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Molecular characterization of a Toxocara variant from cats in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Citation

Zhu, Xing Quan and Jacobs, Dennis E. and Chilton, Neil B. and Abdullah Sani, Rehana and Cheng, Nadzariah A. B. Y. and Gasser, Robin B. (1998) Molecular characterization of a Toxocara variant from cats in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Parasitology, 117 (2). pp. 155-164. ISSN 0031-1820; ESSN: 1469-8161

Abstract

The ascaridoid nematode of cats from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, previously identified morphologically as Toxocara canis, was characterized using a molecular approach. The nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region spanning the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1), the 5.8S gene and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) was amplified and sequenced. The sequences for the parasite from Malaysian cats were compared with those for T. canis and T. cati. The sequence data showed that this taxon was genetically more similar to T. cati than to T. canis in the ITS-1, 5.8S and ITS-2. Differences in the ITS-1 and ITS-2 sequences between the taxa (9.4-26.1%) were markedly higher than variation between samples within T. canis and T. cati (0-2.9%). The sequence data demonstrate that the parasite from Malaysian cats is neither T. canis nor T. cati and indicate that it is a distinct species. Based on these data, PCR-linked restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) methods were employed for the unequivocal differentiation of the Toxocara variant from T. canis and T. cati. These methods should provide valuable tools for studying the life-cycle, transmission pattern(s) and zoonotic potential of this parasite.


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Additional Metadata

Item Type: Article
Divisions: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
DOI Number: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182098002856
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Keywords: Ascaridoid nematodes; Cats; Malaysia; Toxocara variant
Depositing User: Nabilah Mustapa
Date Deposited: 04 Jul 2017 04:14
Last Modified: 04 Jul 2017 04:14
Altmetrics: http://www.altmetric.com/details.php?domain=psasir.upm.edu.my&doi=10.1017/S0031182098002856
URI: http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/51666
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