Application of multiplex PCR for the simultaneous detection of Taenia spp. from domestic dogs in the north of Iran

The family Taeniidae is of great importance in the medical and veterinary fields, particularly in the tropics and subtropics. Identification of eggs of different Taenia spp. in the final host by morphological examination is difficult owing to their similarity. Therefore, a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting a mitochondrial gene was applied to identify morphologically indistinguishable eggs. Fecal samples from 100 domestic dogs, from the Mazandaran province in Iran, were examined using the flotation/sieving method followed by multiplex PCR. Taeniid eggs were observed in 24 % samples, of which 12 %, 10 %, and 2 % were infected with Echinococcus granulosus, Taenia spp., and both E. granulosus and Taenia spp., respectively. E. multilocularis was absent in these samples. The prevalence of E. granulosus in the examined domestic dogs as definitive hosts in north of Iran was high (14 %). Therefore, people living in this region of Iran are in danger of acquiring hydatid cyst, which is a serious public health problem.