Introduction: Hymenolepis nana is a zoonotic tapeworm with widespread distribution. The goal of the present study was to
identify the parasite in the specimens collected from NorthWestern regions of Iran using PCR-sequencing method.
Methods: A total of 1521 stool samples were collected from the study individuals. Initially, the identification of
hymenolepis
nana was confirmed by parasitological method including direct wet-mount and formalin-ethyl acetate concentration methods.
Afterward, PCR-sequencing analysis of ribosomal ITS2 fragment was targeted to investigate the molecular identification of the
parasite.
Results: Overall, 0.65% (10/1521) of the isolates were contaminated with
H. nana in formalin-ethyl acetate concentration. All
ten isolates were succefully amplified by PCR and further sequenced. The determined sequences were deposited in GenBank
under the accession numbers MH337810 -MH337819.
Conclusion: Our results clarified the presence of
H. nana among the patients in the study areas. In addition, the molecular technique could be accessible when the human eggs are the only sources available to identify and diagnose the parasite.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.6
Cite as: Shahnazi M, Mehrizi MZ, Alizadeh SA, Heydarian P, Saraei M, Alipour M, Hajialilo E. Molecular characterization of Hymenolepis
nana (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea: Hymenolepididae) based on nuclear rDNA ITS2 gene marker. Afri Health Sci. 2019;19(1): 1346- 1352.
https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v19i1.6 
