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Molecular Screening of <i>Echinococcus</i> spp. and Other Cestodes in Wild Carnivores from Central Italy
oleh: Silvia Crotti, Leonardo Brustenga, Deborah Cruciani, Piero Bonelli, Nicoletta D’Avino, Andrea Felici, Benedetto Morandi, Carla Sebastiani, Sara Spina, Marco Gobbi
Format: | Article |
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Diterbitkan: | MDPI AG 2023-04-01 |
Deskripsi
Tapeworm infections are among the most relevant parasitic diseases in humans and animals. Tapeworms from the Genus <i>Echinococcus</i> are particularly important as they can cause cystic or alveolar echinococcosis. A molecular screening was performed on 279 fecal samples collected from carcasses of wild carnivores from Central Italy using PCR targeting diagnostic fragments of <i>nad1</i>, <i>rrnS</i>, and <i>nad5</i> genes. Samples positive for either <i>Taenia</i> spp. or <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> were sequenced to taxonomically identify the parasitic DNA. Of the 279 samples, 134 (48.0%) gave positive results in the multiplex PCR. Only one (0.4%) sample from an Apennine wolf tested positive for <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> sensu stricto (genotype G3), whereas no sample tested positive for <i>E. multilocularis</i>. The most frequently detected tapeworms were: <i>Mesocestoides corti</i> (syn <i>M. vogae</i>) (12.9%), <i>M. litteratus</i> (10.8%), <i>Taenia serialis</i> (9.3%), and <i>T. hydatigena</i> (6.5%), other tapeworms were rarely detected. The results suggest that <i>Echinococcus</i> infections in Central Italy do not seem to be sustained by sylvatic cycles, confirming the absence of <i>E. multilocularis</i> in Central Italy. The survey corroborates, yet again, the importance of passive surveillance of wild animals that can serve as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens, especially on wild canids that in other areas are strongly implicated in the transmission of <i>E. granulosus</i> and <i>E. multilocularis</i>.