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Molecular method for the semiquantitative identification of gastrointestinal nematodes in domestic ruminants

  • Helminthology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Standard diagnostic methods currently in use for the identification of helminth infections in ruminants are based on the morphological analysis of immature and adult stages of parasites. This paper describes a method for the semiquantitative identification of nematodes, mainly Trichostrongyloidea, at species-level resolution. The method is based on amplification and fragment analysis followed by minisequencing of the ITS-2 region (internal transcribed spacer 2) of the ribosomal DNA of parasite eggs or larvae. This method allows for the identification of seven genera (Chabertia, Cooperia, Haemonchus, Oesophagostomum, Ostertagia, Teladorsagia, and Trichostrongylus) and 12 species (Chabertia ovina, Cooperia curticei, Cooperia punctata, Cooperia oncophora/Cooperia surnabada, Haemonchus contortus, Haemonchus placei, Haemonchus longistipes, Oesophagostomum asperum, Oesophagostomum radiatum, Ostertagia ostertagi, Trichostrongylus axei, and Trichostrongylus colubriformis) of infectious nematodes of domestic ruminants. The concordance between the morphological and molecular analyses in the detection of genera ranged from 0.84 to 0.99, suggesting the proposed detection method is specific, semiquantitative, less laborious, and highly cost-efficient.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ricardo Land Lomardo, the other farm owners, and Letícia Vidal Cruz for their technical support.

Funding

Financial support for this study was provided by the Brazilian research funding agencies CNPq (National Council for Scientific and Technological Development) (INCT 573899/2008-8), FAPEMIG (Minas Gerais State Research Foundation) (INCT APQ-0084/08), FAPERJ (Rio de Janeiro Research Foundation), and CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel) (Finance Code 001).

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Author notes

  1. Lívia L. Santos and Jordana A. Salgado contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinária, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270901, Brazil

    Lívia L. Santos & Denise A. A. Oliveira

  2. Laboratório de Biologia Celular e Tecidual, Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Av. Alberto Lamego, 2000, Parque Califórnia, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, 28013602, Brazil

    Jordana A. Salgado & Clóvis P. Santos

  3. Myleus Biotecnologia, Av. José Cândido da Silveira, 2100-Sala 11-Horto Florestal, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31035-536, Brazil

    Marcela G. Drummond

  4. Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Escola de Veterinária da UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil

    Eduardo Bastianetto

  5. Embrapa Agroenergia, STN, Brasília, DF, 70297-400, Brazil

    Bruno S. A. F. Brasil

  6. Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Rua Evaristo F. F. da Costa, 408 - Jardim das Americas, Curitiba, PR, 81530-015, Brazil

    Cesar A. Taconeli

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  1. Lívia L. Santos
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  2. Jordana A. Salgado
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Correspondence to Clóvis P. Santos or Denise A. A. Oliveira.

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Santos, L.L., Salgado, J.A., Drummond, M.G. et al. Molecular method for the semiquantitative identification of gastrointestinal nematodes in domestic ruminants. Parasitol Res 119, 529–543 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06569-3

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