Molecular characterization of Calodium hepaticum in grey dwarf hamster (Cricetulus migratorius)

Calodium hepaticum (Bancroft, 1893) Moravec, 1982 (Syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a zoonotic nematode that causes hepatic capillariosis, an uncommon zoonotic infection. The nematode is globally distributed and parasitizes the liver of mammals, mainly Muroidea. Cricetulus migratorius Pallas, 1773 (Cricetinae) was rarely reported as a host for C. hepaticum. In Turkey, C. hepaticum was recorded in three rodent species; Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus, and Apodemus flavicollis. In this study, C. migratorius (grey dwarf hamster) has been identified as a new host species for C. hepaticum in Turkey. The parasite was identified by morphological, histological, and molecular methods and the phylogenetic relationships of C. hepaticum collected from different hosts were revealed. This is the first molecular characterization of C. hepaticum from a grey dwarf hamster.