Genetic variants of Echinococcus granulosus in Slovakia recorded by randomamplification of polymorphic DNA

Knowledge of the existence of strain variation in E. granulosus is importan t in designing control strategies against these cestodes. To obtain a more complex view about the genetic heterogeneity of Echinococcus in the Slovak region, protoscoleces from pig and human were analysed by RAPD - PCR method . Total genomic DNA were examined using five arbitrary primers. two of whic h (5'GGTGACGCAG3' and 5' CCTTGACGCA3') have been found suitable for discrim inatory purposes. Two different DNA banding patterns (phenotype 1 and phenotype 2) were detec ted in E. granulosus from pig. Phenotype 1 has been characteristic of G7 ge notype (pig strain), whereas phenotype 2 is indicative to be attributed to G1 genotype (cosmopolitan sheep strain). Based on DNA characters obtained, one human patient has been pressumably infected by pig strain. Amplificatio n profile of the second patient has been different from both phenotypes.