Molecular biology identification of the Gnathostoma spp. larvae from 2nd intermediate host

Abstract

Human gnathostomiasis is a serious food-borne parasitic zoonosis, caused mainly by eating raw or rare meat of 2nd intermediate hosts infected with Gnathostoma spp. parasites, including frogs, snakeheads, swamp eels, and snakes. Once getting into the human body, the advanced third-stage larvae (AdL3) can migrate and harm to many organs, or even lead to death. This study collected the AdL3 of Gnathostoma spp. from swamp eel muscle tissues by the artificial pepsin digestion technique. The mitochondrial DNA was amplified with the cox-1 gene region of Gnathostoma spp. using Gn_COI primers and the COI gene region of G. spinigerum using JB primers by a PCR. This study has preliminarily established the identification process of G. spinigerum and other Gnathostoma species.