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Abstract
Intestinal cryptosporidiosis is a diarrheal disease caused by protists of genus Cryptosporidium that infect a wide variety of hosts, primarily vertebrates. Due to the close contact between humans and their companion animals, especially dogs and cats, there is concern about the potential for zoonotic transmission of this enteric protozoan parasite by infected animals. This study aimed to perform a microscopic and molecular diagnosis of Cryptosporidium spp. in fecal samples from domiciled dogs and cats. One hundred and nineteen fecal samples were processed using sugar centrifugal flotation followed by molecular detection of Cryptosporidium spp. DNA using nested PCR. Subtyping of isolates positive for C. parvum was performed by sequence analysis of the 60 kDa glycoprotein gene (GP60). Cryptosporidium oocysts were detected in 7.8% (5/64) and 5.4% (3/55) of the fecal samples from dogs and cats, respectively. Cryptosporidium canis (n = 3) and C. parvum (n = 2) were the main species found in dogs, whereas C. felis (n = 3) was prevalent in cats. Subtype IIaA17G2R2 (potentially zoonotic) was identified in samples positive for C. parvum. Despite the low prevalence of Cryptosporidium observed in the domiciled dogs and cats, the presence of potentially zoonotic C. parvum in dogs evidences a public health concern. Further research is needed to better understand the epidemiology, source, and potential impacts of Cryptosporidium infection in cats and dogs.
Highlights
Companion animals, especially cats and dogs, contribute significantly to the physical, social and emotional development of their owners, and to facilitating recovery from certain diseases [1]
Molecular diagnosis of Cryptosporidium in dogs and cats bred at home
The three cats that tested positive for Cryptosporidium spp. were 3-month-old males from the same domicile, and they presented a clinical condition of diarrhea
Summary
Especially cats and dogs, contribute significantly to the physical, social and emotional development of their owners, and to facilitating recovery from certain diseases [1]. Most Brazilian homes have companion animals, especially cats and dogs [2], and Brazil has the second largest pet market [3] in the world. Enteric cryptosporidiosis stands out among the possible zoonoses that humans can acquire through the contact with these animals [5, 6]. This disease is a public health concern, as its infectious form, the oocyst, is dispersed in the environment, presenting various fecal-oral infection routes, such as direct contact with infected humans (person-to-person transmission) or animals (zoonotic transmission), or indirectly through ingestion of contaminated food (foodborne transmission) and water (waterborne transmission) [6, 7]
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