title: Prevalence and genetic diversity of the intestinal parasites Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in household dogs in France and evaluation of zoonotic transmission risk.
abstract: Several parasites including the protozoa Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. may be causative agents of gastrointestinal symptoms in domestic dogs, and there may be a potential risk of transmission to owners. While France is one of the largest European countries in terms of its canine population, little data is available about the molecular epidemiology of these two parasites. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in household dogs in France, and to evaluate the zoonotic risk of Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. by genotyping the corresponding isolates. To this end, 116 faecal samples were collected from household dogs regardless of breed, age or gender, living in the Lyons area, France. Various intestinal protozoa and helminths were identified by light microscopy. Screening for Blastocystis sp. and Cryptosporidium spp. were subsequently performed by PCR targeting the small subunit (SSU) rDNA coding region, followed by direct sequencing of the PCR products and analysis of the sequences obtained for genotyping. The overall prevalence of dogs infected with at least one gastrointestinal parasite was 42.2% (49/116). After light microscopy examination of faecal samples, the most common parasites found were the protozoa Giardia sp. (25.0%) and Cystoisospora sp. (19.8%). Using molecular methods, four dogs (3.4%) were shown to be infected by Blastocystis sp. and carried either subtype (ST) 2, commonly identified in various animal groups, or ST10, frequently found in bovids. Three dogs (2.6%) were positive for C. canis, infecting humans episodically. The low prevalence of both parasites, combined with the identification of C. canis and Blastocystis sp. ST2 and ST10 in the canine population, strongly suggests that dogs play a negligible role as zoonotic reservoirs for both parasites and do not seem to be natural hosts of Blastocystis sp.
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France; Centre AZM pour la Recherche en Biotechnologies et ses Applications, Université Libanaise, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Santé et Environnement, Rue Miten, Tripoli, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Marwan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osman
authors.affiliation: VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bories
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France; Centre AZM pour la Recherche en Biotechnologies et ses Applications, Université Libanaise, Laboratoire de Microbiologie Santé et Environnement, Rue Miten, Tripoli, Lebanon.
authors.forename: Dima
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: El Safadi
authors.affiliation: VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France; Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Marie-Thérèse
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Poirel
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Nausicaa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gantois
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France; Faculté Libre des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Université Catholique de Lille, Laboratoire Ecologie et Biodiversité, 41 rue du Port, 59016 Lille Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Sadia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benamrouz-Vanneste
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Delhaes
authors.affiliation: VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France.
authors.forename: Marine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hugonnard
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Certad
authors.affiliation: VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 1 avenue Bourgelat, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France; Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, 43 boulevard du 11 Novembre 1918, 69622 Villeurbanne, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zenner
authors.affiliation: Institut Pasteur de Lille, Centre d'Infection et d'Immunité de Lille (CIIL), UMR CNRS 8204, Inserm U1019, Université de Lille, Biologie et Diversité des Pathogènes Eucaryotes Emergents, 1 rue du Professeur Calmette, BP245, 59019 Lille Cedex, France. Electronic address: eric.viscogliosi@pasteur-lille.fr.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Viscogliosi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016844:Blastocystis / Q000235:genetics*; D016776:Blastocystis Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000235:genetics*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D015047:Zoonoses
keywords: Blastocystis sp.; Cryptosporidium spp.; Dogs; Intestinal parasites; Molecular epidemiology; Zoonosis