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Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis in wolves from western Canada
- Source :
- Parasitology. 141(2)
- Publication Year :
- 2013
-
Abstract
- SUMMARYEchinococcus species are important parasites of wildlife, domestic animals and people worldwide; however, little is known about the prevalence, intensity and genetic diversity of Echinococcus tapeworms in Canadian wildlife. Echinococcus tapeworms were harvested from the intestines of 42% of 93 wolves (Canis lupus) from five sampling regions in the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and visually identified to genus level by microscopic examination. Genetic characterization was successful for tapeworms from 30 wolves, and identified both Echinococcus canadensis and Echinococcus multilocularis in all sampling locations. Mixed infections of E. canadensis/E. multilocularis, as well as the G8/G10 genotypes of E. canadensis were observed. These findings suggest that wolves may be an important definitive host for both parasite species in western Canada. This represents the first report of wolves naturally infected with E. multilocularis in North America, and of wolves harbouring mixed infections with multiple species and genotypes of Echinococcus. These observations provide important information regarding the distribution and diversity of zoonotic species of Echinococcus in western North America, and may be of interest from public health and wildlife conservation perspectives.
- Subjects :
- Genotype
Molecular Sequence Data
Wildlife
Echinococcus multilocularis
Northwest Territories
Echinococcosis
Prevalence
Parasite hosting
Animals
Echinococcus granulosus
Wildlife conservation
Genetic diversity
Wolves
biology
Base Sequence
Geography
Ecology
Coinfection
Genetic Variation
Manitoba
Sequence Analysis, DNA
biology.organism_classification
Saskatchewan
Echinococcus
Infectious Diseases
Canis
Animal Science and Zoology
Parasitology
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14698161
- Volume :
- 141
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Parasitology
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....48d1042f50118fab7f1767d2bc3a7909