Molecular characterization of cysts isolated from cattle in Shiraz, Iran.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), is one of the common parasitic infections of domestic animals and humans caused by the larval stages of the tapeworm . This research aimed to identify of CE cysts in cattle isolates from Shiraz slaughterhouse using molecular technique. Thirty CE cysts isolates were collected and total DNA was extracted from protoscolices or the germinal layer of each cyst followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (NADH-1) mitochondrial genes (~ 450 bp) and sequencing. The sequence results were compared with available reference sequences in GenBank by BLAST system. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA 5.0 software and the maximum likelihood method. The results showed that all 30 samples examined in this study were identified as sensu stricto (G1-G3 genotypes) with G1 dominant.