The morphological and molecular identification of the tapeworm, Taenia lynciscapreoli, in intermediate and definitive hosts in Poland

Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2020 Feb 24:11:213-220. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.02.010. eCollection 2020 Apr.

Abstract

The tapeworm Taenia lynciscapreoli is a new species of the genus Taenia described in 2016, and which remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to extend current knowledge regarding its, morphology and genome. Biological material was analysed from three species of wild animals: Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and moose (Alces alces). Twenty-four adult tapeworms and four larvae were obtained from Eurasian lynx and roe deer respectively; none were detected in the studied moose. On the basis of morphometric (hooks measurements) and molecular analysis (partial 780 bp cox 1 gene sequences), the analysed tapeworm was identified as Taenia lynciscapreoli species. The phylogenetic analysis of the obtained sequences identified two haplotypes. The obtained findings can be used to supplement the species description. To our knowledge this is the first morphological and molecular identification of T. lynciscapreoli in roe deer, intermediate host, in Poland.

Keywords: Eurasian lynx; Roe deer; Rostellar hooks; Taenia lynciscapreoli; cox1 gene.