Korean J Parasitol.  2010 Dec;48(4):343-346. 10.3347/kjp.2010.48.4.343.

Prevalence of Haplorchis taichui in Field-Collected Snails: A Molecular Approach

• Chontananarth T
• Wongsawad

• KMID: 1104704
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2010.48.4.343

Abstract

The prevalence of the cercarial stage of an intestinal trematode, Haplorchis taichui, in thiarid snails (Gastropoda: Thiaridae) was investigated using light microscope and species-specific PCR procedures. A total of 988 snails were collected from Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, which comprised of 3 species; Melanoides tuberculata, Tarebia granifera, and Thiara scabra. The overall prevalence of pleurolophocercous cercariae was 21.7% as determined by the morphology. For genetic detection of H. taichui infection in snails, 2 primers Hapt_F (5'-GGCCAACGCAATCGTCATCC-3') and Hapt_R (5'-GCGTCGGGTTTCAGACATGG-3'), were used. The genomic DNA of H. taichui, which was used as a positive control, gave an amplification of the 256 bp fragment. The overall prevalence of H. taichui from specific PCR was 9.7%. The proportion of H. taichui among the pleurolophocercous cercariae in this study was 44.9%.

Keyword

Haplorchis taichui; pleurolophocercous cercaria; thiarid snail; PCR; Thailand

MeSH Terms

Animals
DNA Primers/genetics
DNA, Helminth/genetics
Heterophyidae/*isolation & purification
Microscopy/methods
Parasitology/methods
Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods
Prevalence
Snails/*parasitology
Thailand