Common Sheep Strain Research Articles

Evaluation of the Molecular Properties of Echinococcus granulosus Isolates from Various Hosts in Şanlıurfa Province

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), which is raised by the larvae of Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus), is single of the world's most significant zoonoses, affecting both humans and animals. In this labor, it was the goal to perform genotyping of hydatid cyst stocks collected from various regions of Şanlıurfa and diverse middle hosts by molecular methods. A total of 197 hydatid cyst samples were obtained, including 40 pre-diagnosed human samples with paraffin, Türkiye 140 sheep, and 17 cattle samples. After microscopic examination, 33 human isolates and 80 sheep cyst are regarded fertile because they contain more than 250 protoscolex and/or scolex hooks. PCR-RFLP technique was used to determine the genetics of fertile isolates by analyzing the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer gene 1 (rDNA-ITS1) region of the samples. As a result of having the same band profile, it was found that all of the isolates were common sheep strain (G1). Echinococcus granulosus G1 strain was the reference material. This study demonstrated that the local sheep lineage of E. granulosus is the dominant genotype in Şanlıurfa province. It is thought to lead to further work on the epidemiology and ecology of parasites in animals in this region and neighboring countries.

Study on the genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus in yaks and sheep from Langkazi County in Tibet Autonomous Region of China based on mitochondrial cox1 and nad1.

To determine the genotypes of the epidemic strains of Echinococcus granulosus in livestock in Tibet, samples of E. granulosus cysts were collected from 11 yaks and 62 sheep. Genomic DNA was extracted from these samples, and gene fragments of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit I (nad1) were amplified by PCR and sequenced. DNASTAR and MAGA7.0 were employed for homology analysis and phylogenetic tree construction. Echinococcus granulosus cysts were detected in 56.2% (41/73) of the samples screened. Of these, 63.4% (26/41) were identified as E. granulosus G1 genotype (common sheep strain), 24.4% (10 /41) as G3 genotype (buffalo strain), and 12.2% (5/41) were G6 genotype (camel strain). The study concludes that yaks and sheep in Langkazi county, Tibet, carry three E. granulosus genotypes (G1, G3, and G6), with the G1 genotype the predominant genotype in the region. This study clarifies the distribution of E. granulosus genotypes, providing genetic data and insight for the surveillance and prevention of echinococcosis.

Epidemiological and Molecular Characterization of Echinococcus granulosus Isolated from Small Ruminants in Kashmir Valley, India.

Background:Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is an emergent or re-emergent zoonosis and remains a public health and economic problem all over the world.Methods:The present study was carried on the prevalence and genotypes of Echinococcus present in small ruminants in Kashmir valley. A total of 2100, sheep (2052) and goats (48), slaughtered or spontaneously dead, from various areas of Kashmir valley were screened for the presence of hydatidosis. In case of goat none of the cases were found positive for hydatidosis, whereas, all the positive cases (85) were recorded in sheep only. The overall prevalence of hydatidosis was 4.04%. The prevalence was higher in female sheep (5.46%) compared to males (2.83%). Season-wise highest prevalence was in summer (4.55%), followed by autumn (4.1%), spring (3.89%) and winter (2.5%).The liver was observed to be the most frequently infected organ with relative prevalence of 61.17% followed by lungs (38.82%).The rDNA-ITS1 fragment of positive samples was amplified with BD1 / 4S primers.Results:The length of amplified fragment for all isolated samples was 1000bps. The products obtained on PCR were digested with four restriction enzymes (Rsa 1, Alu 1, Msp 1 and Taq1). Rsa 1, Alu 1, Msp 1 yielded identical fragments, 300 and 700 bp in sheep. TaqI restriction enzyme had no effect on PCR product and after digestion; intact 1000bps fragment was seen.Conclusion:Phylogenetic analysis of ITS1 gene revealed that the common sheep strain (G1) is the predominant genotype in sheep in Kashmir valley.

Molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus in paraffin-embedded human tissues from Southwest Iran

Objective: To investigate Echinococcus (E.) granulosus genotypes as the causative agents of hydatidosis in humans in the southwest of Iran (Khuzestan province). Methods: In this study, isolates of 80 archived human paraffin embedded hydatid cysts were collected from pathology laboratories in Ahvaz city, Khuzestan province. DNA was extracted and examined by nested-PCR of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), and PCR-RFLP. In addition, the sequences of fragments of genes coding for Cox space1 and NADH dehydrogenase 1 (ND1) were also examined. Results: Of the 80 paraffin samples, 44 (55.0%) were from the liver, 27 (33.8%) from the lung, and the rest from other organs. The amplified hydatid genomic DNA showed that the cysts were E. granulosus strains. The results of PCR-RFLP and sequencing analysis revealed the presence of G1 genotype (sheep strain) in all human isolates. Furthermore, no camel strain (G6) was detected among all samples in the regions studied. Conclusions: The molecular findings indicate that the predominant genotype involved in E. granulosus transmission in southwest of Iran is the common sheep strain (G1), which occurs in human populations. These results may have important implications for hydatid disease control in the studied areas.

Molecular epidemiology of Echinococcus species in Pakistan

Objective: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic parasitic disease and a neglected infectious disease affecting more than one million people globally. It is caused by the tapeworm parasite of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. It is endemic in the neighbours of Pakistan. However, there are limited studies on molecular epidemiology of CE in Pakistan. Methods: Discrimination of Echinococcus species has been done mostly by morphologically and less work has been done by molecular methods in Pakistan. There are limited studies have been conducted to explore the molecular epidemiology of Echinococcus species in human and livestock. In human just retrospective studies have been conducted and there is a serious lack of studies on molecular basis. Results: So far in Pakistan just four studies have been published on genotyping of Echinococcus spp. common sheep strain (G1) and buffalo strain (G3) in livestock (small and large ruminants) and Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (G1-G3) in buffaloes, while Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (G1-G3), Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus canadensis (G6/7) in human have been reported. Based on these four studies clearly shows that CE is yet neglected in Pakistan. These findings indicate that due to the higher population of sheep and buffaloes, G1 and G3 strains are highly prevalent in human and animals. Association of stray dogs with sheep herds and other livestock at the grazing sites is responsible for the higher prevalence of CE that acts an active role in the transmission of CE while the wild animals and camel are responsible for the less infection. Conclusion: There is dire need of more studies on molecular identification of CE to understand its species diversity and molecular epidemiology in Pakistan. It is an important step toward management of echinococcosis based on One Health Concept.

Molecular identification of Echinococcus granulosus strain in stray dogs from Northeastern Iran.

Canine echinococcosis, caused by the adult form of taeniid cestodes of the genus Echinococcus is zoonotic and has an epidemiologically worldwide distribution. Dogs infected with E. granulosus are the main source of human hydatidosis, however, there is little information on molecular epidemiology of adult Echinococcus spp. in stray dogs. In the present study, 100 stray dogs (48 males and 52 females, 72 adults and 28 juveniles) were collected from Khorasan Razavi province in Northeastern Iran during October 2013 to December 2014. Thirty-eight (21 males and 17 females, 3 juveniles and 35 adults) out of 100 dogs were infected with E. granulosus. There were no significant differences in prevalence observed between females (43.5%) and males (34.4%), however, the prevalence of E. granulosus, showed a significant increasing trend with increasing host age (p<0.05). Thirty-eight isolated parasites from 38 stray dogs (one parasite per dog) were used for PCR-RFLP analysis of the ITS1 gene. PCR-RFLP analysis showed that all the 38 parasites were E. granulosus G1 genotype (common sheep strain). Five PCR products were sent for sequencing. The results of sequencing were similar to those reported by PCR-RFLP analysis and the presence of E. granulosus G1 genotype (sheep strain) as dominant genotype in dogs were emphasized. The results of this study suggest that the sheep strain occurs in definitive host in Northeastern Iran. Data presented here are expected to be useful for health and educational authorities responsible for designing and implementing effective measures for disease control.

Молекулярная классификация штаммов Echinococcus granulosus от крупного рогатого скота в Ливии

This study demonstrates the distribution of various E. granulosus strains in sheep, cattle and camel. The common sheep strain G1 is mainly found in sheep and cattle, but also parasitized camels. In contrast, the camel strain G6 is found mainly in camels and rarely in sheep and cattle. However, the study also revealed the possible presence of cryptic species that are closely related to both genotypes in livestock of Libya as evident by high mutations in several specimens. Based on the occurrence of overlapping hosts of E. granulosus in Libya, more research on the transmission cycles and genotypes of E. granulosus in Libya is required. In addition, it is suggested that surveys on potential intermediate hosts, including in humans with dogs as the major final host in Libya using higher resolution molecular tools such as microsatellite markers is recommended.

Molecular and epidemiological updates on cystic echinococcosis infecting water buffaloes from Egypt.

Aim:Cystic echinococcosis (CE) represents a serious parasitic disease at both animal and public health levels. The majority of reports negated the CE infection in buffaloes from Egypt; however, one study illustrated their infection with G6 genotype (camel strain). The present work contributed to update the epidemiological and molecular knowledge about CE infecting this economically important animal for better understanding of its role in maintaining the Echinococcus life cycle.Materials and Methods:A total of 120 slaughtered water buffaloes at Mansoura abattoir, Dakahlia province, Egypt, were inspected for the existence of hydatid cysts. Cysts location and fertility were examined. Five out of 27 revealed cysts were tested molecularly using both cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen subunit 1 (nadh1) genes.Results:Low prevalence (4.2%) as well as considerably low fertility rate (14.8%) of buffaloes CE was noted. G1 genotype (common sheep strain) was revealed from the five examined cysts. At the level of nadh1 partial sequences, a globally singleton G1 haplotype was reported.Conclusion:This the first report about the G1 infection in buffaloes from Egypt. This study proposed the minimized role of this animal in echinococcosis transmission. These findings could provide preliminary data for the local control of this disease.

Identification of Echinococcus granulosus strains using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism amongst livestock in Moroto district, Uganda.

A descriptive study was conducted to identify the different strains of Echinococcus granulosus occurring in livestock in Moroto district, Uganda. Echinococcus cysts from 104 domestic animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and camels, were taken and examined by microscopy, polymerase chain reaction with restriction fragment length polymorphism and Sanger DNA sequencing. Echinococcus granulosus genotypes or strains were identified through use of Bioinformatics tools: BioEdit, BLAST and MEGA6. The major finding of this study was the existence of a limited number of E. granulosus genotypes from cattle, goats, sheep and camels. The most predominant genotype was G1 (96.05%), corresponding to the common sheep strain. To a limited extent (3.95%), the study revealed the existence of Echinococcus canadensis G6/7 in three (n = 3) of the E. granulosus–positive samples. No other strains of E. granulosus were identified. It was concluded that the common sheep strain of Echinococcus sensu stricto and G6/7 of E. canadensis were responsible for echinococcal disease in Moroto district, Uganda.

Molecular characterization of Echinococcus granulosus s.l. cysts from cattle, camels, goats and pigs in Ethiopia

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) is a neglected helminth zoonosis affecting humans and various animal species. Human CE has been reported in almost all countries of sub-Saharan Africa but its prevalence and public health impact are subject to large geographical variations. The reasons for these differences are not well understood; among other factors, occurrence of different species/genotypes of E. granulosus s.l. has been suggested. CE is very common in all livestock species in Ethiopia; human CE is poorly documented in the country. The aim of this study was to assess the fertility and molecularly characterize hydatid cysts collected from cattle, camels, goats and pigs from different parts of the country. From the 137 samples characterized by PCR-RFLP and sequencing, 115 (83.9%) were identified as E. granulosus s.s. (G1, common sheep strain), 6 (4.4%) as Echinococcus ortleppi (G5, cattle strain) and 16 (11.7%) as Echinococcus intermedius (G6/7, camel strain). In cattle, E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi were found; in camels and goats, E. granulosus s.s. and E. intermedius; two cysts found in pigs were identified as E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi, respectively. All cysts recovered from goats and pigs were sterile, while fertility was 34% and 50% in cysts from cattle and camels, respectively. In cattle, 31% of E. granulosus s.s. cysts were fertile, showing the importance of cattle in the transmission of the “sheep strain”. Next to E. granulosus s.s., E. intermedius (camel strain) was the predominant species: 34.4% of the cysts collected from camels and 62.5% from goats were identified as E. intermedius. These animals originated from the drier Central, Eastern and Southern parts of the country. For the first time, we showed the presence of CE in pigs in Ethiopia. The presence of these strains and especially the fact that the zoonotic E. granulosus s.s. and E. intermedius are dominant, make CE an important public health concern in Ethiopia.

Molecular characterization and sequence analysis of Echinococcus granulosus from sheep isolates in East Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran.

Echinococcus granulosus as an etiologic agent of hydatid cyst is one of the most important zoonotic helminthes in the world that causing enormous economic and health losses. The aim of this study was to evaluate genotype of E. granulosus isolated from sheep using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene and sequencing method in East Azerbaijan province, northwest of Iran. Nineteen sheep hydatid cyst samples were collected. Genomic DNA was extracted from protoscoleces using commercial DNA extraction kit. Mitochondrial cox1 region was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and all isolates were sequenced. Afterward, sequences were analyzed for determination of genotypes by related software. G1 (94.73%) and G3 (5.27%) genotypes were identified from the isolates which out of 19 hydatid cysts, 17 samples were G1B, 1 sample G1D and the other one had G3 genotype. Results of this study indicate that common sheep strain (G1); especially G1B is the dominant subtype of E. granulosus in East Azerbaijan province.

Cystic and Alveolar Echinococcosis: Molecular survey in Al-Anbar Province

Forty specimens of surgically removed hydatid cyst were obtained from patients in different hospitals in Al-Anbar province. The aim of study was designed to determine the type of common larval stage (hydatid cyst) of echinococosis in Al-Anbar province according to PCR molecular differentiation.The study was carried out during the period from first day of January to the last day of December 2013.The age of patient ranged from (10 – ≥ 65 ) years old, (19 males and 21 females). A questionnaire paper was performed to each patient which includes information about age, sex,residence,occupation,exposure variable, water source, site of hydatid cyst and case history.From the obtained results, it's revealed that the age group (21 – 30 years) presented high hydatidosis parasitic infestation which was 35% , whereas the age group more than50 years presented low parasitic infection which was 2.5% . 47.5% of patients were males and 52.5% were females.Twenty eight(70%) patients live in rural areas. Also, twenty patients (50%) were exposured to livestock animals, (40%) of patients were farmers, twenty seven patients(68%) were consumed river water, The most common localization was the liver (65%). Purification of DNA was done by QIAamp DNA Mini kit from QIAGEN for cyst. Specific primers were designed for the diagnostic PCR. It amplifies a 133-basepair segment within the newly described repeated unit that amplified a target repeated sequence (EgG1 Hae III) newly identified in the genome of the common sheep strain of E. granulosus. Primer based on the flanking sequences allowed the PCR amplification of E. multilocularis, a fragment of mitochondrial 12S rDNA was amplified by PCR from human genomic DNA by using the cestode-specific primers 60 were used as targets for (PCR) amplification.The total number of the cysts specimens that gave positive results of E.granulosus by PCR was 37 (92.5%) patients and the number of specimens that gave negative results was 3(7.5%),while all specimens gave negative result of E. multilocularis by using PCR analysis.The present study showed that E. granulosus is a major causative of hydatidosis in Al-Anbar Province while E. multilocularis is not detected by using PCR approach.

Molecular characterization of livestock and human isolates of Echinococcus granulosus from south-west Iran

Hydatidosis is an important public health problem in several parts of Iran. The aim of this molecular study is to investigate Echinococcus granulosus genotypes as the causative agents of hydatidosis in the south-west of Iran (Khuzestan province). In this study, isolates of 334 hydatid cysts were collected from the liver and lungs of 141 sheep, 104 cattle, 84 goats and 5 human cases. DNA was extracted and examined by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP)-PCR. In addition, fragments of genes coding for ITS1 were sequenced. The results of RFLP-PCR analysis revealed the presence of the G1 genotype in all human, cattle, goat and sheep isolates. Furthermore, no camel strain (G6) was detected among all samples in the regions studied. The molecular findings indicate that the predominant genotype involved in E. granulosus transmission in south-west Iran is the common sheep strain (G1 genotype), which occurs in human, cattle, sheep and goat populations. In conclusion, these results may have important implications for hydatid disease control in the areas studied.

Worldwide epidemiology of liver hydatidosis including the Mediterranean area

The worldwide incidence and prevalence of cystic echinococcosis have fallen dramatically over the past several decades. Nonetheless, infection with Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus) remains a major public health issue in several countries and regions, even in places where it was previously at low levels, as a result of a reduction of control programmes due to economic problems and lack of resources. Geographic distribution differs by country and region depending on the presence in that country of large numbers of nomadic or semi-nomadic sheep and goat flocks that represent the intermediate host of the parasite, and their close contact with the final host, the dog, which mostly provides the transmission of infection to humans. The greatest prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in human and animal hosts is found in countries of the temperate zones, including several parts of Eurasia (the Mediterranean regions, southern and central parts of Russia, central Asia, China), Australia, some parts of America (especially South America) and north and east Africa. Echinococcosis is currently considered an endemic zoonotic disease in the Mediterranean region. The most frequent strain associated with human cystic echinococcosis appears to be the common sheep strain (G1). This strain appears to be widely distributed in all continents. The purpose of this review is to examine the distribution of E. granulosus and the epidemiology of a re-emerging disease such as cystic echinococcosis.

Molecular epidemiology of Echinococcosis from food producing animals in north India

Echinococcosis is an important medical, veterinary and economic concern in India. Ten cysts were randomly selected from each intermediate host species (cattle, buffalo, sheep, goat and pigs). Either the germinal layer (sterile cysts) or protoscoleces (fertile cysts) were collected for molecular characterization. A 434 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase-1 gene was amplified using PCR from each isolate. Ten representative samples (2 from each intermediate host species) were sequenced in both the directions from which readable sequences were obtained from nine for phylogenetic analysis (NCBI, Blast). Phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome oxidase I gene revealed that seven (77.7%) isolates, from cattle (2), pigs (2), buffaloes (1) and goat (2) were clustered with the Indian Buffalo (G3) strain of Echinococcus granulosus, while two (22.2%) isolates from sheep were clustered with the sheep strain (G1) of E. granulosus. Phylogenetic analysis of the cytochrome oxidase-1 gene revealed that the buffalo strain (G3) and common sheep strain (G1) are cycling among livestock in north India and that these strains are highly adapted to cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs.

Morphological characteristics of Echinococcus granulosus derived from buffalo in Iran

Cystic echinococcosis is a significant parasitic disease in Iran, where a variety of animals act as intermediate hosts. In this study, 25 isolates of Echinococcus granulosus obtained from water buffalo from various parts of Iran were characterized on the basis of the morphology of the metacestode and the adult worm. The characteristics of protoscoleces from the different studied areas were nearly similar. They showed 2 rows of alternating large and small hooks and their shapes were smooth in outline. In contrast to the protoscoleces, the adult rostellar hooks showed a rough outline. The results showed that the total length, the blade lengths of the large and small hooks and the number of hooks are almost similar to those isolated from sheep but significantly different from those isolated from camels. The growth rates of adult E. granulosus (total worm length, segmentation and maturation) of buffalo origin, at 35 and 41 days post-infection of dogs, were nearly comparable to the common sheep strain. The form of the strobila and the morphology of the reproductive system were also similar to those of sheep origin. This suggests that the common sheep strain (G1) of E. granulosus may also use buffaloes as its intermediate host.

Growth and genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus found in cattle imported from Australia and fattened in Japan

At the abattoir on study in Miyazaki, Japan, 9537 imported cattle from Australia in average were slaughtered annually in the last 5 years (2006 to 2010) and hydatid cysts were constantly detected in about 1.8% of the cattle. In order to assess the risk of Echinococcus granulosus delivered to Japan by imported cattle, 250 cysts found in 103 cattle at the abattoir were examined for their biological characteristics and genotypes. The cattle slaughtered were imported from Australia at an age of 10–12 months old and fattened for 17–18 months in Japan. The cysts showed their size ranging from 4 to 108 mm and were mainly found in the lung. Mature protoscoleces were detected in the three largest cysts, all were of the G1 genotype. Most of the other cysts contained clear cyst fluid and had thin laminated layer with no protoscoleces. The finding implies a potential risk of E. granulosus being established in Japan, thus strict and proper meat inspection and consequent offal condemnation are requisite at abattoirs that deal with imported cattle. Genotyping based on partial fragments of mitochondrial cox1, rrnS and nad1 genes were performed on the 66 cysts, showing that most of the cysts were G1 genotype (common sheep strain). However, two and four cysts were considered as G2 (Tasmanian sheep strain) and G3 (buffalo strain) genotypes, respectively. Since it has been widely recognized that G1 is the only genotype distributing in mainland Australia and that G2 genotype has been eradicated from Tasmania, the finding of those genotypes from Australian cattle indicated that certain genotypes other than G1 genotype are distributing in mainland Australia.

Molecular characterization of Echinococcus isolates indicates goats as reservoir for Echinococcus canadensis G6 genotype in Neuquén, Patagonia Argentina

Human cystic echinococcosis is a highly endemic zoonotic disease in the province of Neuquén, Patagonia Argentina, although a hydatid control programme has been carried out since 1970. Human infection due to Echinococcus canadensis (G6 genotype) is frequent in Neuquén. However, the reservoir for this species remains undetermined in a region where camels are absent. We investigated the fertility, viability and molecular epidemiology of hydatid cysts obtained from local goats, pigs and sheep in order to identify the possible reservoirs of E. canadensis (G6). We also analyzed isolates from infected dogs. A total of 67 isolates were identified by the DNA sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Cysts from sheep ( n = 16), goats ( n = 23) and pigs ( n = 18) and adult worms from 10 infected dogs were analyzed. The fertility of the hydatid cysts was 78.6%; 90.4% and 94.4% for sheep, goats and pigs, respectively. We detected E. canadensis (G6) in 21 of 23 goat samples and in 1 dog isolate, E. canadensis (G7) in all the pig isolates, E. granulosus sensu stricto (G3) in 1 sheep and the G1 genotype in 15 sheep, 2 goats and 9 dog samples. The G1 haplotypes included the common sheep strain sequence and 2 microvariants of this sequence. E. granulosus sensu stricto (G3) is described for the first time in South America. We conclude that goats act as reservoir for E. canadensis (G6) in Neuquén, and that control strategies may have to be adapted to local molecular epidemiology to improve the control of parasite transmission.

Genotypic characterisation of Echinococcus granulosus isolated from human in Turkey

Cystic echinococcosis is one of the most important zoonotic diseases in Turkey. The aim of this study was for the molecular analysis of Echinococcus granulosusisolates from different regions of Turkey. For this purpose, 46 hydatid cyst samples collected from humans during the surgery were included. The partial sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) gene was used for identification and molecular analysis of E. granulosus strains. Molecular analysis showed that all of the human cysts belonged to the G1 genotype (common sheep strain) of E. granulosus. According to the results of our study, the sheep strain (G1) is the predominant genotype of E. granulosus in humans in our country. Key words: Echinococcus granulosus, human, hydatid cyst, genotype, Turkey.

Relative expression of the 14-3-3 gene in different morphotypes of cysts of Echinococcus granulosus isolated from the Indian buffalo

The metacestode stage of Echinococcus granulosus is of zoonotic importance. In general, the 14-3-3 protein is involved in multiplication and survival of eukaryotes. Therefore, this communication presents succinct information on relative expression of the 14-3-3 protein in six different morphotypes of cysts of E. granulosus. All isolated E. granulosus belonged to the common sheep strain (G1). Relative expression of the 14-3-3 protein was higher in fertile cysts when compared to sterile cysts. The predicted amino acid sequence of the 14-3-3 protein was closely clustered with zeta-type isoforms 1 and 2 of the 14-3-3 protein. In addition, the present study demonstrates the presence of the 14-3-3 protein which until now had not been detected in the germinal layer. Our findings indicate that the expression of this biomolecule in the germinal layer of sterile organisms may contribute to the development and survival of the parasite in the host. The uniform expression of actin II conclusively proves the survivability of the harvested organisms.