Investigation of Mitochondrial Cytb Gene Region of Both Echinococcus Granulosus Eggs From Dogs and Cystic Echinococcosis Isolates Obtained From Sheep and Cattle by Molecular Methods

Abstract

Background:We aimed to determine the common Echinococcus granulosus genotypes in A & gbreve;r & imath;, T & uuml;rkiye and to obtain information on the transmission of this parasite. Methods:Cystic echinococcosissamples from 100 slaughtered cattle and 100 slaughtered sheep and faecal samples from 200 stray dogs were included in 2021. Collected cyst fluid samples and faces were examined microscopically. DNA was isolated from the germinal membrane of the cysts and from the parasite eggs in the stool samples. The mitochondrial cytbgene region of the parasite was amplified by PCR. Genotypes were determined using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) after sequence analysis of PCR amplicons. Results:The highest percentage of cysts was found in the lungs of sheep and the liver of cattle. In addition, 75% of sheep cysts and 25.6% of cattle cysts were fertile. Taenia spp./Echinococcus spp. eggs werefound in 6% of the faeces of 200 dogs ex-amined microscopically. E. granulosuseggs were detected in 4 out of 50 stool sam-ples analysed by PCR. All samples analysed by sequence analysis were identified as E. granulosuss.s. G1 genotype. Sequence comparisonrevealed revealed one or more-pointmutations in different regions of the five samples. Conclusion:E. granulosuss.s. G1 genotype, known as sheep strain, is common in the A & gbreve;r & imath;, T & uuml;rkiye. The controlled slaughter of livestock, especially sheep, and the avoidance of feeding hydatid cyst organs to dogs, together with public education, were necessary to prevent the spread of the disease.