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Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in pet dogs in Xinjiang, China

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Abstract

Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are opportunistic zoonotic protozoa transmitted through several routes. In this study, a total of 604 fecal samples were collected from pet dogs in Xinjiang, China to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis by PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. The incidence rate of Cryptosporidium spp. or G. duodenalis was 5.3% (32/604). Among the collection sites, a higher number of Cryptosporidium spp. or G. duodenalis positive dogs were detected in Hotan (9.9%, 21/213) and Shihezi (9.8%, 4/41) were higher than those in Aksu (4.5%, 1/22), Urumqi (2.1%, 4/191), and Korla (1.5%, 2/137). Among the sources, dogs in pet shops (7.4%, 19/256) showed a significantly higher incidence rate than those in pet hospitals (3.0%, 4/134) and pet kennels (2.3%, 5/214). When the data were examined by age, dogs < 1 year of age (6.1%, 28/459) were more likely to be infected by Cryptosporidium spp. or G. duodenalis than older (≥ 1 year) dogs (2.8%, 4/145). No significant differences were observed when animals were grouped by sex (5.0%, 14/278 for males; 5.5%, 18/326 for females). Sequence analysis revealed that the Cryptosporidium spp. (n = 10) in dogs were identified as C. canis. The G. duodenalis detected belonged to assemblages A (n = 1), C (n = 14), and D (n = 7). Among the identified 22 G. duodenalis isolates, eight samples were subtyped according to β-giardin (bg) and the results were consistent with the identified assemblages. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis infections in domesticated canines in Xinjiang, China. The C. canis and G. duodenalis assemblage A identified in pet dogs in the present study were previously associated with infections in humans, indicating the potential for zoonotic transmission.

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Funding

This study was supported by the Program for Young and Middle-aged Leading Science, Technology, and Innovation of the Xinjiang Production & Construction Gorps (2018CB034), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32102689).

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Authors

Contributions

Meng Qi and Junqiang Li contributed to the study conception and design. Yangwenna Cao, Chen Fang, and Jinhua Deng prepared the material and do the experiment; Fuchang Yu, Dingyun Ma, Liwen Chuai, and Tian Wang contributed to the data analysis; Junqiang Li, Meng Qi, and Yangwenna Cao wrote the draft of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Meng Qi or Junqiang Li.

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Ethics statement

This study was conducted in accordance with the Chinese Laboratory Animal Administration Act (1988). The Ethics Committee of Tarim University (protocol number: DW201802003) reviewed and approved this sampling protocol. Appropriate permissions and assistance were obtained from the directors or the owners at each pet hospital, shop, or kennel, before collecting fecal samples from the dogs.

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Not applicable.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no competing interests.

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Section Editor: Lihua Xiao

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Cao, Y., Fang, C., Deng, J. et al. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in pet dogs in Xinjiang, China. Parasitol Res 121, 1429–1435 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07468-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07468-w

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