Abstract
In developing countries including Ghana, giardiasis plays a major role in gastroenteritis in vertebrate. It poses health and socio-economic burden, and continues to be one of the causes of infant and calf mortality. Their infection continues to thrive in humans due to the zoonotic transmission of infected domesticated animals including cattle, dogs and cats, and their continual presence in water bodies. The objective of this study was to establish their presence and evaluate the prevalence of Giardia sp. in cattle faecal matter in the environment in the Kpong and Weija communities. The Iron-haematoxylin staining techniques was used to analyze the faecal samples in order to identify Giardia sp. (Student t- test and Chi square were the statistical analyses) used for the studies. About five percent (5.3%) prevalence was obtained in both communities and this was significant (p> 0.05). The parasite was found to be most prevalent (9.4%) in calves less than 3 months old and this decreased with age of calf. It was also observed that Giardia plays an important role in the cause of diarrhoea in cattle. There is the need to educate people on the disease and its implication on the quality of water from the treatment plants.
 Keywords: Giardia sp, water, contamination, diarrhoea, infant mortality.
Highlights
Giardia is a genus of parasitic protozoan that infects the small and large intestines of a broad range of vertebrate hosts, (Adam, 2001; Caccio & Ryan, 2008)
According to Cook (1996), Giardia is one of the most important zoonotic protozoan parasites that affect a wide range of domestic animals and man worldwide (Caccio & Ryan, 2008)
Though some studies on this disease had been done in Ghana, its focused on the human disease with no report on the parasites in the environment in Ghana (Anim-Baidoo, 2013). This present study was carried out to establish the presence of the parasite in the two communities which supply portable water to the Greater Accra Region of Ghana
Summary
Giardia is a genus of parasitic protozoan that infects the small and large intestines of a broad range of vertebrate hosts, (Adam, 2001; Caccio & Ryan, 2008). The prevalence of Giardia is definitely high in calves under six months of age as compared to adults and may be responsible for diarrhoea (Scott et al, 1995). According to Farthing et al (1996), Cryptosporidium and Giardia infections are seasonal and vary with rainfall in the temperate and tropical regions with the highest peak in periods of high rainfall. This present study was carried out to establish the presence of the parasite in the two communities which supply portable water to the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
