title: Occurrence of Giardia in Swedish Red Foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ).
abstract: Giardia duodenalis is an intestinal protozoan capable of causing gastrointestinal disease in a range of vertebrate hosts. It is transmitted via the fecal-oral route. Understanding the epidemiology of G. duodenalis in animals is important, both for public health and for the health of the animals it infects. We investigated the occurrence of G. duodenalis in wild Swedish red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ), with the aim of providing preliminary information on how this abundant predator might be involved in the transmission and epidemiology of G. duodenalis . Fecal samples (n=104) were analysed for G. duodenalis using a commercially available direct immunofluorescent antibody test. Giardia duodenalis cysts were found in 44% (46/104) of samples, with foxes excreting 100 to 140,500 cysts per gram of feces (mean, 4,930; median, 600). Molecular analysis, using PCR with sequencing of PCR amplicons, was performed on 14 samples, all containing over 2,000 cysts per gram feces. Amplification only occurred in four samples at the tpi gene, sequencing of which revealed assemblage B in all four samples. This study provides baseline information on the role of red foxes in the transmission dynamics of G. duodenalis in Sweden.
authors.affiliation: The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Companion Animal Clinical Sciences, Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Debenham
authors.affiliation: 2 University of Antwerp, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Laboratory for Microbiology, Parasitology, and Hygiene, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Hanne
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Landuyt
authors.affiliation: 3 National Veterinary Institute, Department of Microbiology, SE-751 89 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Troell
authors.affiliation: 4 The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department Food Safety and Infection Biology, Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Kristoffer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tysnes
authors.affiliation: 4 The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department Food Safety and Infection Biology, Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Lucy J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces; D005589:Foxes / Q000469:parasitology*; D005838:Genotype; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005873:Giardiasis / Q000662:veterinary*; D013548:Sweden
keywords: Anthropozoonotic; carnivore; disease; parasite; pathogen; protozoa; transmission; zoonotic