Spargana were collected from human and frogs in Liaoning and Hubei Provinces, China. PCR amplification and direct sequencing of A cox1 fragment was PCR-amplified from genomic DNA extracted from 7 specimens (5 from humans and 2 from frogs). The cox1 fragment (390 bp) showed 97-100% similarity to the reference sequence of S. erinaceieuropaei and 88-89% to the reference sequence of S. decipiens. There were 1-12 bases different between these worms, but no obvious genetic variation (0-3.3%) to the references. There was little difference of cox1 gene between sparganum samples of humans and frogs (1-3%). This study is the first report on S. erinaceieuropaei spargana from humans in Liaoning and Hubei Provinces.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
A Global Review of the Zoonotic Potential and Disease Risks of Amphibian Parasites in Bullfrog Aquaculture Meiqi Weng, Xinhua Liu, Chenxi Zhang, Rui Shu, Andrew Wang, Haotian Zhang, Xingqiang Wang, Huirong Yang, Jinyong Zhang Reviews in Aquaculture.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Molecular Characterization of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei from Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) in North of Iran Mahboobeh Salimi, Meysam Sharifdini, Eshrat Beigom Kia Acta Parasitologica.2024; 69(1): 574. CrossRef
Large-scale survey of a neglected agent of sparganosis Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in wild frogs in China Xi Zhang, Xiu Hong, Shi Nan Liu, Peng Jiang, Shu Chuan Zhao, Chuan Xi Sun, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui, David Blair PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.2020; 14(2): e0008019. CrossRef
In the present study, we identified a Spirometra species of Myanmar origin (plerocercoid) by molecular analysis using mitochondrial cox1 and nad1 genes, as well as by morphological observations of an adult tapeworm. Spargana specimens were collected from a paddy-field in Taik Kyi Township Tarkwa Village, Yangon, Myanmar in December 2017. A total of 5 spargana were obtained from 20 frogs Hoplobatrachus rugulosus; syn: Rana rugulosa (Wiegmann, 1834) or R. tigrina (Steindachner, 1867). The plerocercoids were used for experimental infection of a dog. After 4 weeks of infection, an adult tapeworm was recovered from the intestine of the dog. Morphologically, the distinct features of Spirometra sp. (Myanmar origin) relative to S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens include a uterine morphology comprising posterior uterine coils that larger than the terminal uterine ball and coiling of the uteri diagonally (swirling) rather than spirally. The cox1 sequences (1,566 bp) of the Myanmar-origin Spirometra species showed 97.9% similarity to a reference sequence of S. decipiens (GenBank no. KJ599679) and 90.5% similarity to a reference sequence of S. erinaceieuropaei (GenBank no. KJ599680). Phylogenetic tree topologies were identical and presented high confidence level of values for the 3 major branches of the 3 Spirometra species in cox1 and nad1 genes. These results indicated that Myanmar-origin Spirometra species coincided with those of S. ranarum and may be considered as a valid species.
Citations
Citations to this article as recorded by
A Global Review of the Zoonotic Potential and Disease Risks of Amphibian Parasites in Bullfrog Aquaculture Meiqi Weng, Xinhua Liu, Chenxi Zhang, Rui Shu, Andrew Wang, Haotian Zhang, Xingqiang Wang, Huirong Yang, Jinyong Zhang Reviews in Aquaculture.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Molecular confirmation of Spirometra mansoni (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in Javanese keelback water snake (Fowlea melanzosta) in Indonesia Ryanka Edila, Seongjun Choe, Mustofa Helmi Effendi, Lucia Tri Suwanti, John Yew Huat Tang International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife.2025; 28: 101150. CrossRef
Deciphering the global genetic structure of Spirometra mansoni and S. erinaceieuropaei based on 28S ribosomal RNA: Insights into taxonomical revaluation and population dynamics Anil Kumar Nehra, Rasmita Panda, Prem Sagar Maurya, Ansu Kumari, Aman Dev Moudgil Parasitology Research.2025;[Epub] CrossRef
Description of Spirometra asiana sp. nov. (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) found in wild boars and hound dogs in Japan Hiroshi Yamasaki, Hiromu Sugiyama, Yasuyuki Morishima, Hirotaka Kobayashi Parasitology International.2024; 98: 102798. CrossRef
Molecular Characterization of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei from Jungle Cat (Felis chaus) in North of Iran Mahboobeh Salimi, Meysam Sharifdini, Eshrat Beigom Kia Acta Parasitologica.2024; 69(1): 574. CrossRef
Diversity and biology of Spirometra tapeworms (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea), zoonotic parasites of wildlife: A review Roman Kuchta, Anna J. Phillips, Tomáš Scholz International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife.2024; 24: 100947. CrossRef
Medical Parasitology Taxonomy Update, June 2020–June 2022 Blaine A. Mathison, Richard S. Bradbury, Bobbi S. Pritt, Romney M. Humphries Journal of Clinical Microbiology.2023;[Epub] CrossRef
Epidemiology, Diagnosis, and Prevention of Sparganosis in Asia Wei Liu, Tengfang Gong, Shuyu Chen, Quan Liu, Haoying Zhou, Junlin He, Yong Wu, Fen Li, Yisong Liu Animals.2022; 12(12): 1578. CrossRef
Genetic and Morphological Identification of Spirometra decipiens in Snakes and Domestic Dog Found in Cuba Alexander Morales, Rebeca M. Laird-Pérez, Virginia Capó, Enrique Iglesias, Luis Fonte, Arturo Plascencia-Hernández, Enrique J. Calderón, Keeseon S. Eom, Yaxsier de Armas, Héctor R. Pérez-Gómez Pathogens.2022; 11(12): 1468. CrossRef
Morphological Characteristics and Molecular Phylogenetic Evidence Support the Existence of a New Spirometra Species, Spirometra Asiana, (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in the Wild Boar Hiroshi Yamasaki, Hiromu Sugiyama, Yasuyuki Morishima SSRN Electronic Journal .2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Spirometra species from Asia: Genetic diversity and taxonomic challenges Hiroshi Yamasaki, Oranuch Sanpool, Rutchanee Rodpai, Lakkhana Sadaow, Porntip Laummaunwai, Mesa Un, Tongjit Thanchomnang, Sakhone Laymanivong, Win Pa Pa Aung, Pewpan M. Intapan, Wanchai Maleewong Parasitology International.2021; 80: 102181. CrossRef
An annotated checklist of the eukaryotic parasites of humans, exclusive of fungi and algae Blaine A. Mathison, Sarah G. H. Sapp ZooKeys.2021; 1069: 1. CrossRef
Prevalence and molecular characterization of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei spargana in snakes in Hunan Province, China W. Liu, L. Tan, Y. Huang, W.C. Li, Y.S. Liu, L.C. Yang Journal of Helminthology.2020;[Epub] CrossRef
Low prevalence of spargana infection in farmed frogs in the Yangtze River Delta of China Xiaoli Zhang, Rongsheng Mi, Yehua Zhang, Shijie Zhang, Tao Sun, Haiyan Jia, Yan Huang, Haiyan Gong, Xiangan Han, Zhaoguo Chen Infection, Genetics and Evolution.2020; 85: 104466. CrossRef
Larval Gnathostomes and Spargana in Chinese Edible Frogs, Hoplobatrachus rugulosus, from Myanmar: Potential Risk of Human Infection Jong-Yil Chai, Bong-Kwang Jung, Jin-Youp Ryu, Hyun-Seung Kim, Sung-Jong Hong, Thi Thi Htoon, Htay Htay Tin, Byoung-Kuk Na, Woon-Mok Sohn The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2020; 58(4): 467. CrossRef
Ocular Sparganosis: The First Report of Spirometra ranarum in Thailand Wilai Saksirisampant, Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Hyeong-Kyu Jeon, Keeseon S. Eom, Buravej Assavapongpaiboon, Sunisa Sintuwong, Wasee Tulvatana The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2020; 58(5): 577. CrossRef
Morphological and Molecular Identification of Spirometra Tapeworms (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) from Carnivorous Mammals in the Serengeti and Selous Ecosystems of Tanzania Barakaeli Abdieli Ndosi, Hansol Park, Dongmin Lee, Seongjun Choe, Yeseul Kang, Tilak Chandra Nath, Mohammed Mebarek Bia, Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Hyeong-Kyu Jeon, Keeseon S. Eom The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2020; 58(6): 653. CrossRef
Complete Sequence of the Mitochondrial Genome of Spirometra ranarum: Comparison with S. erinaceieuropaei and S. decipiens Hyeong-Kyu Jeon, Hansol Park, Dongmin Lee, Seongjun Choe, Yeseul Kang, Mohammed Mebarek Bia, Sang-Hwa Lee, Keeseon S. Eom The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2019; 57(1): 55. CrossRef
Broad tapeworms (Diphyllobothriidae), parasites of wildlife and humans: Recent progress and future challenges Tomáš Scholz, Roman Kuchta, Jan Brabec International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife.2019; 9: 359. CrossRef
Genetic Identification of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei Spargana in Liaoning and Hubei Provinces, PR China Li He, Zheng-Ming Fang, Ting Xue, Er-Fu Zhang, Chun-Li An The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2019; 57(3): 309. CrossRef
Mitochondrial DNA Sequence Variability of Spirometra Species in Asian Countries Hyeong-Kyu Jeon, Keeseon S. Eom The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2019; 57(5): 481. CrossRef
Identity of Spirometra theileri from a Leopard (Panthera pardus) and Spotted Hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in Tanzania Keeseon S. Eom, Hansol Park, Dongmin Lee, Seongjun Choe, Yeseul Kang, Mohammed Mebarek Bia, Barakaeli Abdieli Ndosi, Tilak Chandra Nath, Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Julius Keyyu, Robert Fyumagwa, Simon Mduma, Hyeong-Kyu Jeon The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2019; 57(6): 639. CrossRef
Molecular Genetic Findings of Spirometra decipiens and S. ranarum in Korea Hyeong-Kyu Jeon, Sun Huh, Woon-Mok Sohn, Jong-Yil Chai, Keeseon S. Eom The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2018; 56(4): 359. CrossRef