Three species of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato infect camels on the Arabian Peninsula

Comparative Analysis of Nuclear (Ef1α) and Mitochondrial (mt-CO1 and mt-Nad5) Markers for Molecular Characterization of Sheep Isolates of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato

BACKGROUND

Echinococcus granulosus is a zoonotic disease that is widespread worldwide.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the genetic diversity of E. granulosus isolates in sheep. Partial mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences were used to determine intraspecific variation.

METHODS

For this purpose, 41 sheep hydatid cyst isolates were collected from slaughterhouses in Elazig and Bingol provinces of Türkiye. Following genomic DNA isolation from the germinal membrane of the cysts, PCR amplification and subsequent DNA sequence analysis were performed using primers that amplify mitochondrial CO1, Nad5, and nuclear ef1α gene regions.

RESULTS

DNA sequence analyses of mt-CO1 (1603 bp) and mt-Nad5 (625 bp) gene regions showed that 39 out of 41 isolates were identified as G1 and two isolates as G3. When the phylogenies formed by the sequences belonging to different gene regions were evaluated; in the phylogenetic tree created with the mt-CO1 and Nad5 gene dataset, G1 and G3 isolates were in separate clades with the reference sequences, while in the phylogenetic tree created with the nuclear gene region ef1α dataset, the isolate belonging to the G3 genotype (ef1a.01) formed a sister clade with the G1 genotypes and the reference sequence. According to the haplotype network results obtained, 14 haplotypes, 15 haplotypes, and two haplotypes were determined for mt-CO1, mt-Nad5, and ef1α gene regions, respectively. Haplotype analysis of mt-CO1 and mt-Nad5 gene regions revealed high haplotype and low nucleotide diversity. Low nucleotide diversity was detected, and two haplotypes were determined as a result of haplotype analysis ef1α (1343 bp) gene.

Insights into Human Cystic Echinococcosis in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq: Characteristics and Molecular Identification of Cysts

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a neglected worldwide distributed parasitic disease caused by the Echinococcusgranulosus sensu lato (s.l.) species complex. For a better understanding of the pathways of transmission of this parasite, clinical and molecular epidemiological studies are particularly needed from endemic areas where data are scant, such as in the Middle East. The study aimed to identify the characteristics, location, cyst stage and species/genotypes of E. granulosus s.l. complex in humans from the Kurdistan region, Iraq. To this aim, from June 2019 to February 2021, 64 echinococcal cysts were surgically removed from 62 patients in Azadi and Vajeen reference Hospitals at Duhok city, Duhok governorate (Kurdistan region, Iraq). The results confirmed the liver as the most common anatomical site of CE with 72.58% of the cases, followed by the lungs in 19.35%, while 66.13% of CE cases were females. The highest rate of infections occurred in the age class 21−30 (27.42%). High rates of CE were reported among patients living in rural areas and housewives, which were 54.84% and 43.55% of the CE patients, respectively. The fertility of echinococcal cysts was 82.81%, and the viability of fertile protoscoleces was 70.53%. Cysts were staged with ultrasound according to the WHO-IWGE classification as 32.8% CE1, 32.8% CE2, 7.8% CE3a, 9.4% CE3b, 15.6% CE4 and 1.6% CE5. Molecular analyses using mitochondrial NAD5 gene showed that all analyzed samples (n = 59) belonged to the genotypes G1 or G3 of E. granulosussensu stricto (s.s.), thus, confirming sheep−dog−human transmission in the Kurdistan region, Iraq. No statistically significant correlation was found between the genotypes G1−G3 of E. granulosus s.s. and variables, such as the fertility, location and cyst stage classification. Based on the present findings, it is necessary to implement monitoring and control programs in sheep and dog populations to decrease the odds of human infections. Public health education campaigns are required to be implemented at the community level to reduce the risk of acquiring CE in humans in the Kurdistan region, Iraq.

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic studies of Echinococcus granulosus and Taenia multiceps coenurus cysts in slaughtered sheep in Saudi Arabia

Taeniids, consisting of two genera Echinococcus and Taenia, are obligatory tapeworms of mammals, and their pathogenicity was due to infection with larval stages. Hydatid (the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus) and coenurus (the larval stage of Taenia multiceps) cysts are prevalent in domestic, wild ruminants, livestock, swine, and dogs, and accidentally they could also be found in humans. They lead to different clinical manifestations that cause economic loss in livestock and human morbidity. In Saudi Arabia, few studies were performed on hydatid and coenurus cyst genetic variations. The main goal of the present study was to identify E. granulosus and T. multiceps cyst isolates collected from slaughtered Harri sheep in Saudi Arabia by partial sequencing with PCR amplification of the cytochrome C oxidase 1 (COX1) gene. Molecular and phylogenetic evaluation based on COX1 sequences indicated that cyst isolates belong to E. granulosus and T. multiceps, respectively, successfully submitted in NCBI Genbank. Molecular characterization showed a low nucleotide diversity with two submitted isolates of coenurus with related isolates of Genbank. Conversely, E. granulosus isolates showed higher nucleotide diversity. The reported data could serve as a foundation for future molecular epidemiological and biological studies.