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Genetic typing of Echinococcus granulosus in Romania

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Abstract

In Romania, cystic echinococcosis is endemic and affects, besides humans, various animal species including sheep, cattle, and swine. As yet, no molecular-genetic typing has been carried out to clearly identify the putative strains being transmitted there. Parasite samples (protoscoleces or germinal layers) were collected from infected intermediate hosts and subsequently analyzed by comparing the PCR-amplified DNA sequences of three targets: one nuclear (BG1/3) and two mitochondrial (cox1 and nadI). Three strains were identified with the mitochondrial sequences: (i) the common sheep strain (G1) which circulates between sheep and cattle and is infective for humans, (ii) the Tasmanian sheep strain (G2) infecting sheep and cattle, and (iii) the pig strain (G7) predominantly found in swine. To our knowledge, this is the first report which demonstrates the occurrence of the Tasmanian sheep strain in cattle and the sympatric occurrence of these three strains (G1, G2, and G7) in Europe.

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Acknowledgement

We are extremely grateful to Dr. Petre Brăilă from Reşiţa, Dr. Gheorghe Ciobanu from Arad, Dr. Petru Muntean from Timişoara, and Dr. Eugen Avram from Satu-Mare for assistance and for supplying the material for our study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SERF Team (Equipe Santé Environment Rural Franche-Comté), Parasitology Department, College of Medicine of Besançon, 19 rue Ambroise Paré, 25000, Besançon, France

    J. M. Bart, J. Knapp & R. Piarroux

  2. Parasitology Department, College of Veterinary Medicine, Timisoara, Romania

    S. Morariu, M. S. Ilie & I. Cosoroaba

  3. Biochemistry Department, Victor Babes University of Pharmaceutical Medicine, Timisoara, Romania

    M. Pitulescu & A. Anghel

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  1. J. M. Bart
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  2. S. Morariu
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  3. J. Knapp
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  4. M. S. Ilie
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  5. M. Pitulescu
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  6. A. Anghel
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  7. I. Cosoroaba
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  8. R. Piarroux
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Correspondence to J. M. Bart.

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Bart, J.M., Morariu, S., Knapp, J. et al. Genetic typing of Echinococcus granulosus in Romania. Parasitol Res 98, 130–137 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0015-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-005-0015-9

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