A Survey of Zoonotic Parasites Toxoplasma gondii and Giardia species presented in Veterinary Clinics of Faisalabad, Pakistan

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis has a major public health significance because of its social and economic influence on the public. A protozoan parasite  causes gastrointestinal problems characterised by acute or chronic diarrhoea, commonly known as giardiasis. The occurrence of  giardiasis in dogs and cats has consequences for clinical and public health. Instead of being a potential threat to public health, no study  has been planned to detect the occurrence of these important zoonotic parasites in pets of Faisalabad or Pakistan. Therefore, keeping in  mind the importance, the current study was planned with the objectives of finding the occurrence of Toxoplasma gondii and Giardia in  owned dogs and cats of Faisalabad and to find information about how much the owners know and are concerned about zoonosis. For  this purpose, 150 (each for dogs and cats) faecal and blood samples were collected from 150 dogs and cats from pets that were presented to different veterinary clinics. Direct microscopy was used to screen for Giardia, while Toxoplasma was detected using the  Toxoplasmosis Latex Kit (ANTEC Diagnostic®, UK). A questionnaire was completed to reveal the associated risk factors and awareness of  zoonosis. The generated data were analysed using the chi-squared test. In dogs, an overall prevalence of 42% for Giardia and 37% for  Toxoplasma gondii was found. The corresponding values for cats were 36% and 39.33%, respectively. These findings indicated a  statistically non-significant (P>0.05) difference in the prevalence of these parasites in both species. Moreover, the findings of the study  clearly illustrate that cats and dogs being kept as pet animals pose a serious threat to human beings, and owners are not aware of this  alarming situation.