ISSN 2736-173X
African Journal of Parasitology Research | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 765–772
DOI: 10.46882/AJPR/140765
Article Type: Full Length Research Paper
Title: Molecular epidemiology and genotype tracking of Giardia duodenalis among symptomatic children and domestic dogs in informal settlements of Luanda, Angola
Names of Authors: António J. Manuel¹, Isabel M. Santos¹, Domingos P. Neto²
Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde, Luanda, Angola. ²Departamento de Parasitologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Agostinho Neto, Luanda, Angola.
Abstract: Giardiasis causes considerable gastrointestinal morbidity in children living in overcrowded environments, where domestic animals may serve as transmission reservoirs. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence, clinical correlations, and genetic assemblages of Giardia duodenalis in 420 symptomatic children and 180 domestic dogs across informal settlements in Luanda, Angola. Fecal samples were concentrated using formol-ether sedimentation and verified via nested PCR amplification of the beta-giardin (bg) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) genes. Molecular screening revealed a Giardia infection rate of 18.3 percent (n = 77) in children and 24.4 percent (n = 44) in companion dogs. Host-specific Assemblage C (52.2 percent) and Assemblage D (34.1 percent) dominated in the canine population. However, the zoonotic Assemblage B was detected in 68.2 percent of infected children and 11.4 percent (n = 5) of infected dogs. Identical Assemblage B gene sequences were found in three matching dog-owner pairs, indicating active cross-species transmission. Multivariable logistic regression associated infection in children with persistent watery diarrhoea (odds ratio = 3.22, 95 percent confidence interval [1.68 to 6.14]) and lack of household handwashing setups (odds ratio = 2.88, 95 percent confidence interval [1.42 to 5.85]). These findings prove that companion dogs contribute to the transmission of zoonotic giardiasis in urban slums, showing that public hygiene programs must include veterinary health outreach.
Keywords: Giardia duodenalis, Zoonotic assemblages, Beta-giardin, Companion dogs, Urban slums, Angola
Manuscript Timeline: Received: 25 June 2026; Revised: 22 July 2026; Accepted: 12 August 2026; Published: 29 August 2026
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