First report on incidence of Echinococcus canadensis G6 strain from a dromedary camel of India

In the present study, a hydatid cyst was reported in the lung of an Indian dromedary camel during postmortem examination and it was investigated for genotype analysis. Total DNA was extracted from protoscolices and associated germinal layers of hydatid cyst and used in PCR amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. The PCR product was purified, sequenced and analysed using bioinformatics tools. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the isolate clustered with Echinococcus canadensis genotype 6 (G6). The circulation of the camel genotype (G6) in the Indian one-humped camel is reported for the first time in this study, which indicates that dromedary camel has an important role in the continuation of the E. canadensis life cycle.