Prevalence and public health relevance of enteric parasites in domestic dogs and cats in the region of Madrid (Spain) with an emphasis on Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp.

Abstract

BackgroundPet dogs and cats exert an unquestionable beneficial effect in the well‐being of their owners, but can also act as a source of zoonotic infections if improperly cared.ObjectivesWe investigated the occurrence, risk factors, genetic variability and zoonotic potential of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats attended in a clinical veterinary setting in Spain.MethodsCanine (n = 252) and feline (n = 35) faecal samples were collected during 2017–2019 and analysed by coproparasitological methods. A rapid lateral immunochromatographic test (ICT) was used for detecting Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp. Samples positive at microscopy examination and/or ICT were reassessed by molecular methods.ResultsOverall, 48.8% (123/252) of dogs and 48.6% (17/35) of cats were infected by enteric parasites. In dogs, G. duodenalis was the most prevalent species (40.9%), followed by Cystoisospora sp. (7.1%), and Toxocara canis (5.2%). In cats, Joyeuxiella sp. and Toxocara cati were the dominant species (20.0% each), followed by G. duodenalis (14.3%), D. caninum (5.7%) and Cystoisospora felis and Toxascaris leonina (2.9% each). Pups and kittens were more likely to harbour intestinal parasites and develop clinical signs. Sequence analyses of dog isolates revealed the presence of assemblages A (n = 1), C (n = 4), D (n = 4) and C+D (n = 1) within G. duodenalis; C. parvum (n = 1) and C. canis (n = 4) within Cryptosporidium and PtEb IX (n = 1) in Enterocytozoon bieneusi. A novel C. canis subtype family, named XXi, is reported.ConclusionsOur results highlight that (i) well‐cared dogs carry zoonotic enteric protozoan parasites of public health relevance, (ii) proper hygiene practices and routine veterinary treatment are essential to prevent zoonotic infections, (iii) vulnerable populations should avoid contact with pups/kittens with diarrhoea and (iv) infected dogs might be major contributors to the environmental contamination with soil‐transmitted helminths (STHs) eggs.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia in cats and dogs: What is the real zoonotic risk?

“…The zoonotic status of C. andersoni is uncertain ( Yang et al, 2021 ) and it has not been included in Table 2 , but there has been a single report of C. andersoni (0.1%; 1/676) in a shelter dog in the UK ( Rosanowski et al, 2018 ). Young age, presence of diarrhoea, and living in pet shops and shelters are risk factors associated with Cryptosporidium infection in cats and dogs ( Li et al, 2021a ; Mateo et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Assemblage A was the only assemblage identified in slum and stray dogs in Brazil ( Volotão et al, 2007 ; Fantinatti et al, 2018 ), domestic dogs in Jamaica ( Lee et al, 2017 ), and dogs in indigenous communities in Saskatchewan, Canada (32/32 typed isolates) ( Schurer et al, 2012 ). Subtyping of assemblage A in cats and dogs has identified mostly sub-assemblage AI, which is mainly confined to animal hosts ( Lalle et al, 2005b ; Souza et al, 2007 ; Volotão et al, 2007 ; Marangi et al, 2010 ; Zheng et al, 2015 ; Saleh et al, 2019 ; Mateo et al, 2023 ). However, some studies have identified sub-assemblage AII in cats and dogs (e.g.…”

“…Therefore , subtypes XIXc, XIXd and XIXe have been reported only in humans, while the remaining two subtypes (XIXa and XIXb) have been reported in both humans and cats ( Jiang et al, 2020 ; Rojas-Lopez et al, 2020 ; Guy et al, 2021 ; Li et al, 2021b ; Joachim et al, 2023 ). In total, nine C. canis subtype families (XXa to XXi) have been identified ( Jiang et al, 2021 ; Murnik et al, 2022 ; Wang et al, 2022a ; Elmahallawy et al, 2023 ; Mateo et al, 2023 ). The limited typing to date in C. canis has supported potential zoonotic transmission ( Jiang et al, 2021 ), including re-analysis of samples from a suspected case of zoonotic transmission of C. canis in a household ( Xiao et al, 2007 ), with C. canis subtype XXa4 identified from the 2.5 year-old female index case, her 6.5-year-old brother and their dog ( Jiang et al, 2021 ).…”

“…Pet owner behaviours such as sleeping with pets, allowing pets to lick faces and hands, insufficient/infrequent hand-washing, and feeding raw meat to cats and dogs, can promote the transmission of a variety of zoonotic pathogens from pets to humans. These include Salmonella ( Davies et al, 2019 ), antimicrobial resistant bacteria ( Jin et al, 2023 ), ectoparasites and associated zoonotic pathogens ( Tahir et al, 2019 ; Saleh et al, 2021 ; Mateo et al, 2023 ), Toxocara ( Patterson, 2023 ) and other helminths ( Overgaauw et al, 2020 ; Mateo et al, 2023 ), and enteric protozoa such as Cryptosporidium and Giardia ( Cai et al, 2021 ; Meng et al, 2021 ).…”

“…There is no registered treatment available for cryptosporidiosis in cats and dogs ( ESCCAP, 2018 ). Mixed infections with Giardia and Cryptosporidium and other enteropathogens are common in both dogs and cats, particularly in dogs ( Hamnes et al, 2007 ; Pallant et al, 2015 ; Xu et al, 2016 ; Gil et al, 2017 ; Sommer et al, 2018 ; López-Arias et al, 2019 ; Nagamori et al, 2020 ; Mateo et al, 2023 ; Murnik et al, 2023 ).…”