Molecular Characterization of Trichuris globulosa (Linstow, 1901) in Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus) from Tamil Nadu, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/ijvsbt.22.4.14Keywords:
Indian Gaur, Nematode, Spill-over, Trichuris, WildlifeAbstract
An adult female Indian gaur ( Bos gaurus ) carcass presented for necropsy in the Udhagamandalam Division, Tamil Nadu was examined for parasitic infections. Adult worms recovered from the caecum were subjected to morphological and molecular characterization. Morphological examination revealed a whip-like appearance, trichuroid oesophagus, spicule sheath with spines in males and barrel- shaped eggs with bipolar plugs in females consistent with Trichuris spp. Genomic DNA extracted from adult worms was used to amplify 341 bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Sequence analysis revealed 100% identity with Trichuris globulosa reference sequences available in the GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis based on COI sequences clustered the present isolate unequivocally within the T. globulosa clade. This study provides the first molecular confirmation of Trichuris globulosa in an Indian gaur from Tamil Nadu, highlighting the usage of molecular tools in wildlife parasitology and surveillance at the wildlife–livestock interface.
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