Abstract
Giardia duodenalis is a protozoal parasite that infects a wide range of animal hosts including dogs and humans. Although social determinants of health (SDOH) are well characterized in human disease, their role in shaping animal health outcomes remains poorly understood. This ecological study, guided by One Health principles, evaluated temporospatial trends in canine Giardia infection in Texas and assessed associations with county-level human socioeconomic indicators. Veterinary diagnostic test results from commercial laboratories during 2012-2022 were analyzed to characterize temporal and geographic variation in test positivity. Negative binomial regression models were used to examine associations between Giardia positivity and county-level measures of poverty, unemployment, income, educational attainment, and veterinary care accessibility scores (VCAS). Cumulatively, 4.6% of canine tests were positive at the state level, with substantial county-level variation (median 4.6% [range 0.6–12.1%]; mean 4.9% [CI 4.1–5.8%]). Higher positivity was associated with limited veterinary care access (uPR 2.0 [CI 1.4–3.0], P value < 0.001) and a lower proportion of college graduates (uPR 1.6 [CI 1.2–2.1], P value < 0.001). Temporal increases in positivity were observed in Cameron County and Lubbock County, whereas decreases were noted in El Paso County and Parker County. These findings suggest that socioeconomic factors related to veterinary access and education are associated with canine Giardia infection risk and may help identify regions where targeted interventions are warranted. However, further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and zoonotic implications.
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The authors would like to thank Drs. Barbara Gastel and Jane Costa for their thoughtful review of this manuscript prior to submission.
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This work was funded internally by Texas A&M University.
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Taylor, L.A., Saleh, M.N., Rodriguez, C. et al. Social determinants of health and temporospatial trends associated with Giardia duodenalis infection in Texas canines. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-51897-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-51897-x
