Prevalence of Zoonotic Giardia duodenalis Assemblage B and First Identification of Assemblage E in Rabbit Fecal Samples Isolates from Central China. (24th June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Qi, Meng; Xi, Jianwei; Li, Junqiang; Wang, Haiyan; Ning, Changshen; Zhang, Longxian
• Is Part Of: Journal of eukaryotic microbiology. Volume 62:Number 6(2015:Nov./Dec.)
• Page Start: 810
• Page End: 814
• Publication Date: 2015-06-24
• Subjects: Protista -- Periodicals; Eukaryotic cells -- Periodicals; Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.05
• DOI: 10.1111/jeu.12239
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1066-5234

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jeu12239-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p> <italic>Giardia duodenalis</italic> is an important zoonotic pathogen, causes diarrhea in humans and animals worldwide. To date, few data are available on the prevalence of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> in rabbits in China. In total, 955 fecal samples were collected from rabbits during 2008–2011 in Henan Province, Central China. The overall prevalence of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> was 8.4% (80/955) on microscopic analysis, with the highest infection rate (11.3%) in rabbits aged 91–200 d. All <italic>G. duodenalis</italic>‐positive isolates were characterized at the small subunit ribosomal RNA, β‐giardin (<italic>bg</italic>), glutamate dehydrogenase (<italic>gdh</italic>), and triosephosphate isomerase genes. Two assemblages and a mixed assemblage were detected in the rabbits: assemblage B (<italic>n</italic> = 26), assemblage E (<italic>n</italic> = 2), and a mixed assemblage of B and E (<italic>n</italic> = 4). Assemblage B isolates showed variability at the nucleotide sequences belonging to the so‐called subtype BIV, based on analysis of multiple genes. This is the first report of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> assemblage E in rabbits, and one novel subtype of assemblage E was identified through sequence analysis of <italic>gdh</italic> and <italic>bg</italic> genes, respectively. Our data suggest that rabbits may be reservoirs of <italic>G. duodenalis</italic> cysts potentially infectious to humans.</p> </abstract>