The Spiky Side of Urban Wildlife, First Detection of a Zoonotic Assemblage of Giardia duodenalis in European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) from Italy

Coproparasitological examinations are routinely conducted on hedgehogs admitted to WildUmbria Wildlife Rescue Center. Giardia duodenalis cysts were found in the fecal flotation of a hedgehog and were further tested using a direct immunofluorescent assay and PCR-RFLP molecular analysis of the β-giardin gene for assemblage and sub-assemblage characterization. The RFLP protocol attributed the samples to the AI-like zoonotic assemblage. Additionally, trophozoites attached to the intestinal mucosa of the small intestine were detected via histological techniques. Although G. duodenalis has been detected in hedgehogs from several countries, it was never before reported in Italian hedgehogs. The identification of a zoonotic assemblage in hedgehogs suggests the potential for the parasite to be shared between wild and domestic environments, with pets possibly serving as bringing hosts.