Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections in Danish cats: risk factors and zoonotic potential
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PROTOZOOLOGY - ORIGINAL PAPER
Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections in Danish cats: risk factors and zoonotic potential Heidi L. Enemark 1,2
&
Trine P. Starostka 1 & Birgit Larsen 1,3 & Nao Takeuchi-Storm 3 & Stig M. Thamsborg 3
Received: 9 December 2019 / Accepted: 10 May 2020 # Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Giardia and Cryptosporidium infections are common in cats, but knowledge is limited about their clinical importance, risk factors, and the role of cats as a reservoir for human infections. Here, we collected faeces and questionnaire data from 284 cats from shelters and veterinary clinics in the Copenhagen Metropolitan Region (= study population). Additionally, 33 samples were analysed separately from catteries with gastrointestinal clinical signs (= cases). (Oo-)cysts were quantified by immunofluorescence microscopy. All Giardia (n = 34) and Cryptosporidium (n = 29) positive samples were analysed by sequencing of the 18S rRNA, gdh and hsp70 loci, and co-infections were detected by McMaster/inverted microscopy. In the study population, 7.0% and 6.7% were positive for Giardia and Cryptosporidium respectively; 48.5% and 36.4% of the breeder cats (cases) were infected. Increased odds of diarrhoea were demonstrated in Giardia (p = 0.0008) and Cryptosporidium (p = 0.034) positive cats. For Giardia, the odds were positively correlated with infection intensity. Co-infection with Cryptosporidium (OR 12.79; p < 0.001), parasitic co-infections other than Cryptosporidium (OR 5.22; p = 0.009), no deworming (OR 4.67; p = 0.035), and male sex (OR 3.63; p = 0.025) were risk factors for Giardia. For Cryptosporidium, co-infection with Giardia was the only risk factor (OR 11.93; p < 0.0001). Genotyping revealed G. duodenalis assemblages A and F, and C. felis, all of them previously detected in humans. In conclusion, excretion of Giardia and Cryptosporidium was associated with clinical disease. Although a public health risk is likely, studies including larger sample sizes, more discriminatory markers and samples from other animals and humans are needed to reveal the full zoonotic potential. Keywords Giardia . Cryptosporidium . Cats . Risk factors . Genotyping . Denmark
Introduction Gastrointestinal infections caused by the protozoan parasites Giardia duodenalis (syn. Giardia intestinalis and Giardia lamblia) and Cryptosporidium spp. are common worldwide (Fletcher et al. 2012; Ryan and Cacciò 2013). The infections Section Editor: Lihua Xiao * Heidi L. Enemark [email protected] 1
National Veterinary Institute, Technical University of Denmark, Bülowsvej 27, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
2
Department of Animal Health and Food Safety, Norwegian Veterinary Institute, P.O. Box 750 Sentrum, N-0106 Oslo, Norway
3
Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Dyrlægevej 100, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
can be subclinical, or they may lead to severe gastrointestinal disease in a large number of mammalian hosts inc
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