First documentation of canine dipylidiasis by molecular detection in Baghdad City, Iraq

Abstract

Canine dipylidiasis is a zoonotic intestinal cestode infects cands, fields and rarely human. The goal of this study was to determine morphological characteristics by traditional parasitological methods and molecular techniques among stray dogs in Baghdad, Iraq. Totally, thirty-two adults of D.caninum were isolated from 15 small intestines that were naturally infected obtained from 100 necropsied stray dogs (15%) and used for morphological description after using Semichon-acetocarmine stain, on the basis of morphological description of the scolex, immature, mature, and gravid segments of D.caninum The results revealed a significant difference (p> 0.01) in the dipylidiasis infection based on the dogs' sex, females had a higher infection rate (28%) than males (10.7%). In between aged groups, infection rates showed a relatively significant difference (P≤0.01) with a higher rate in puppies (20%) than in adults (13.8%). The records of D.caninum increased in March compared to the other months, with nil infection in August. By using the DC28SrRNA region at size (653bp) se, Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), DNA sequencing, and phylogeny were used for identification and genetic variation between thirty-two local D.caninum and NCBI.