Mixed Giardia duodenalis assemblage A, B, C and E infections in pet chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) in Flanders (Belgium)

Worldwide there is an increasing trend to keep exotic animals as pets. In contrast to domestic animals, few studies have addressed the importance of infectious diseases of these exotic animals harbor. Chinchillas are host to Giardia, but prevalence studies are scarce. Moreover, little is known about their role as a zoonotic reservoir for Giardia. Therefore, the objective of the present study was (1) to study the occurrence of Giardia in pet chinchillas, (2) to identify risk factors and (3) to determine the role of these animals as potential zoonotic reservoir. To this end, pet chinchillas (Chinchilla lanigera) from both pet owners and breeders in Flanders (Belgium) were screened for the presence of Giardia spp. using a sedimentation flotation technique. A questionnaire was distributed among the pet owners to identify putative risk factors. A subset of the Giardiaisolates was characterized by direct sequencing of the β-giardin gene. In addition, assemblage specific PCRs targeting the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi) gene were performed. Of the 80 chinchillas screened, 53 (66.3%) excreted cysts of Giardia. Youngsters and animals participating in shows were significantly more at risk for infection. A total of 22 isolates were characterized. Direct sequencing of the β-giardin gene solely revealed the presence of G. duodenalis assemblage B. The assemblage specific PCRs confirmed these findings, but also revealed the presence of assemblage A (11 samples), C (15 samples) and E (2 samples). This study indicates that multiple Giardia spp. are highly prevalent in pet chinchillas and that these animals are a potential reservoir for zoonotic transmission. In addition, the results highlight the benefit of using an assemblage specific PCR in molecular studies as mixed infections are likely to be missed using conventional PCR approaches.