title: Prevalence of Haplorchis taichui in field-collected snails: a molecular approach.
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%.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50202, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thapana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chontananarth
authors.forename: Chalobol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wongsawad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D018509:DNA, Helminth / Q000235:genetics; D006578:Heterophyidae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods; D010274:Parasitology / Q000379:methods; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D015995:Prevalence; D012908:Snails / Q000469:parasitology*; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D018509:DNA, Helminth