STUDY OF GIARDIA INFECTION IN CATS

Giardiasis caused by the intestinal flagellate Giardia duodenalis. It is postulated that animals may be a reservoir for human infection and vice versa, thus, giardiasis classified as a zooanthroponotic disease. Therefore, accurate information about the Giardia infection in animals can help the control and prevention of disease in human. With respect to considerable population of cats in Iran and close relation to human, in the current study we tried to determine the infection rate of Giardia in stray, semi-stray and domestic cats. One hundred eighty one cat fecal specimens were collected and after formol-ether concentration, Giardia cysts were detected using light microscope. Twenty one samples (11.6%) out of 166 samples were Giardia cyst positive. The highest levels of infection with Giardia were in domestic cats (75%). The findings prominence the necessity for cat owners to have knowledge about zoonotic transmission of Giardia.