Molecular characterization of Trichinella species from wild animals in Israel.

Trichinellosis is a worldwide disease caused by nematode worms of the genus Trichinella , frequently diagnosed in Israel. However, the identity of the Israeli isolates have not been studied. Here we describe the molecular characterization of 58 isolates collected from jackals ( Canis aureus ), wild boar ( Sus scrofa ), foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) and a wolf ( Canis lupus ) in central and northern Israel. Isolates were analyzed using the multiplex PCR analysis encompassing expansion segment V (ESV) and internal sequence 1 (ITS-1) markers, which identified 52 of the 58 samples. Out of the six unidentified samples, four were successfully identified using extended PCR assays for ESV and ITS-1, developed in this study. Our analysis identified 44 isolates as T. britovi, 8 as T. spiralis , four mixed infections, and two isolates were not identified. Clonal analysis of the ITS-1 sequences from six isolates confirmed the initial identification of four mixed infections. These results show that the prevalent species in Israel are T. britovi and T. spiralis , with nearly 7% (4 of 58) incidence of mixed infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]