GEOGRAPHICAL GENETIC-STRUCTURE WITHIN THE HUMAN LUNG FLUKE, PARAGONIMUS-WESTERMANI, DETECTED FROM DNA-SEQUENCES

Nucleotide sequences were obtained for the second internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal gene repeat and for part of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene from geographical isolates of Par agonimus westermani from Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, peninsular Malaysia and Thailand. Sequences were obtained from severa l other species of Paragonimus for comparative purposes. Two groups we re recognized within P. westermani: an NE group (China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan) which was relatively uniform and included both diploid and tri ploid forms, and a southern group (Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines), m embers of which were genetically distant from one another. According t o both ITS2 and COI data, genetic distances among P. westermani isolat es equalled or exceeded those between some distinct species of Paragon imus. The ITS2 sequences were conserved relative to COI sequences. Sub stitutions among the latter may be approaching saturation within the g enus Paragonimus.