Dataset Information

Molecular Characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato from Humans in Slovenia.

ABSTRACT: The larval form of tapeworms of the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato species cluster cause an important zoonotic infection, cystic echinococcosis (CE). Molecular characterization of the cluster's isolates from different hosts greatly contributes to a better understanding of its transmission dynamics. To date, no genetic information is available on CE in Slovenia. In this work, we characterized isolates from human CE cases. Parasite samples from 18 patients were collected, together with the patients' demographic and clinical data. Genomic DNA was analyzed by conventional PCR and sequencing at four mitochondrial loci (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, cox1; NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1, nad1; NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5, nad5; and small ribosomal RNA, rrnS). Thirteen isolates were successfully amplified and sequenced. Seven (58.8%) patients were infected with E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) G1, five (38.5%) with E. canadensis G7 and one (7.7%) with E. granulosus s.s. G3. Echinococcus canadensis G7, the pig genotype, was identified exclusively in autochthonous Slovenes, while the patients originating from the Western Balkans were all infected with E. granulosus s.s. Our findings suggest that pigs are important intermediate hosts for human CE in Slovenia.

SUBMITTER: Soba B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7400081 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:Alveolar and cystic echinococcosis (AE, CE) caused by E. multilocularis and E. granulosus s.l., respectively, are considered emerging zoonotic diseases in Kyrgyzstan with some of the world highest regional incidences. Little is known regarding the molecular variability of both species in Kyrgyzstan. In this study we provide molecular data from a total of 72 parasite isolates derived from humans (52 AE and 20 CE patients) and 43 samples from dogs (23 infected with E. multilocularis and 20 with E. granulosus s.l.).Genetic variability in E. multilocularis was studied using the concatenated complete sequences of the cob, nad2 and cox1 mitochondrial genes adding a total of 3,558bp per isolate. The cob/nad2/cox1 A2 haplotype was identified in 63.4% of the human and in 65.2% of the dog samples. This haplotype was originally described in samples from Kazakhstan and St. Lawrence Island (Alaska, USA). We also describe here 16 non-previously defined variants of E. multilocularis (called A11-A26). All haplotypes cluster together within the Asian group in the haplotype network. Based on Fst values, low level of genetic differentiation was found between the populations of E. multilocularis isolated from different regions within the country. However, high degree of differentiation was found when all the concatenated sequences from Kyrgyzstan are considered as a single population and compared with the population of the parasite from the neighbouring country China. In the case of E. granulosus s.l. the analysis was based in 1,609bp of the cox1 gene. One isolate from a dog was identified as E. equinus, while all the other sequences were identified belonging to E. granulosus s.s. In total, 24 cox1 haplotypes of E. granulosus s.s. were identified including the already described variants: Eg01 (in 6 samples), Eg33 (in 4 samples), EgCl04 (in 2 samples), Eg03 (in 1 sample) and Eg32 (in 1 sample). From the twenty-five other isolates of E. granulosus s.s. a total of 19 non-previously described cox1 haplotypes were identified and named as EgKyr1 to EgKyr19. The most common haplotype infecting human is the EgKyr1 which was found in 5 isolates.The cob/nad2/cox1 A2 haplotype of E. multilocularis is responsible for the majority of human infections in Kyrgyzstan and is also found in the majority of dogs included in this study. Further similar studies in different parts of Asia could elucidate if it is also the most common variant infecting humans in other countries. It remains unknown if this particular haplotype presents differences in virulence which could have contributed to the emergency of alveolar echinococcosis in Kyrgyzstan. In the case of E. granulosus s.s. it seems that there is no dominant haplotype infecting humans in Kyrgzstan. Further characterization of biological or antigenic features of dominant mitochondrial haplotypes could help to elucidate if they present differences which could be relevant in the diagnostic, pathogenicity or in the host/parasite interaction when infecting humans.

Dataset Information

Molecular Characterization of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato from Humans in Slovenia.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets