Occurrence of Thelazia callipaeda and its vector Phortica variegata in Austria and South Tyrol, Italy, and a global comparison by phylogenetic network analysis.

ABSTRACT: The zoonotic nematode Thelazia callipaeda infects the eyes of domestic and wild animals and uses canids as primary hosts. It was originally described in Asia, but in the last 20 years it has been reported in many European countries, where it is mainly transmitted by the drosophilid fruit fly Phortica variegata. We report the autochthonous occurrence of T. callipaeda and its vector P. variegata in Austria. Nematodes were collected from clinical cases and fruit flies were caught using traps, netting, and from the conjunctival sac of one dog. Fruit flies and nematodes were morphologically identified and a section of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) was analysed. A DNA haplotype network was calculated to visualize the relation of the obtained COI sequences to publish

SUBMITTER: Unterkofler MS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10464191 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature