Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions
03:46

A Simple Fecal Flotation Method for Diagnosing Zoonotic Nematodes Under Field and Laboratory Conditions

Published on: December 15, 2023

Microsporidia in household dogs and cats in Iran; a zoonotic concern

Sh Jamshidi1, A Shojaee Tabrizi, M Bahrami

  • 1Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. shjamshidi@ut.ac.ir

Veterinary Parasitology
|November 1, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Microsporidia infections are common in Iranian dogs and cats, particularly Encephalitozoon cuniculi. This highlights the potential for pet animals to transmit microsporidia to humans.

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Parasitology
  • Microbiology
  • One Health

Background:

  • Microsporidia, obligate intracellular parasites, are significant pathogens in domestic animals.
  • Encephalitozoon cuniculi is a primary cause of microsporidiosis in dogs and cats.
  • Understanding the prevalence of Microsporidia in companion animals is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To detect and identify Microsporidia species in stool samples from dogs and cats in Iran.
  • To determine the prevalence of Encephalitozoon spp. in these pet populations.
  • To assess the potential of infected pets as reservoirs for human microsporidial infections.

Main Methods:

  • Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed for parasite detection in fecal samples.
  • Sequencing of PCR products was performed for accurate species identification.
  • A total of 100 dog and 40 cat fecal samples were analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Microsporidia were detected in 31% of dogs, including Encephalitozoon cuniculi (18%), Encephalitozoon bieneusi (8%), and Encephalitozoon intestinalis (5%).
  • In cats, 7.5% of samples were positive for Encephalitozoon bieneusi.
  • PCR and sequencing confirmed the presence and identity of the detected Microsporidia species.

Conclusions:

  • Microsporidia infections, especially Encephalitozoon species, are prevalent in pet dogs and cats in Iran.
  • Pet animals may serve as important zoonotic reservoirs for microsporidiosis, posing a risk to human health.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the transmission dynamics and public health implications of microsporidiosis in companion animals.

More Related Videos

Transient Transduction of the Strobilated Forms of Echinococcus granulosus13:25

Transient Transduction of the Strobilated Forms of Echinococcus granulosus

Published on: September 16, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia01:28

Fungal Phylum Microsporidia

Microsporidia are a group of obligate intracellular fungi that were initially classified as protists but were later reclassified based on phylogenetic, molecular, and structural evidence linking them to the Chytridiomycota. These unicellular, non-motile organisms are highly specialized parasites that infect a wide range of animal hosts, including humans. They have evolved extensive genomic and metabolic reductions, making them highly dependent on their hosts for survival.Morphology and Genomic...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes01:30

Bacterial Phylum Spirochaetes

Spirochetes, unique bacteria in the phylum Spirochaetes, are gram-negative, motile, tightly coiled, slender, and flexible. They inhabit aquatic sediments and animals, with some causing diseases like syphilis. Spirochetes are classified into eight genera based on habitat, pathogenicity, phylogeny, and characteristics.Their distinctive motility arises from endoflagella, located within the cell’s periplasm. These endoflagella anchor at the cell poles and extend along the cell length, encased by a...
Reservoir of Infection01:30

Reservoir of Infection

Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
Giardiasis01:12

Giardiasis

Giardiasis is a globally prevalent intestinal infection caused by the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis (also known as G. lamblia or G. intestinalis). This flagellated protozoan is the most frequently identified intestinal parasite in the United States and worldwide. Transmission primarily occurs via the fecal-oral route, with infection arising from ingestion of water or food contaminated with cysts. Individuals in low-resource settings, international travelers, outdoor enthusiasts, daycare...
Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence01:28

Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence

Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable temporal or...