| Giardiasis is an important gastrointestinal protozoal parasite that affects many species including humans and companion animals. Diagnosis of the parasite can be accomplished by finding the organism, either the trophozoite or cyst, in the feces. Diagnostic testing typically will underestimate the prevalence of the disease since most available diagnostic tests have low sensitivity. Affected animals shedding Giardia cysts may present with clinical sign such as acute small intestinal diarrhea, or may not have any appreciable clinical signs. Regardless of clinical signs, the shedding of cysts into the feces can serve as a method of transmission of the parasite from one animal to another animal or potentially to a person, since giardiasis is considered a possible zoonosis.;The purpose of our project was to determine the prevalence of shedding of Giardia cysts in cats from our local region, to determine risk factors associated with the shedding of Giardia cysts by utilizing a standardized questionnaire and multivariable logistic regression, and to determine what genotypes were present in our area and what influence, if any, the genotype had on clinical signs. |
