Molecular characterization of Haemonchus contortus in sheep from Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India

The present study was carried out with the objective to characterize Haemonchus contortus inhabiting the abomasum of sheep being maintained at the Southern Regional Research Centre-Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute (SRRC, ICAR-CSWRI), Mannavanur, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India by analyzing the cytochrome-c-oxidase subunit I (COI) and cysteine proteinase (CP) genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The worms were collected from an Avikalin sheep at SRRC. The nucleotide sequences encoding COI and cysteine proteinase of H. contortus were analyzed using the standard bioinformatics tools. Based on the sequencing and phylogenetic analysis, the H. contortus isolate present in Avikalin sheep was characterized. Wider studies involving multiple isolates from domestic as well as wild ungulates sharing the pasture is warranted for better understanding of the genotype of H. contortus circulating in the region.