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The occurrence of Toxocara malaysiensis in cats in China, confirmed by sequence-based analyses of ribosomal DNA

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Abstract

Non-isotopic polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequence analyses of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were utilized to genetically characterise ascaridoids from dogs and cats from China by comparison with those from other countries. The study showed that Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, and Toxascaris leonina from China were genetically the same as those from other geographical origins. Specimens from cats from Guangzhou, China, which were morphologically consistent with Toxocara malaysiensis, were the same genetically as those from Malaysia, with the exception of a polymorphism in the ITS-2 but no unequivocal sequence difference. This is the first report of T. malaysiensis in cats outside of Malaysia (from where it was originally described), supporting the proposal that this species has a broader geographical distribution. The molecular approach employed provides a powerful tool for elucidating the biology, epidemiology, and zoonotic significance of T. malaysiensis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Agricultural College, Guangdong Ocean University, Huguangyan, Zhanjiang, 524088, Guangdong Province, PR China

    Ming-Wei Li

  2. College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Street, Tianhe District, Guangzhou, 510642, Guangdong Province, PR China

    Ming-Wei Li, Xing-Quan Zhu & Rui-Qing Lin

  3. Department of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, 250 Princes Highway, Werribee, Victoria, 3030, Australia

    Robin B. Gasser

  4. Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Serdang, Selangor DE, Malaysia

    Rehana A. Sani

  5. School of Life Sciences, Zhongshan (Sun Yat-Sen) University, 135 West Xingang Street, Haizhu District, Guangzhou, 510275, Guangdong Province, PR China

    Zhao-Rong Lun

  6. Department of Pathology and Infectious Diseases, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, North Mymms, Hatfield, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom

    Dennis E. Jacobs

Authors
  1. Ming-Wei Li
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  2. Xing-Quan Zhu
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  3. Robin B. Gasser
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  4. Rui-Qing Lin
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  5. Rehana A. Sani
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  6. Zhao-Rong Lun
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  7. Dennis E. Jacobs
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Correspondence to Xing-Quan Zhu.

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Li, MW., Zhu, XQ., Gasser, R.B. et al. The occurrence of Toxocara malaysiensis in cats in China, confirmed by sequence-based analyses of ribosomal DNA. Parasitol Res 99, 554–557 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0194-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0194-z

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