title: Preliminary genetic evidence of two different populations of Opisthorchis viverrini in Lao PDR.
abstract: Opisthorchis viverrini is a major public health concern in Southeast Asia. Various reports have suggested that this parasite may represent a species complex, with genetic structure in the region perhaps being dictated by geographical factors and different species of intermediate hosts. We used four microsatellite loci to analyze O. viverrini adult worms originating from six species of cyprinid fish in Thailand and Lao PDR. Two distinct O. viverrini populations were observed. In Ban Phai, Thailand, only one subgroup occurred, hosted by two different fish species. Both subgroups occurred in fish from That Luang, Lao PDR, but were represented to very different degrees among the fish hosts there. Our data suggest that, although geographical separation is more important than fish host specificity in influencing genetic structure, it is possible that two species of Opisthorchis, with little interbreeding, are present near Vientiane in Lao PDR.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Faculty of Veterinary Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand.
authors.forename: Opal
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Pitaksakulrat
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nadda
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiatsopit
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Department of General Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kasetsart University, Chalermphrakiat Sakon Nakhon Province Campus, Sakon Nakhon, 47000, Thailand.
authors.forename: Nonglak
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laoprom
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Parasites and Vectors Division, Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK.|The London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research (LCNTDR), Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.
authors.forename: Bonnie L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.|Department of Pathology and Pathogen Biology, Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases (CEEED), Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hertfordshire, London, AL9 7TA, UK.
authors.forename: Joanne P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, and Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Graham Kerr Building, The University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
authors.forename: Poppy H L
authors.initials: PHL
authors.lastname: Lamberton
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Thewarach
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Laha
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, Faculty of Medicine (St Mary's Campus), Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.|Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program, (CASCAP) Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.
authors.forename: Ross H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.affiliation: Cholangiocarcinoma Screening and Care Program, (CASCAP) Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand.|Institute of Zoology 1: Ecology and Parasitology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, KornblumenStrasse 13, Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Trevor N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Petney
authors.affiliation: Centre for Tropical Diversity and Climate change, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Blair
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Colorado School of Public Health, 13001 E. 17th Place, B119, Aurora, CO, 8004510, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Carlton
authors.affiliation: Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Spear
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand. paib_sit@kku.ac.th.|Liver Fluke and Cholangiocarcinoma Research Center, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, 40002, Thailand. paib_sit@kku.ac.th.
authors.forename: Paiboon
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9480-1778
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sithithaworn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D007812:Laos / Q000453:epidemiology; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats / Q000235:genetics; D009889:Opisthorchiasis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*; D009891:Opisthorchis / Q000235:genetics*; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Cyprinid fish; Host factors; Microsatellite DNA; Opisthorchis viverrini; Population genetics