Prevalence and genetic variance of Taenia hydatigena in goats and sheep from northern Ghana: Preliminary data on a globally neglected livestock parasite

Francis Addy; Gideon Adu-Bonsu; Angelina Evelyn Dickson; Derrick Dankwa; Randy Aryee; Osman A Dufailu; Thomas Romig; Marion Wassermann

doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100711

Prevalence and genetic variance of Taenia hydatigena in goats and sheep from northern Ghana: Preliminary data on a globally neglected livestock parasite

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2022 May:30:100711. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100711. Epub 2022 Feb 19.

Authors

Francis Addy¹, Gideon Adu-Bonsu², Angelina Evelyn Dickson², Derrick Dankwa², Randy Aryee², Osman A Dufailu³, Thomas Romig⁴, Marion Wassermann⁴

Affiliations

¹ University for Development Studies, Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, P. O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana. Electronic address: faddy@uds.edu.gh.
² University for Development Studies, Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Biotechnology, P. O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana.
³ University for Development Studies, Faculty of Biosciences, Department of Microbiology, P. O. Box TL 1882, Tamale, Ghana.
⁴ University of Hohenheim, Institute of Biology, Parasitology Unit, Emil-Wolff-Str. 34, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany.

PMID: 35431069
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100711

Abstract

Cysticercosis caused by the larval stages of Taenia hydatigena has a significant global impact on livestock production, particularly of goats and sheep. Despite this, global data on prevalence and genetic variance of this parasite are still scarce. In Ghana, as in most African countries, numerous anecdotal observations agree that it is widespread and frequent. To obtain baseline data, we screened 251 goats and 248 sheep in northern Ghana (Upper East Region) for T. hydatigena metacestode and molecularly characterized the isolates using the mtDNA cox1 gene sequence. Prevalence was 58.57% in goats and 60.48% in sheep, confirming the abundance of this parasite in the region. Gene sequences revealed high diversity (π 0.00346, hd 0.809) and significant negative Tajima D and Fu's Fs values, a characteristic of a population experiencing an expansion after a recent bottleneck. This is the first account of the genetic structure of T. hydatigena in Ghana, intended as a basis for subsequent studies in the region.

Keywords: Cysticercosis; Ghana; Goat; Sheep; Taenia hydatigena; mtDNA cox1.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Ghana / epidemiology
Goat Diseases* / epidemiology
Goat Diseases* / parasitology
Goats / parasitology
Livestock
Parasites*
Phylogeny
Preliminary Data
Prevalence
Sheep
Sheep Diseases* / epidemiology
Sheep Diseases* / parasitology
Taenia* / genetics