title: Molecular epidemiology and multilocus sequence analysis of potentially zoonotic Giardia spp. from humans and dogs in Jamaica.
abstract: Giardia spp. are the causative agents of intestinal infections in a wide variety of mammals including humans and companion animals. Dogs may be reservoirs of zoonotic Giardia spp.; however, the potential for transmission between dogs and humans in Jamaica has not been studied. Conventional PCR was used to screen 285 human and 225 dog stool samples for Giardia targeting the SSU rDNA gene followed by multilocus sequencing of the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and β-giardin (bg) genes. Prevalence of human infections based on PCR was 6.7 % (19/285) and canine infections 19.6 % (44/225). Nested PCR conducted on all 63 positive samples revealed the exclusive presence of assemblage A in both humans and dogs. Sub-assemblage A-II was responsible for 79.0 % (15/19) and 70.5 % (31/44) of the infections in humans and dogs, respectively, while sub-assemblage A-I was identified at a rate of 15.8 % (3/19) and 29.5 % (13/44) in humans and dogs, respectively. The predominance of a single circulating assemblage among both humans and dogs in Jamaica suggests possible zoonotic transmission of Giardia infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica.|Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Mellesia F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cadogan
authors.affiliation: Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eytle
authors.affiliation: Ministry of Health, Kingston, Jamaica.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.affiliation: Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Center of Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walochnik
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, University of the West Indies, Mona, Kingston 7, Jamaica. john.lindo@uwimona.edu.jm.
authors.forename: John F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lindo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D004285:Dogs; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D005872:Giardia / Q000145:classification; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D058885:Multilocus Sequence Typing; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014305:Triose-Phosphate Isomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015047:Zoonoses
chemical_list: D003598:Cytoskeletal Proteins; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C038207:giardin protein, Giardia lamblia; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase; D014305:Triose-Phosphate Isomerase
keywords: Assemblages; Dogs; Giardia; Humans; Jamaica; Zoonotic transmission