There's Another Cat Parasite That Can Infect Humans. A Huge Study Reveals How Common It Is. - ScienceAlert
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In the annals of 'cat parasite' research, Toxoplasma gondii grabs most of the headlines. The mysterious pathogen, which may infect up to one-third of the global population, is famous for altering the behavior of its hosts, and it's also of serious concern for its varying effects on human health. But T. gondii isn't the only parasite that cats and humans have the misfortune of sharing. In a new study published in PLOS One, scientists shine a spotlight on a protozoan pest called Giardia duodenalis, and the research team says it's the largest investigation to date on the parasite's prevalence in domestic cats in North America. While most infections with G. duodenalis don't produce symptoms, it can result in the disease giardiasis in both humans and animals, which can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness, and other signs of poor health, including failure to grow in animals. In the study, led by veterinarian and first author Margaret Wingerd from VCA SouthPaws Veterinary Specialists & Emergency Center in Fairfax, Virginia, researchers analyzed more than 157,000 stool samples collected from domestic cats across the US and Canada. Scanning electron micrograph image of G. duodenalis.
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