Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-rdgjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-07T01:31:55.268Z Has data issue: true hasContentIssue true

Molecular study of Echinococcus in west-central China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 June 2005

Y. R. YANG
Affiliation:
Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Q 4006, Australia Ningxia Medical College, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 75004, PR China
M. C. ROSENZVIT
Affiliation:
Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto National de Enfermedades Infecciosas (INEI), ANLIS ‘Dr. Carlos G. Malbràn’, Vélez Sarsfield 563, 1281 Buenos Aires, Argentina
L. H. ZHANG
Affiliation:
Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Q 4006, Australia
J. Z. ZHANG
Affiliation:
Ningxia Medical College, Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, 75004, PR China
D. P. MCMANUS
Affiliation:
Molecular Parasitology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, 300 Herston Road, Brisbane, Q 4006, Australia
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the 'Save PDF' action button.

West-central China is an important endemic focus of both alveolar and cystic echinococcosis where several species of intermediate host are commonly infected with Echinococcus granulosus and E. multilocularis. Isolates of E. granulosus were collected from humans and other animals from different geographical areas of Qinghai, Ningxia, Gansu and Sichuan, and genotyped using the mitochondrial DNA marker ATP synthase subunit 6 gene (atp6). The sheep strain (G1 genotype) of E. granulosus was shown to be the only genotype present in sheep, cattle, goats, yaks and humans in the study areas. However, some heterogeneity in the atp6 sequence was evident in a number of the isolates with the most frequent change being a silent substitution (G/A) at position 360 compared with the G1 reference sequence representing isolates collected from the majority of hosts except humans. Two E. multilocularis isolates examined also had sequences that varied from each other and from the reference E. multilocularis atp6 sequence. The genotypic variation we report may reflect phenotypic differences with important consequences in terms of increased host infectivity for hosts by local Echinococcus strains, possibly impacting on the epidemiology and control of echinococcosis. Such adaptations may also result in different sensitivity to drugs or increased virulence for hosts that will impede control efforts and even affect vaccination strategies against Echinococcus.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press