Frequency of Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. in Domestic and Captive Wild Animals in the North of Veracruz, Mexico

Abstract

Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. are cosmopolitan parasites that infect humans as well as domestic and wild animals. Worldwide, they affect several species of wild animals, mostly mammals. In recent years, reports of wild species have increased, indicating that they play an important role in the spread of these parasites. In Mexico, these parasites have been reported mainly in humans and domestic animals, with no reports in wildlife. In the north of Veracruz, there are conservation areas where various species of native and exotic wildlife cohabit; these sites are closed to cattle farms and used for recreation and tourism, with a potential risk of transmission. Our objective was to determine the frequencies of both parasites in wild animals that inhabit a protected area in northern Veracruz, Mexico. Overall, 17 animal species were surveyed, 12 wild and 5 domestic ones, from which 99 individual fresh feces samples were collected and kept frozen until processing. The oocyst concentration technique and the direct immunofluorescence test with a commercial kit were employed. In all host species analyzed, positive samples were found. In wild animals, the general frequency of Giardia spp. was 89.3%, whereas that of Cryptosporidium spp. was 94.6%. In domestic animals, the frequencies were 79.0% and 67.4% for Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. respectively. This is the first study that reports the frequencies of these protozoans in captive wild and domestic animals in the north of Veracruz, Mexico. We conclude that Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. are frequent parasites in wild and domestic animals in the study area; furthermore, four species (Connochaetes taurinus, Equus burchelli, Anser anser, and Trachemys scripta) have not yet been described as hosts for Giardia spp. Further molecular studies are needed to allow the identification of genotypes and their potential transmission among species.