title: Low risk for transmission of zoonotic Giardia duodenalis from dogs to humans in rural Cambodia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A number of epidemiological studies have demonstrated Giardia as prevalent in both humans and dogs worldwide and have postulated the occurrence of anthroponotic, zoonotic and animal-specific cycles of transmission, which may be geographically and regionally unique in its epidemiology. The aim of this study was to utilise molecular tools to determine the prevalence and compare genotypes of Giardia duodenalis infecting humans and dogs living in a previously identified Giardia-endemic village in rural Cambodia in order to ascertain zoonotic transmission risk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of G. duodenalis in humans and dogs was 18.3% (40/218) and 10.6% (10/94) by PCR, respectively. Molecular characterisation of the small subunit of ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene, triose phosphate isomerase (TPI) gene and sub-assemblage characterisation of the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) gene placed 27.5% (11/40) of Giardia positive humans into assemblage AII and 72.5% (29/40) into assemblage BIII of G. duodenalis. In dogs, 20.0% (2/10) of Giardia-positive samples were characterised as G. duodenalis assemblage BIII, 40.0% (4/10) as assemblage C and 40.0% (4/10) as mix infection between assemblage C and D.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Overall, just over 2% of dogs harboured potentially zoonotic assemblages of G. duodenalis in the studied communities and hence pose a minimal zoonotic risk for the transmission of Giardia to humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Disease Biology, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. fvettwi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tawin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inpankaew
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Schär
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Odermatt
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dalsgaard
authors.forename: Wissanuwat
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chimnoi
authors.forename: Virak
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Khieu
authors.forename: Sinuon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muth
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Traub
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002160:Cambodia / Q000453:epidemiology; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D016829:Giardia lamblia; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D015047:Zoonoses