Molecular identification of Fasciola spp. (Digenea: Platyhelminthes) in cattle from Vietnam

• Published in: Parasite
• Main Authors: Nguyen S., Amer S., Ichikawa M., Itagaki T., Fukuda Y., Nakai Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2012-02-01
• Subjects: Fasciola gigantica; Fasciola hepatica; hybridization; parthenogenesis; ITS; COI; NDI; Vietnam
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2012191085
• ISSN: 1252-607X; 1776-1042

Fasciola spp. were collected from naturally infected cattle at a local abattoir of Khanh Hoa province, Vietnam, for morphological and genetic investigations. Microscopic examination detected no sperm cells in the seminal vesicles, suggesting a parthenogenetic reproduction of the flukes. Analyses of sequences from the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) of the ribosomal RNA revealed that 13 out of 16 isolates were of Fasciola gigantica type, whereas three isolates presented a hybrid sequence from F. gigantica and Fasciola hepatica. Interestingly, all the mitochondrial sequences (partial COI and NDI) were of F. gigantica type, suggesting that the maternal lineage of the hybrid form is from F. gigantica. No intra-sequence variation was detected.