Comparison of molecular and morphological characterization and haplotype analysis of cattle and sheep isolates of cystic echinococcosis

Cystic echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease and the second most common foodborne parasitic infection worldwide. The aim of the present study was to investigate genetic variations in G1 and G3 genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto and determine the morphological differences between two genotypes. In total, 119 cystic samples were collected from 48 cattle and 71 sheep in slaughterhouses in four cities in three geographical regions of Turkey regions (Ankara, Central Anatolio region; Ordu, Black Sea region; and Adana, Mersin, Mediterranean region). For molecular characterization of the G1 and G3 genotypes, two gene regions (the complete mt-cox1 gene sequence and partial mt-nad5 gene sequence) were amplified. Haplotype analysis was conducted to determine the nucleotide differences between the complete sequences of the mt-cox1 gene for 47 samples. In addition, morphological parameters in protoscoleces of fertile cysts were measured to determine the relationship between the genotypes and morphometry. According to the obtained genotype and morphometry results, there were no statistically significant differences between the genotypes in terms of the number of hooks, total lengths of large and small hooks, blade lengths of large and small hooks, and widths of small hooks, although there was a statistically significant difference in large hook width (p > 0.05).