Genetic interrelationships of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea), the causative agent of sparganosis in Europe

• Published in: Parasite
• Main Authors: Čisovská Bazsalovicsová Eva, Radačovská Alžbeta, Lavikainen Antti, Kuchta Roman, Králová-Hromadová Ivica
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: EDP Sciences 2022
• Subjects: food/water-borne zoonosis; sparganosis in finland; cox1 haplotypes; molecular genotyping; genetic lineages; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Lynx; Lynx lynx lynx
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2022009; https://doaj.org/article/ec3fafd39c3b49988d2f2ec7f17283d7

The geographic distribution of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea), the causative agent of food/water-borne sparganosis, is restricted to Europe, where infected canids, felids, mustelids, suids, and reptiles have been documented from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Serbia, Estonia, Latvia, and Finland. The main objective of the current study was to map the molecular divergence of S. erinaceieuropaei from Finland using the complete sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1 mtDNA). Seven cox1 haplotypes were determined in 15 tapeworms from Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) from three localities in southern Finland. In addition, the first inter-population study of S. erinaceieuropaei based on currently obtained data on cox1 from Finland and previously published data from Finland, Latvia, Ukraine, and Poland, was performed. The haplotype network showed a star-like pattern without specific subdivision of lineages according to the locality. Samples from Finland, Latvia, and Poland shared several haplotypes and formed the common Baltic lineage. The haplotype of S. erinaceieuropaei from Ukraine was unique and placed on a separate mutational pathway, suggesting a different lineage of the parasite.