title: Abundance, zoonotic potential and risk factors of intestinal parasitism amongst dog and cat populations: The scenario of Crete, Greece.
abstract: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the prevalence and infection intensity of intestinal parasites in different dog and cat populations in Crete, Greece, estimate the zoonotic risk and identify risk factors.
  
  
  
  Faecal samples from shelter, household and shepherd dogs and shelter and household cats were analyzed using sedimentation/flotation techniques. Giardia and Cryptosporidium were detected by a quantitative direct immunofluorescence assay (IFA). PCR and sequencing was performed to evaluate the zoonotic potential of Giardia and Cryptosporidium positive samples.
  
  
  
  Totals of 879 dog and 264 cat faecal samples were examined. In dogs, the overall prevalence was 25.2% (CI: 22.4-28.1) for Giardia spp.; 9.2% (CI: 7.3-11.1) for Ancylostoma/Uncinaria spp.; 7.6% (CI: 5.9-9.4) for Toxocara spp.; 5.9% (CI: 4.4-7.5) for Cryptosporidium spp.; 4.6% (CI: 3.2-5.9) for Cystoisospora spp.; 2.7% (CI: 1.7-3.8) for Toxascaris leonina; 1.7% (CI: 0.9-2.6) for Capillaria spp.; 0.8% (CI: 0.2-1.4) for taeniid eggs; 0.2% (CI: 0-0.5) for Dipylidium caninum; and 0.1% (CI: 0-0.3) for Strongyloides stercoralis. In cats, the prevalence was 20.5% (CI: 15.6-25.3) for Giardia spp.; 9.5% (CI: 5.9-13.0) for Cystoisospora spp.; 8.3% (CI: 5.0-11.7) for Toxocara spp.; 7.6% (CI: 4.4-10.8) for Ancylostoma/Uncinaria spp.; 6.8% (CI: 3.8-9.9) for Cryptosporidium spp.; 4.2% (CI: 1.8-6.6) for Capillaria spp.; 0.8% (CI: 0-1.8) for taeniid eggs; and 0.4% (CI: 0-1.1) for Hammondia/Toxoplasma. Concerning the risk factors evaluated, there was a negative association between age and Giardia infection and between age and T. leonina infection intensity for dogs. Sequencing results revealed the presence of mainly animal-specific G. duodenalis assemblages C and D in dogs and assemblages F, C and BIV-like in cats, with only a limited number of (co-)infections with assemblage A. As for Cryptosporidium, the dog-specific C. canis and the pig-specific C. scrofarum were detected in dogs and the cat-specific C. felis was detected in cats.
  
  
  
  High levels of parasitism in both dogs and cats were recorded. Giardia was the most prevalent parasite in all dog and cat populations except for shepherd dogs. Genotyping results suggest a limited zoonotic risk of Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections from dogs and cats in Crete. Taeniid eggs were more prevalent in shepherd dogs suggesting access to carcasses and posing a threat for cystic echinococcosis transmission. Infection rates of Toxocara spp. in both dogs and cats show that companion animals could be a significant source of infection to humans.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium. nelly_kost@hotmail.gr.|Veterinary Research Institute - Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, 57001, Greece. nelly_kost@hotmail.gr.
authors.forename: Despoina
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kostopoulou
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium.
authors.forename: Edwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Claerebout
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute - Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, 57001, Greece.
authors.forename: Dimitrios
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arvanitis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium.|Veterinary Research Institute - Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, 57001, Greece.
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ligda
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute - Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, 57001, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Voutzourakis
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, Merelbeke, B-9820, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stijn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Casaert
authors.affiliation: Veterinary Research Institute - Hellenic Agricultural Organization Demeter, Thermi, Thessaloniki, 57001, Greece.
authors.forename: Smaragda
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sotiraki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D002415:Cats; D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D004285:Dogs; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D060005:Genotyping Techniques; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010271:Parasites / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission
keywords: Companion animals; Intestinal parasites; Molecular analyses; Zoonotic