence of sub-assemblages AI (2/11), AII (4/11), BIII (2/11), and BIV(3/11) among children and AI (5/10) and BIV(3/10) in dogs, with zoonotic characteristics, and the carnivore specific assemblage C (2/10). G. duodenalis was found to infect both children and dogs living in the same household, with the same sub-assemblage (BIV) indicating that pet dogs are a potential risk of transmission of G. duodenalis to humans.