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Research Papers
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Present address: Department of Zoology, University of Benghazi, PO Box 1308, Benghazi, Libya.
Introduction
Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is caused by a group of cryptic species within Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) including E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1-G3 genotypes), E. equinus (G4 genotype), E. ortleppi (G5 genotype) and E. canadensis (G6-G10 genotypes) (Nakao et al., 2007; Thompson, 2008). Human CE due to infection with the metacestode stage of E. granulosus (s.l.) is an important zoonotic infection of major health and socio-economic impact worldwide (Budke et al., 2006; Craig et al., 2007). Conversely, canine echinococcosis is caused primarily by the adult stage of E. granulosus (s.l.) and the disease is usually asymptomatic in canid definitive hosts, even in those animals harbouring large worm burdens. Although canids and ungulates, respectively, serve as definitive and intermediate hosts of E. granulosus (s.l.), dogs and sheep are by far the most important hosts worldwide. Furthermore, infected dogs constitute the major source of CE infection to humans and are known to shed in excess of 8000 eggs per day (Gemmell, 1990). Detection of infection in dogs has traditionally relied on necropsy or arecoline purgation for assessing Echinococcus worm burdens (Eckert et al., 2001), but it also relies increasingly on the use of coproELISA for the detection of Echinococcus copro-antigens in order to determine prevalence and re-infection rates in dogs (Craig et al., 1995; Allan & Craig 2006; Moss et al., 2013).
Molecular genotypic information on Echinococcus isolates from definitive hosts is important for epidemiological and transmission studies, as well as for the planning and surveillance of control programmes (Craig et al., 2003). Published reports on the molecular characterization of E. granulosus (s.s.) in definitive hosts include those from Asia (Stefanic et al., 2004; Bart et al., 2006a; Zhang et al., 2006; Ma et al., 2008; Utuk et al., 2008; Ziadinov et al., 2008), the Middle East (Al-Qaoud et al., 2003; Parsa et al., 2012), North Africa (Lahmar et al., 2009; Boufana et al., 2014), Europe (Trachsel et al., 2007; Sherifi et al., 2011; Xhaxhiu et al., 2011) and the Americas (Soriano