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Home▶ Journals▶ Indian Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology▶Archive▶Vol. 22 No. 4 (2026)▶Molecular Characterization of Trichuris globulosa (Linstow,…
Indian Journal of Veterinary Sciences and Biotechnology
Research Article

Molecular Characterization of Trichuris globulosa (Linstow, 1901) in Indian Gaur (Bos gaurus) from Tamil Nadu, India

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Tamileniyan Elangovan — Department of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu-614625, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Jeevitha Murugesan — Department of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu-614625, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Latchumikanthan Annamalai — Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu-614625, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Rajamurali M — Cattle Breeding and Fodder Development, Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, India
Veeraselvam Muthusamy — Department of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu-614625, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Arul Venugopal — Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Salem-636112, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Velusamy Rengasamy — Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal-637002, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, India
Published 10 Jul 2026 Vol. 22 No. 4 (2026), pp. 77-81 ● Open access
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Abstract

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.

KeywordsIndian GaurNematodeSpill-overTrichurisWildlife

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