Genetic diversity and genetic differentiation in Echinococcus granulosus (Batsch, 1786) from domestic and sylvatic hosts on the mainland of Australia

Abstract

Enzyme electrophoresis was used to examine genetic variation within and between populations of Echinococcus granulosus from domestic and sylvatic hosts in western and eastern Australia. Substantial genetic diversity was found within all populations. There was no evidence, however, of genetic differentiation between populations from different hosts or geographic areas. When isolates were grouped into previously described domestic or sylvatic strains on the basis of rostellar hook morphology, most (94%) of the genetic variation occurred within, rather than between strains. These results conflict with the currently accepted theory of separate domestic and sylvatic strains of E. granulosus on the mainland of Australia.