Open AccessDetection of Giardia intestinalis assemblages A and B among children from three villages in the West Delta region, Egypt using assemblage specific primers
Author(s) -
Heba Elhadad,
Sarah Abdo,
Mona Mohamed Tolba,
Aziza Ibrahim Salem,
Mostafa A. Mohamed,
Eman El-Abd,
Hend Aly El-Taweel
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of parasitic diseases
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.357
H-Index - 21
eISSN - 0975-0703
pISSN - 0971-7196
DOI - 10.1007/s12639-020-01338-x
Subject(s) - giardia , genotype , assemblage (archaeology) , biology , cryptosporidium , veterinary medicine , parasite hosting , zoology , feces , ecology , microbiology and biotechnology , medicine , gene , genetics , world wide web , computer science
Giardia intestinalis is a common diarrheagenic parasite infecting children globally. It has been classified into eight morphologically identical but genetically distinct genotypes. Human infection is mainly associated with A and B assemblages with variable geographical distribution. The present work aimed to study the epidemiology of assemblages A and B in children inhabiting different areas in Lower Egypt. Stool samples were collected from 315 children and examined microscopically for parasitic infections . Giardia positive samples were genotyped using tpi assemblage specific primers. The prevalence of Giardia was 18.1% among the examined children. Mixed assemblages A and B was more common (47.4%) than single assemblage B (36.8%) or A (15.8%). The distribution of different genotypes was significantly associated with the residence area, animal contact, and handwashing habits. A non-significant association was observed between Giardia assemblages and the clinical manifestations. Assemblage B is the predominant genotype among Egyptian children. The distribution of different Giardia assemblages is strongly associated with the studied area and the habits of its people.