Background: The local distribution of helminths in dogs and cats and the evaluation of risk of contamination represent an important challenge for veterinarians due to their effects on animal health and their potential zoonotic risk. The overall goal of this study was to estimate the prevalence of the digestive and respiratory helminths infecting client-owned dogs and cats in France.Methods: Faecal samples were collected from 414 pet dogs and 425 pet cats at 20 study sites during 2017–2018 and analysed by coproscopy. The samples included specimens collected from animals of both genders and various breeds and ages from a variety of living environments, and with different lifestyles and feeding regimes. Associations between parasitic infection and qualitative factors were explored.Results: Overall, 125 (14.9%) samples (15.2% in dogs and 14.6% in cats) were positive for at least one of the species of helminths identified. Infection rates were highest forToxocara canisandToxocara cati(8.5% and 11.3%, respectively), whileToxascaris leoninawas found only in one cat (0.2%). The apparent prevalence ofAncylostoma caninumandUncinaria stenocephalain dogs was 1.7% and 4.3%, respectively. No hookworms were found in cats. Whipworms (Trichuris vulpis) were identified in 2.7% of the dogs. Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninumand Taeniidae) were rarely found (< 1% in dogs and < 3% in cats). The prevalence ofAngiostrongylus vasorum Crenosoma vulpis, andStrongyloides stercoralis in dogs,Aelurostrongylus abstrususin cats andEucoleus spp./Capillaria spp.in both dogs and cats was < 1%. Significantly higher fecal parasite emission rates were identified in young individuals, in animals with outdoor access, in animals living in the countryside and in intact animals (especially in cats). In addition, cats not fed exclusively with commercial diets and living with other animals (dogs and/or cats) were at higher risk for parasites. For dogs, hunting/herding and walking off-leash were found to be additional risk factors. Furthermore, pets with no reported history of deworming or dewormed > 1 year before the study were positive for parasites significantly more often than pets dewormed < 1 year before study participation.Conclusions: The overall prevalence of helminths (some of which are zoonotic), the risk factors and the reportedly low deworming frequencies identified in this study (20.5% animals having never been dewormed and only 26.4% dewormed ≥ 3 times/year) illustrate the need for improving pet owners’ adherence to anthelmintic guidelines in France.Graphical

Cryptosporidium parvum is an important apicomplexan parasite infecting ruminants and humans. We characterized the impact of C. parvum infection on the goat kid microbiome. C. parvum was orally administered to parasite-naïve goats, and infection was monitored for 26 days in fecal samples using immunofluorescence assay and qPCR tests. Age-matched goats served as uninfected controls. A reduction in body weight gain, diarrhea, and dehydration were observed in infected goats compared to the uninfected controls. Infection decreased the bacterial diversity 5 days post-infection (dpi), but this parameter recovered at 15 dpi. The infection altered the relative abundance of several taxa. A total of 38 taxa displayed significant differences in abundance between control and infected goats at both 5 and 15 dpi. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the infection resulted in a differential pattern of taxa interactions and that C. parvum infection increased the relative abundance of specific taxa. The 16S data set was used for metagenome predictions using the software package PICRUSt2. As many as 34 and 40 MetaCyc pathways (from 387 total) were significantly affected by the infection at 5 and 15 dpi, respectively. Notably, C. parvum decreased the abundance of butyrate-producing pathways in bacteria. Low levels of butyrate may increase mucosal inflammation and tissue repair. Our results suggest that the gut inflammation induced by C. parvum infection is associated with the reduction of butyrate-producing bacteria. This insight could be the basis for the development of novel control strategies to improve animal health.

Giardia intestinalis is a flagellated protozoan responsible for giardiosis (also called giardiasis in humans), the most prevalent and widespread parasitic infection in humans and mammals worldwide. The intestinal microbiota is highly diverse and any alteration in its composition may impact on the health of the host. While studies on the mouse model of giardiosis described the role of the gut microbiota in host susceptibility to infection by the parasite, little is known about the gut microbiota during natural infections in dogs and particularly in puppies. In this study, we monitored naturally G. intestinalis-infected puppies for 3 months and quantified cyst excretion every 2 weeks. All puppies remained subclinically infected during the sampling period as confirmed by fecal examination. In parallel, we performed 16S Illumina sequencing of fecal samples from the different time points to assess the impact of G. intestinalis infection on gut microbiota development of the puppies, as well as gut health markers of immunity such as fecal IgA and calprotectin. Sequencing results revealed that the canine fecal microbiota of Giardia-infected puppies becomes more complex and less diverse with increasing age. In addition, significant differences in the structure of the microbiota were observed between puppies with high and low Giardia cyst excretion. Chronic subclinical G. intestinalis infection appears to be associated with some detrimental structural changes in the gut microbiota. G. intestinalis-associated dysbiosis is characterized by an enrichment of facultative anaerobic, mucus-degrading, pro-inflammatory species and opportunistic pathogens, as well as a reduction of Lactobacillus johnsonii at specific time points. Calprotectin levels increased with age, suggesting the establishment of chronic low-grade inflammation in puppies. Further work is needed to demonstrate whether these alterations in the canine gut microbiota could lead to a dysbiosis-related disease, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The probiotic strain Lactobacillus johnsonii CNCM I-4884 exhibits anti-Giardia activity in vitro and in vivo in a murine model of giardiasis. The aim of this study was the identification and characterization of the probiotic potential of L. johnsonii CNCM I-4884, as well as its safety assessment. This strain was originally classified as Lactobacillus gasseri based on 16S gene sequence analysis. Whole genome sequencing led to a reclassification as L. johnsonii. A genome-wide search for biosynthetic pathways revealed a high degree of auxotrophy, balanced by large transport and catabolic systems. The strain also exhibits tolerance to low pH and bile salts and shows strong bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity. Sequencing results revealed the absence of antimicrobial resistance genes and other virulence factors. Phenotypic tests confirm that the strain is susceptible to a panel of 8 antibiotics of both human and animal relevance. Altogether, the in silico and in vitro results confirm that L. johnsonii CNCM I-4884 is well adapted to the gastrointestinal environment and could be safely used in probiotic formulations.

Contexte : Le pigeon (Columba livia) est une espèce d’oiseau domestique qui entre fréquemment en contact avec les humains. Les pigeons hébergent et disséminent de nombreux pathogènes zoonotiques, notamment des parasites apicomplexes du genre Cryptosporidium, un parasite protiste commun des vertébrés. Ces dernières années, les populations de pigeons ont augmenté dans les zones urbaines et périurbaines, ce qui peut constituer un risque pour la santé publique. Objectif : Une revue systématique a été réalisée pour examiner la présence et la prévalence de Cryptosporidium chez les pigeons à l’échelle mondiale. Méthodes : Les articles publiés ont été obtenus dans la base de données PubMed, couvrant la période du 1er janvier 1994 au 1er août 2024. Au total, 38 publications ont été incluses dans cette revue. Résultats : L’infection à Cryptosporidium chez les pigeons a été signalée pour la première fois en Turquie en 1994, avec des symptômes cliniques comprenant la dépression, l’inactivité, la diarrhée et le plumage piqué. L’examen histologique a révélé la présence de Cryptosporidium dans l’épithélium intestinal. Des études ultérieures ont confirmé la prévalence de Cryptosporidium à l’échelle mondiale, avec des méthodes de diagnostic traditionnelles révélant une prévalence moyenne de 14,8 %, tandis que les outils moléculaires ont montré une prévalence plus élevée (28,4 %). Les taux les plus élevés ont été observés en Irak, les pigeons captifs étant plus fréquemment infectés que les pigeons sauvages. Les données moléculaires, bien que limitées, suggèrent une plus grande diversité chez les pigeons domestiques que chez les pigeons sauvages. C. meleagridis, C. parvum et C. hominis étaient les principales espèces zoonotiques identifiées chez les pigeons à l’échelle mondiale. L’analyse microscopique a montré des variations dans l’intensité de l’infection, avec un taux d’oocystes allant de 3 000 à 36 000 par gramme de fèces. De nombreux génotypes de Cryptosporidium spp. sont considérés comme zoonotiques, avec des cas connus d’infection humaine chez des personnes manipulant des pigeons, soulignant sa pertinence pour la santé publique. Conclusions : Des études supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour clarifier la pathogénicité et les voies de transmission de Cryptosporidium spp. chez les pigeons. La prévention et le contrôle de cette zoonose chez les pigeons devraient constituer une priorité de santé publique, en particulier dans les régions où les populations de pigeons sont importantes, telles que les zones urbaines où ils vivent en contact étroit avec les humains et d’autres animaux.