Genetic diversity of Echinococcus vogeli in the western Brazilian Amazon.

Daniel Daipert-Garcia,Márcio Galvão Pavan,Guilherme Brzoskowski Dos Santos,Leandro Batista Das Neves,Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira,Fernanda Barbosa De Almeida,Rosângela Rodrigues-Silva,Nilton Ghiotti Siqueira,Tuan Pedro Dias-Correia

doi:10.1590/0074-02760190149

Abstract

Human polycystic echinococcosis is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus vogeli, which occurs in rural areas of Central and South America. Until now, little information on the genetic variability of E. vogeli is available. Here, 32 samples from human-excised E. vogeli cysts had a 396-bp sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene sequenced and compared to another 17 COI sequences representing nine Echinococcus species. A Bayesian COI tree revealed that all E. vogeli sequences formed a monophyletic and well-supported clade with an E. vogeli reference sequence. The occurrence of geographically restricted E. vogeli COI haplotypes suggests retention of ancestral polymorphisms with little migration in Acre, Brazil.

Highlights

In Brazil, despite significant improvements in sanitary conditions observed in the last decade, there are still several parasitic diseases with high prevalence, especially in less developed areas.[1]
Previous reports on the genus Echinococcus evolutionary history showed that Neotropical E. vogeli and Echinococcus oligarthra were the first to diverge within the clade
It has been recognised that intraspecific genetic variations can influence several factors in parasites, such as life cycle patterns, host specificity, development time, transmission dynamics, sensitivity to chemotherapeutics, antigenicity, and disease-causing ability.[5]. The elucidation of intraspecific genetic variation has greatly contributed to the characterisation of local populations and has allowed a better understanding of the parasitehost relationship and clinical manifestations of the disease, serving as the basis for the identification of important antigens and the development of immunodiagnostic assays and vaccines.[11]

Summary

Introduction

In Brazil, despite significant improvements in sanitary conditions observed in the last decade, there are still several parasitic diseases with high prevalence, especially in less developed areas.[1]. The survey was based on a 396-bp mitochondrial DNA sequence from the cytochrome-C-oxidase subunit 1 gene (COI), widely used in molecular studies of the genus Echinococcus.[13]

Results

Conclusion