Identification and Genotypes of Giardia Intestinalis in Ruminant Livestock in South Sinai Governorate, Egypt

Abstract

This study may be the first to detect genotype of Giardia among ruminants in South Sinai Governorate. Fresh iodine-fecal stained smears were examined by microscopy, followed by a nested PCR on frozen fecal specimens. The results showed Giardia in 40% (78/195) & 28.72% (56/195) of the examined ruminants by microscopic and nPCR, respectively. In cattle was (52.94%, 39.2%), in goats (37.5, 25.0%), and in sheep (34.82%, 25.0%). Animals <3 months old were more Giardia infected than older ones. Giardia infection was high in El Tur City (50%, 35.1%) than in Ras Sudr City (25.9%, 19.8%), and in males (51.3%, 35.5%) than in females (32.8%, 24.4%). Symptomatic animals were more susceptible to the infection than asymptomatic ones. Giardia was more prevalent in diarrheic samples than those with soft and hard nature with significant differences (P<0.05). Nested-PCR of G. intestinalis identified positive -giardin gene band of 511 & 753bp. Analysis of five sharp generated fragments in both directions showed sequences with accession numbers MW925063, MW925066, & MW925067 (Assemblage A) & MW925064 & MW925065 (Assemblage B). It clustered with some Kenyan and Egyptian isolates with identity from 93.9% to 100% and genetic distance from 0.0 to 6.5 compared to other GenBank strains. Genotyping at sub-Assemblage level was essential for zoonotic transmission.