One Health (Dec 2024)

Zoonotic assemblages A and B of Giardia duodenalis in Chiroptera from Brazilian Amazon biome

  • Lisiane Lappe dos Reis,
  • Lirna Salvioni Silva de Souza,
  • Fernanda Rodrigues Fonseca,
  • Alessandra Ferreira Dales Nava,
  • Ana Carolina Paulo Vicente

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19
p. 100853

Abstract

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Bats are important reservoirs and spreaders of pathogens. Giardia duodenalis is a globally important protozoan that infects humans and other mammals with considerable public health burden, particularly on the child development. Based on genetic variation and host specificity, G. duodenalis is categorized into eight genotypes/assemblages A-H. Assemblages A and B are widespread globally and are associated with human and animal disease. There is evidence of Giardia in the bat feces from diverse geographic regions, but the G. duodenalis assemblages are unknown, which is a key point for the One Health view. Here, we successfully amplified the BG/GDH/DIS3/HCMP2/HCMP3 targets of G. duodenalis from five bat species captured in the Brazilian Amazon biome revealing the presence of zoonotic G. duodenalis assemblages A and B in the feces of these flying mammals. Our study reveals that bats may play a role in transmission of zoonotic G. duodenalis, at least in this biome.

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