Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important zoonotic diseases caused by larval form of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. The material of this study was the gray wolf (Canis lupus), which was found dead in the rural area of Bingol province of Turkey. The animal was brought to Veterinary Faculty for necropsy and many of adult Echinococcus spp. obtained. A total of 9 whole adult worms were morphologically examined under the microscope, gDNA was isolated from individual samples, a partial mt-CO1 gene fragment (875 bp) was amplified with PCR and sequenced. According to the phylogenetic analysis, six worms were characterized as E. equinus, while three were reported as E. canadensis (G6/7). It was found that the haplotypes of both species were similar to previously published haplotypes. This is the first report in which E. equinus and E. canadensis (G6/7) adult parasites were detected together in a gray wolf's intestine. The findings are important in that it draws attention to the importance of wild cycle in the spread of CE.
1 November 2023 in Egyptian Journal of Veterinary Sciences
Cryptosporidiosis is a zoonotic disease that occurs acutely or chronically in young or immune-compromised animals and humans, caused by Cryptosporidium species. Cryptosporidium is recognized as one of the major enteropathogens associated with neonatal diarrhea in ruminants. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in lambs in Siirt province using microscopic and molecular methods. The fecal materials of the study collected from 194 randomly selected lambs of different sexes, up to 4 weeks of age, in various farms. As a result of microscopic examination, Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were found in 54 (27.84%) of 194 samples, while specific bands were obtained in 63 (32.47%) samples as a result of Nested PCR analysis. A statistically significant relationship was found between lambs with and without diarrhea (P0.05). In conclusion, the data obtained from this study revealed that Cryptosporidium infection is present in Siirt province, and Cryptosporidium spp. should be considered as one of the agents in the etiology of neonatal diarrhea in lambs.
Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato is the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis (CE), which is a neglected zoonotic disease with an important role in human morbidity. In this study, we aimed to investigate the haplotype diversity, genetic variation, population structure and phylogeny of human E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1 genotype) isolates submitted to GenBank from different parts of the world by sequencing the mitochondrial CO1 and ND1 genes. The sequences of the mt-CO1 (401 bp; n = 133) and mt-ND1 (407 bp; n = 140) genes were used to analyze the haplotype, polymorphism and phylogenetic of 273 E. granulosus s.s. (G1 genotype) isolates. Mutations were observed at 31 different points in the mt-CO1 gene sequences and at 100 different points in the mt-ND1 gene sequences. Furthermore, 34 haplotypes of the mt-CO1 sequences and 37 haplotypes of the mt-ND1 sequences were identified. Tajima’s D, Fu’s Fs, and Fu’s LD values showed high negative values in both mt-CO1 and mt-ND1 gene fragments. The haplotype diversities in the sequences retrieved from GenBank in this study indicate that the genetic variation in human isolates of E. granulosus s.s. in western countries is higher than in eastern countries. This may be due to demographic expansions due to animal trades and natural selections.
Ligula intestinalis is a cestode parasite that affects freshwater fish in different countries of the world. The current study aims to reveal the phylogenetic, genetic and haplotype diversity of mt-CO1 gene sequences sent to the NCBI database from different countries by using in-silico analysis. The 105 mt-CO1 (371 bp) gene sequences of L. intestinalis obtained from NCBI were used for bioinformatics analyses. Sequences were subjected to phylogenetic and haplotype analysis. As a result of the haplotype analysis of L. intestinalis, 38 haplotypes were obtained from 13 different countries. Hap24 constituted 44.76% of the obtained haplotype network. Changes in nucleotides between haplotypes occurred at 1-84 different points. China and Turkey have highest fixation index (Fst) values of 0.59761, while the lowest (-0.10526) was found between Russia and Turkey. This study provides a baseline for future studies on extensive scale on the epidemiology, ecological aspects, distribution pattern, transmission dynamics and population dispersion of L. intestinalis worldwide.
Feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis is an emerging infectious disease in domestic cats caused by a group of hemotropic Mycoplasma species, including three main species: Mycoplasma hemofelis (Mhf), Candidatus Mycoplasma hemominutum (CMhm), and Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis (CMt). The primary objective of this investigation was to ascertain the molecular prevalence and characterization of hemotropic mycoplasmas in domestic cats from twenty-three districts of Konya province in Türkiye. For this purpose, 384 apparently healthy cats belonging to different breeds were enrolled in this study. The molecular prevalence of Mycoplasma spp. in cats was 9.4%, and the identified species included Mhf, Mycoplasma hemocanis (Mhc), CMt, and CMhm. The molecular prevalence was not significantly associated with district, breed, or gender (p > 0.05) but was significantly associated with age and ownership status (p < 0.05). The study found that all cats with Mycoplasma spp. were older than one year and that the infection had a higher prevalence in stray cats than in owned cats (p < 0.05). Although there are studies conducted in different provinces, data on the molecular and phylogenetic characterization of the species causing feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis are scarce in Türkiye. This study, which provides updated data concerning the molecular characterization and phylogeny of hemotropic Mycoplasma species of cats in Türkiye, revealed the Mycoplasma spp. molecular prevalence in Konya province for the first time and provided remarkable findings that will fill the scientific gap in the country. The molecular characterization of these hemotropic mycoplasmas is crucial for understanding their epidemiology and developing effective diagnostic and treatment strategies for feline hemotropic mycoplasmosis. It is anticipated that the data from the study will raise awareness among pet owners, veterinarians, and healthcare professionals of feline hemotropic Mycoplasma agents with zoonotic potential.
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and parasite burdens of Coeunurus cerebralis and Oestrus ovis in sheep in Siirt province, Türkiye. Between December 2022 and November 2023, a total of 520 sheep (260 male, 260 female) heads (10 heads per week) were randomly sampled from a butcher. The total prevalence of C. cerebralis was determined to be 12.9%. The prevalence was higher in males, in the Morkaraman breed, in animals younger than two years of age, in dark-coloured ones, in October, and in the right brain hemisphere. The total prevalence of O. ovis was determined to be 38.3%. The prevalence was higher in females, in the Akkaraman breed, in dark-coloured breeds, in age groups older than two years, and in December. In terms of larvae, L 1 was detected in 108 sheep, L 2 in 106 sheep, and L 3 in 139 sheep. A total of 1,039 larvae (278 L 1 , 321 L 2 , and 440 L 3 ) were detected. The significant presence of O. ovis found in the sheep in this study indicates that Siirt province has suitable climatic conditions for O. ovis and larval development. It is recommended to include more animals in a future study in order to determine the exact seasonal prevalence of O. ovis infestation in the region, and to use an antiparasitic drug effective against O. ovis in the routine treatment of sheep to reduce the incidence of this disease.