Korean J Parasitol.  2017 Jun;55(3):351-355. 10.3347/kjp.2017.55.3.351.

Prevalence of Hymenolepis nana and H. diminuta from Brown Rats (Rattus norvegicus) in Heilongjiang Province, China

• Yang D
• Zhao W
• Zhang Y
• Liu A

• KMID: 2387194
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2017.55.3.351

Abstract

Hymenolepis nana and Hymenolepis diminuta are globally widespread zoonotic cestodes. Rodents are the main reservoir host of these cestodes. Brown rats (Rattus norvegicus) are the best known and most common rats, and usually live wherever humans live, especially in less than desirable hygiene conditions. Due to the little information of the 2 hymenolepidid species in brown rats in China, the aim of this study was to understand the prevalence and genetic characterization of H. nana and H. diminuta in brown rats in Heilongjiang Province, China. Total 114 fecal samples were collected from brown rats in Heilongjiang Province. All the samples were subjected to morphological examinations by microscopy and genetic analysis by PCR amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene and the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene. In total, 6.1% (7/114) and 14.9% (17/114) of samples were positive for H. nana and H. diminuta, respectively. Among them, 7 and 3 H. nana isolates were successfully amplified and sequenced at the COX1 and ITS2 loci, respectively. No nucleotide variations were found among H. nana isolates at either of the 2 loci. Seventeen H. diminuta isolates produced 2 different COX1 sequences while 7 ITS2 sequences obtained were identical to each other. The present results of H. nana and H. diminuta infections in brown rats implied the risk of zoonotic transmission of hymenolepiasis in China. These molecular data will be helpful to deeply study intra-specific variations within Hymenolepis cestodes in the future.

Keyword

Hymenolepis nana; Hymenolepis diminuta; brown rat; mitochondrial gene; nuclear ribosomal RNA

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cestoda
China*
Electron Transport Complex IV
Genes, Mitochondrial
Genes, rRNA
Humans
Hygiene
Hymenolepiasis
Hymenolepis diminuta
Hymenolepis nana*
Hymenolepis*
Microscopy
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Prevalence*
Rats*
Rodentia
Electron Transport Complex IV