<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The parasites of the genus Spirometra belong to one of the twelve genera of the family Diphyllobothriidae, with several species of zoonotic importance whose definitive hosts are carnivorous mammals. In Argentina, few reports have described these parasites in wild carnivores. Morphological studies of the adult stage obtained from necropsy allow the distinction between Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra. A less invasive method of identification is the analysis of the parasite eggs; however, the morphometric similarities between close genera and species and alterations in egg preservation affect the identification. In Argentina, molecular tools have been used as a non-invasive and accurate method to increase the information about Spirometra and to improve its identification. In the present study, DNA was extracted from Spirometra eggs from Pampas foxes and a 450-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene was sequenced. The sequence obtained, which is the first Spirometra DNA sequence from Argentina, was deposited at GenBank. Comparison by BLASTN analysis between the sequence obtained and the sequences from GenBank showed 93 % identity with S. proliferum and 89% with S. erinaceieuropaei.</p></abstract>

The parasites of the genus Spirometra belong to one of the twelve genera of the family Diphyllobothriidae, with several species of zoonotic importance whose definitive hosts are carnivorous mammals. In Argentina, few reports have described these parasites in wild carnivores. Morphological studies of the adult stage obtained from necropsy allow the distinction between Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra. A less invasive method of identification is the analysis of the parasite eggs; however, the morphometric similarities between close genera and species and alterations in egg preservation affect the identification. In Argentina, molecular tools have been used as a non-invasive and accurate method to increase the information about Spirometra and to improve its identification. In the present study, DNA was extracted from Spirometra eggs from Pampas foxes and a 450-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene was sequenced. The sequence obtained, which is the first Spirometra DNA sequence from Argentina, was deposited at GenBank. Comparison by BLASTN analysis between the sequence obtained and the sequences from GenBank showed 93 % identity with S. proliferum and 89% with S. erinaceieuropaei.

Research Note. Cox-1 gene sequence of Spirometra in Pampas foxes from Argentina

Laboratorio de Paleoparasitología, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Dean Funes 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Buenos Aires, Argentina

Laboratorio de Zoonosis Parasitarias, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata-CONICET, Funes 3350, Mar del Plata (7600), Argentina

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Research Note. Cox-1 gene sequence of Spirometra in Pampas foxes from Argentina"}

The parasites of the genus Spirometra belong to one of the twelve genera of the family Diphyllobothriidae, with several species of zoonotic importance whose...

Research Note. Cox-1 gene sequence of Spirometra in Pampas foxes from Argentina

Published Online: Nov 26, 2015

Page range: 355 - 359

Received: Apr 13, 2015

Accepted: Jun 09, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/helmin-2015-0056

Keywords
non-invasive methods, wild mammals, Diphyllobothriidae eggs, PCR, cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 gene

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Research Note. Cox-1 gene sequence of Spirometra in Pampas foxes from Argentina

Published Online: Nov 26, 2015

Page range: 355 - 359

Received: Apr 13, 2015

Accepted: Jun 09, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/helmin-2015-0056

Keywordsnon-invasive methods, wild mammals, Diphyllobothriidae eggs, PCR, cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 gene

© 2015

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
non-invasive methods, wild mammals, Diphyllobothriidae eggs, PCR, cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 gene