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Ascariasis is a zoonosis in denmark
Peter Nejsum1, E Davis Parker, Jane Frydenberg
1Department of Genetics and Ecology, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, Denmark. pn@kvl.dk
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|March 8, 2005
Summary
Danish patients infected with Ascaris worms acquired them from domestic pigs, not other humans. This study confirms ascariasis as a zoonotic disease in Denmark, highlighting the pig-to-human transmission route.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Epidemiology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Ascaris infections in Danish patients were preliminarily linked to pig contact.
- Understanding the transmission dynamics of Ascaris is crucial for public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To genetically compare Ascaris worms from Danish humans and pigs.
- To determine the origin of Ascaris infections in Danish patients.
Main Methods:
- Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) for whole-genome fingerprinting.
- PCR-linked restricted fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of nuclear rDNA's internal transcribed spacer region.
- Distance- and model-based clustering analysis of AFLP data.
Main Results:
- Ascaris worms from Danish patients formed a distinct genetic cluster, separate from human-sourced worms in other regions.
- Worms from Danish humans and pigs clustered together genetically.
- PCR-RFLP results corroborated the AFLP findings.
Conclusions:
- All examined Danish patients acquired Ascaris infections from domestic pigs.
- Ascariasis should be considered a zoonotic disease in Denmark due to pig-to-human transmission.