Genotype of Giardia intestinalis isolates from children and dogs and its relationship to host origin

• Published in: Parasitology research (1987) Vol. 97; no. 1; pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: ELIGIO-GARCIA, Leticia, CORTES-CAMPOS, Adrian, JIMENEZ-CARDOSO, Enedina
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.08.2005
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Biological and medical sciences; Child; DNA, Protozoan - chemistry; DNA, Protozoan - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Dog Diseases - parasitology; Dogs; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; General aspects and techniques. Study of several systematic groups. Models; Genes, rRNA - genetics; Genotype; Giardia lamblia - classification; Giardia lamblia - genetics; Giardia lamblia - isolation & purification; Giardiasis - parasitology; Giardiasis - transmission; Giardiasis - veterinary; Humans; Invertebrates; Mammalia; Molecular Epidemiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Phylogeny; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Zoonoses; Human; Fissipedia; Protozoa; Carnivora; Parasite; Genotype; Diplomonadida; Host; Canis familiaris; Vertebrata; Giardia lamblia; Mammalia; Dog; Child
• ISSN: 0932-0113; 1432-1955
• DOI: 10.1007/s00436-005-1368-9

The presence of human Giardia in several animals suggests a zoonotic transmission. We studied G. Intestinalis isolates obtained from: children with diarrhea (n=6), asymptomatic children (n=7), axenic cultures (n=7) and dogs (n=11). The sequence corresponding to 16 S rRNA was amplified by PCR, sequenced and compared with genotypes A, B and Dog sequences reported in the Gene Bank database. Results show that 9/20 (45%) of children isolates belonged to genotype A and 11/20 (55%) showed some variable sites, allowing classification in three arbitrary clusters: A1, A2 and A3. In addition 7/11 (63%) of dog isolates were genotype A, including those dogs that lived in the same locality as the children lived, while 4/11 (37%) belonged to an arbitrary A4 cluster living in a different locality. In this study, genotype A was associated with samples from children and dogs, and, therefore, we could infer zoonotic transmission as a way of getting the disease.