Diagnosis and distribution of Giardia parasites in dogs in Mosul city, Iraq

Abstract

The current study aimed at diagnosing the Giardia parasite that parasitizes dogs, based on a number of morphological and standard characteristics of the trophozoites and the cycts, using different techniques for microscopic examination. The results of the current study showed that the total percentage in dogs amounted to 73.4%. With regard to the rate of infection with Giardia parasite using different techniques of positive samples for microscopic examination, the results showed significant differences. Whereas, the concentration-deposition and flotation technique with zinc sulfate recorded the highest infection rate of 44.5%, followed by the flotation technique–Sodium chloride and flotation technique - Sucrose at 25% and 19.4%, respectively. And the zinc sulfate technique by adding Lugol′s iodine recorded the highest infection rate of 43.8%, and the direct technique by adding Lugol′s iodine recorded the highest infection rate of 50%. The results showed that the intestinal mucosal scrapings stained with Giemsa stain recorded the highest infection rate for diagnosing Giardia parasite, with a value of 100%. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the age group of less than one year–More than a year .