title: Occurrence of Giardia duodenalis assemblages in alpacas in the Andean region.
abstract: In this study, 352 fecal samples were analyzed for G. duodenalis from alpaca mothers and crias from three different areas of highland in Peru. The triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) gene of Giardia was amplified using a nested PCR protocol. Forty-six G. duodenalis-PCR positive samples were sequenced. G. duodenalis assemblage A was the most frequent followed by assemblage E. The former was seen in 37 animals whereas the latter was seen in nine. Most of the assemblage A infections were caused by the A1 subtype of sub-assemblage AI, except for three, which were caused by the A2 subtype of sub-assemblage AI. Assemblage A was found in all three geographic regions, while assemblage E was detected in crias from two regions. Among the four alpaca mothers positive for Giardia, three had assemblage AI and one had assemblage AII. Results of this study indicate that possible zoonotic transmission human to alpacas.
authors.affiliation: School of Veterinary Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru. Electronic address: lucho92@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Luis A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Gomez-Puerta
authors.forename: Maria T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lopez-Urbina
authors.forename: Virgilio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alarcon
authors.forename: Vitaliano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cama
authors.forename: Armando E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002161:Camelids, New World; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010568:Peru / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Alpaca; Cria; Diarrhea; Giardia duodenalis