Mixed Giardia duodenalis assemblage A and E infections in calves

A molecular epidemiological study was conducted on 100 dairy (499 calves) and 50 beef (333 calves) farms in Belgium to estimate the prevalence of different Giardia duodenalis assemblages in calves younger than 10 weeks of age. Positive samples from the epidemiological study and from a previous clinical study were selected and genotyped based on the amplification of the beta-giardin gene. To investigate the occurence of mixed assemblage A and E infections in calves, a novel assemblage-specific PCR was developed based on the triose-phosphate isomerase gene. The prevalence was 22% (95% Probability Interval (PI): 12-34%) in dairy calves and 45% (95% PI: 30-64%) in beef calves. In total, 120 Giardia-positive samples from dairy and beef calves collected in the epidemiological study and from clinically affected calves were identified based on the amplification of the beta-giardin gene. Overall G. duodenalis assemblage E was more prevalent (in 64% of the samples), although the majority (59%) of the dairy calves were infected with G. duodenalis assemblage A. Furthermore, mixed G. duodenalis assemblage A and E infections were identified in 31% of the calf samples (n=101) using the assemblage-specific PCR. We believe this is the first report of mixed infections in calves, and the results of the present study indicate that calves, although mainly infected with the host-specific G. duodenalis assemblage E, are frequently infected with the zoonotic assemblage A, either as a mixed or mono-infection, suggesting that calves might be underestimated as a potential zoonotic reservoir for human infections.