<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>The mouse bile duct tapeworm <italic>Hymenolepis microstoma</italic>, is a potentially zoonotic species with a wide variety of reported definitive hosts of rodent genera. In the present study the occurrence of <italic>H. microstoma</italic> in free-living small mammals in selected areas of Slovakia and the retrospective analysis of epidemiological data published in Slovakia were performed. <italic>Hymenolepis microstoma</italic> was detected in two animal species, the common shrew (<italic>Sorex araneus</italic>) and the European hamster (<italic>Cricetus cricetus</italic>) of 186 small mammals examined from two ecosystems, urban and natural ecosystem of national park. No mention about the presence of this parasite in Slovakia in the past was found following a bibliographical search. Partial sequences of the nuclear paramyosin gene showed the shrew isolate placed in a subclade together with <italic>H. microstoma</italic> from Portugal, with high bootstrap value for its differentiation from the sister species <italic>Hymenolepis nana</italic>. Similarly, the analysis of the nuclear ribosomal ITS region placed the hamster isolate in the cluster composed of <italic>H. microstoma</italic> from Australia, Spain and Portugal. The Slovak isolate was the most distinctive sample among available <italic>H. microstoma</italic>, differing in 1.4 – 1.9% of nucleotides from the remaining isolates. The difference (seven of 17 nucleotide positions) was partially due to indel polymorphisms associated with two and five nucleotides. To our knowledge, these are the first reports of <italic>H. microstoma</italic> in Central Europe and also the first record of infection in the common shrew. A recently indicated zoonotic potential of <italic>H. microstoma</italic> along with a possibility of its direct transmission between animals and/or humans without the need of intermediate hosts pose a public health concern in contaminated areas of Slovakia. The use of molecular techniques may substantially facilitate more thorough understanding of the epidemiological situation of <italic>H. microstoma</italic> and related tapeworms in various ecosystems of the country.</p></abstract>

The mouse bile duct tapeworm Hymenolepis microstoma, is a potentially zoonotic species with a wide variety of reported definitive hosts of rodent genera. In the present study the occurrence of H. microstoma in free-living small mammals in selected areas of Slovakia and the retrospective analysis of epidemiological data published in Slovakia were performed. Hymenolepis microstoma was detected in two animal species, the common shrew (Sorex araneus) and the European hamster (Cricetus cricetus) of 186 small mammals examined from two ecosystems, urban and natural ecosystem of national park. No mention about the presence of this parasite in Slovakia in the past was found following a bibliographical search. Partial sequences of the nuclear paramyosin gene showed the shrew isolate placed in a subclade together with H. microstoma from Portugal, with high bootstrap value for its differentiation from the sister species Hymenolepis nana. Similarly, the analysis of the nuclear ribosomal ITS region placed the hamster isolate in the cluster composed of H. microstoma from Australia, Spain and Portugal. The Slovak isolate was the most distinctive sample among available H. microstoma, differing in 1.4 – 1.9% of nucleotides from the remaining isolates. The difference (seven of 17 nucleotide positions) was partially due to indel polymorphisms associated with two and five nucleotides. To our knowledge, these are the first reports of H. microstoma in Central Europe and also the first record of infection in the common shrew. A recently indicated zoonotic potential of H. microstoma along with a possibility of its direct transmission between animals and/or humans without the need of intermediate hosts pose a public health concern in contaminated areas of Slovakia. The use of molecular techniques may substantially facilitate more thorough understanding of the epidemiological situation of H. microstoma and related tapeworms in various ecosystems of the country.

The mouse bile duct tapeworm, <italic>Hymenolepis microstoma</italic> in free-living small mammals in Slovakia: occurrence and genetic analysis

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The mouse bile duct tapeworm,  in free-living small mammals in Slovakia: occurrence and genetic analysis

The mouse bile duct tapeworm Hymenolepis microstoma, is a potentially zoonotic species with a wide variety of reported definitive hosts of rodent genera. In...

The mouse bile duct tapeworm, Hymenolepis microstoma in free-living small mammals in Slovakia: occurrence and genetic analysis

Published Online: May 23, 2020

Page range: 120 - 128

Received: Dec 19, 2019

Accepted: Feb 17, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2020-0022

Keywords
Small mammals, Occurrence, Genetic analyses, Slovakia

© 2020 J. Jarošová, V. Šnábel, S. Cavallero, G. Chovancová, Z. Hurníková, D. Antolová, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The mouse bile duct tapeworm, Hymenolepis microstoma in free-living small mammals in Slovakia: occurrence and genetic analysis

Published Online: May 23, 2020

Page range: 120 - 128

Received: Dec 19, 2019

Accepted: Feb 17, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2020-0022

KeywordsSmall mammals, Occurrence, Genetic analyses, Slovakia

© 2020 J. Jarošová, V. Šnábel, S. Cavallero, G. Chovancová, Z. Hurníková, D. Antolová, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
Small mammals, Occurrence, Genetic analyses, Slovakia