Molecular detection and genetic characteristics of Giardia duodenalis in dairy cattle from large-scale breeding farms in Xinjiang, China

Giardia duodenalis is an intestinal protozoan that can infect both humans and animals, leading to public health issues and economic losses in the livestock industry. G. duodenalis has been reported to infect dairy cattle, but there is limited information available on large-scale dairy farms in Xinjiang, China. The study collected 749 fresh faecal samples from five large-scale cattle farms in Xinjiang, China. The study used a nested PCR assay of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA*) gene to determine the presence of G. duodenalis. The results showed that 24.0% (180/749) of dairy cattle were positive for G. duodenalis, with the highest infection rate observed in pre-weaned calves (45.1%, 69/153). Among the 180 G. duodenalis positive samples, three assemblages were identified: assemblage E (n = 176), assemblage A (n = 3) and assemblage B (n = 1). Sixty-nine, 67 and 49 sequences were obtained for the beta-giardin (bg*) gene, the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh*) gene and the triose phosphate isomerase (tpi*) gene, respectively. Thirteen novel sequences of assemblage E were identified, including five sequences from the bg* gene, four sequences from the gdh* gene and four sequences from the tpi* gene. This study found that 32 G. duodenalis assemblage E isolates formed 26 MLGs, indicating genetic variation and geographic isolation-based differentiation in bovine-derived G. duodenalis assemblage E. These findings provide fundamental insights into the genetic diversity of G. duodenalis in dairy cattle and can aid in the prevention and control of its occurrence in large-scale dairy cattle farms.