title: Subclinical Giardia in dogs: a veterinary conundrum relevant to human infection.
abstract: Human infection with Giardia duodenalis tends to be associated with diarrheal disease requiring treatment - despite our awareness that often it is asymptomatic and sometimes, perhaps, even protective. We discuss here whether canine giardiasis can serve as a model to help to understand why Giardia is pathogenic. We discuss factors that should be considered when Giardia is identified in dogs, challenging the assumption that infection necessarily means disease that requires chemotherapeutic treatment. To make the best treatment decision for canine Giardia infection we need to think about zoonotic risks, transmission possibilities, and risk factors for disease development. In addition, in both humans and dogs, Giardia sometimes may be considered as a harmless passenger, or even as a beneficial friend.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 8146, 0033 Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: kristoffer.tysnes@nmbu.no.
authors.forename: Kristoffer Relling
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Tysnes
authors.affiliation: Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 8146, 0033 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Skancke
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, PO Box 8146, 0033 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Lucy J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission; D004285:Dogs; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D007422:Intestines / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology; D012307:Risk Factors; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents
keywords: asymptomatic infection; canine giardiasis; dogs; microbiome; treatment