Genotyping of Giardia duodenalis from Southern Brown Howler Monkeys (Alouatta clamitans) from Brazil

Abstract

Giardia duodenalis is a widespread intestinal protozoan that can infect humans and animals, both domestic and wild. Independent of host, infections present with the same symptoms. However, based on host specificity, Giardia isolates have been grouped into genotypes A to G. Parasites of assemblage A and B are known to infect humans, in addition to primates and a wide variety of mammals. In Brazil, hitherto Giardia genotypes were defined only for humans and domestic animals. To evaluate the genotypes of different Giardia present among other animals, fecal samples from 28 Southern Brown Howler Monkeys (Alouatta clamitans) kept in captivity from South Brazil were screened for G. duodenalis using parasitological methods. All of them were asymptomatic, but positive for Giardia. The genotype of the G. duodenalis circulating among these animals was ascertained by molecular typing, performed using amplification and sequencing of the beta-giardin gene. Sixteen of 28 samples were successfully amplified by PCR and sequencing of this gene s revealed that all of them were of the genotype A1. These findings suggest that A. clamitans represent a potential risk of environmental contamination of a G. duodenalis genotype that also infect humans, and therefore can be considered a potential reservoir for G. duodenalis of a genotype that can also infects humans. Therefore, these results highlight a potential public health problem due to the epidemiological and molecular evidence for anthropozoonotic transmission.

Zoonotic Potential and Molecular Epidemiology ofGiardiaSpecies and Giardiasis

“…In wildlife in Europe, 74% of 172 samples belonged to assemblages A and B (247). In nonhuman primates, assemblage A was found in 16 southern brown howler monkeys in Brazil (288) and two gorillas in Uganda (104), whereas assemblage B was found in many other nonhuman primates, such as macaques, chimpanzees, and mandrills (20a, 37, 130). In ruminants, assemblage A was found in moose, fallow deer, reindeer, white-tailed deer, and roe deer (146,154,176,219,269,282).…”

Detecção de cistos de Giardia spp. e oocistos de Cryptosporidium spp. na água bruta das estações de tratamento no município de Blumenau, SC, Brasil

“…em amostras fecais. Volotão et al, (2008) realizaram a genotipagem de Giardia spp. detectada em fezes de bugios ruivos (Alouatta clamitans) mantidos em cativeiro na cidade de Indaial, SC e verificaram a presença da assembleia A1 nas amostras.…”

“…e Cryptosporidium spp. As publicações realizadas referem-se somente a creches (Andrade et al, 2008), e animais silvestres (Volotão et al, 2008).…”

First molecular characterisation of Giardia duodenalis infection in dairy goats in Brazil

“…Zoonotic genotypes A and/or B were reported in dogs, cats, non-human primates, cattle, sheep, exotic and wild animals in Brazil (Volotao et al 2007(Volotao et al , 2008(Volotao et al , 2011Souza et al 2007;Gomes et al 2011;Soares et al 2011;Paz e Silva et al 2012a,b;Fava et al 2013), suggesting the potential for environmental contamination and a risk for goat infection.…”

“…In Brazil, studies on the molecular epidemiology of Giardia duodenalis are scarce, but the genotyping of isolates has been reported in dogs, cats, cows, sheep, non-human primates, and exotic and wild animals (Volotao et al 2007;Souza et al 2007;Volotao et al 2008;Volotao et al 2011, Gomes et al 2011Soares et al 2011;Paz e Silva et al 2012a; Paz e Silva et al 2012b;Fava et al 2013).…”