title: [Molecular Detection of Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium Species in Pet Dogs].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence of Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium species infection in pet dogs, and identify the G. lamblia assemblages and Cryptosporidium species.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 315 fresh fecal samples were collected from pet clinics in five counties of Anhui Province and in Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province. Hemi-nested-PCR targeting the GDH gene of G. lamblia and nested-PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene of Cryptosporidium were performed in all the fecal samples. The PCR products were sequenced and analyzed using bioinformatics methods to identify the G. lamblia assemblages and Cryptosporidium species.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The positive rates of G. lamblia and Cryptosporidium spp. infections in the 315 fecal samples were 3.2% (10/315) and 1.6% (5/315), respectively. Specifically, the two indicators were both significantly higher in dogs ≤12 months (17.8% and 11.1%, respectively) than in adult dogs (0.7% and 0.0%)(P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the two indicators between male and female dogs. In addition, two G. lamblia assemblages were identified, assemblages B (n=6) and D (n=4). Sequence analysis of PCR products of the SSU rRNA gene showed that the five Cryptosporidium isolates were C. canis (n =5).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalences of G. lamblia and Cryptosporidium infection in pet dogs in Anhui and Zhejiang Provinces were 3.2 % and 1.6 %, respectively. The assemblages of G. lamblia in this study are of types B and D.
authors.forename: You-fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: GU
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: WANG
authors.forename: De-yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: LIU
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: MEI
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: CHEN
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: CHEN
authors.forename: Min-min
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: HAN
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: ZHOU
authors.forename: Jia-tong
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: CAO
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: ZHANG
authors.forename: Xue-liang
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: ZHANG
authors.forename: Zi-lai
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: FAN
authors.forename: Wen-chao
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: LI
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D003457:Cryptosporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs / Q000469:parasitology*; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male