The limited genetic data as well as the economic and zoonotic importance of the genus Taenia, interestingly T. multiceps, from Egypt drew our attention to study the molecular characters and the phylogenetic position of this parasite species from sheep. Brains from 80 apparently healthy sheep slaughtered at Mansoura abattoir, Dakahlia province, Egypt, were incised and palpated for the presence of Coenurus cerebralis cysts. DNA was extracted from each cyst and amplified by PCR using two mitochondrial genes, the cytochrome oxidase (CO1) and the NADH dehydrogenase (ND1). Sequences were aligned with those published on GenBank and subjected to the phylogenetic analysis. C. cerebralis cysts were found in 3 (3.7%) out of the examined sheep and the three isolates were identical in their sequences. There were 99% identity between our isolates and those from Turkish (KT217594) and Iranian (JQ710587) sheep at the level of CO1 gene which confirmed by the phylogenetic analysis. Both CO1 and ND1 phenograms evidenced the existence of genetic variants within T. multiceps from variable hosts within different geographical regions. Our results supposed the conspecificity between the sheep and goat isolates, and the potential existence of a quasi-species in T. multiceps isolates from cattle. Such data could help in the epidemiological studies and implementation of control regimens against this economically important parasite.
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