Phylogenetic Characteristics of Echinococcus granulosus Sensu Lato in Uzbekistan

Abstract

Echinococcosis occurs mainly in areas with heavy livestock farming, such as Central Asia, America, and Australia. <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> sensu lato (s.l.) infection causes echinococcosis in intermediate hosts, such as sheep, cattle, goats, camels, and horses. Numerous cases of echinococcosis occur in Uzbekistan as stock farming is a primary industry. Epidemiological and genetic studies of <i>E. granulosus</i> s.l. are very important for mitigating its impact on public health and the economy; however, there are no such studies on <i>E. granulosus</i> s.l. in Uzbekistan. In the present study, to determine which genotypes exist and are transmitted, we isolated Echinococcus sp. from definitive hosts (one isolate each from jackal and dog) and intermediate hosts (52 isolates from humans and 6 isolates from sheep) in Uzbekistan and analyzed the isolates by sequencing 2 mitochondrial DNA components (<i>cox1</i> and <i>nad1</i>). The results showed that all of isolates except one belonged to the <i>E. granulosus</i> sensu stricto (s.s.) G1 and G3 genotypes. Phylogenetic analysis based on <i>cox1</i> sequences showed that 42 isolates from humans, 6 isolates from sheep, and one isolate from jackal were the G1 genotype, whereas the remaining 8 isolates from human and the one isolate from dog were the G3 genotype. These results suggest that the G1 and G3 genotypes of <i>E. granulosus</i> s.s. are predominant in Uzbekistan, and both wild animals and domestic animals are important for maintaining their life cycle. Only one isolate from human sample was confirmed to be <i>E. eqiinus</i> (G4 genotype), which is known to be for the first time.