A SURVEY OF THE PREVALENCE AND GENOTYPES OF CRYPTOSPORIDIUM SPP. AND GIARDIA DUODENALIS IN SHELTER DOGS IN BATMAN, TURKEY.

Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are opportunistic zoonotic protozoan parasites related to diarrhea in humans and many mammals. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in shelter dogs in Batman province. The animal material of the study consisted of 100 dogs of different breeds and sexes. Fresh fecal samples taken from the dogs were examined under the microscope by Kinyoun Acid Fast staining for Cryptosporidium spp. and by the native-Lugol method for Giardia. DNA extraction, nested PCR analysis, and sequence analysis were then performed. As a result of the analyses, all samples were negative for Cryptosporidium spp., while Giardia duodenalis was positive in 2% (2/100) of two female dogs less than one-year-old. Sequence analyses of PCR-positive samples showed that the samples overlapped with assemblage C and D samples. Although these results show that shelter dogs in Batman province do not carry a risk for humans in terms of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis, it is recommended that repeated faecal examinations should be carried out as much as possible to determine the possible role of these parasites in human transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]