The identification of the genotypes of
Echinococcus granulosus
present in livestock and wild animals within
regions endemic for cystic echinococcosis (CE) is epidemiologically important. Individual strains display different
biological characteristics that contribute to outbreaks of CE and that must be taken into account in the design of
intervention programs. In this study, samples of hydatid cysts due to
E. granulosus were collected from alpacas (4)
in Puno and pigs (8) in Ayacucho in Peru, an endemic region for CE. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and
DNA sequencing of specific regions of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 and NADH dehydrogenase
subunit 1 genes confirmed the presence of a strain common to sheep, the G1 genotype, in alpacas. Two different
strains of
E. granulosus were identified in pigs: the G1 and the G7 genotypes. This is the first report of the G1 genotype
of
E. granulosus in alpacas in endemic regions of CE in Peru.
