الملخص

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, remains a serious zoonotic and public health problem in Iraq and other endemic regions. This study investigated hydatid cysts recovered from sheep slaughtered at an abattoir in Kerbala Province, Iraq, with the aim of characterizing the genetic diversity of local E. granulosus isolates at the molecular level. Of 6,343 sheep examined, hydatid cysts were most frequently recovered from the liver and lungs, and infection rates were further analyzed according to month of slaughter and the age and sex of the animals. The mitochondrial nad1 gene was targeted by conventional PCR for species-level identification, and amplification was achieved for all examined samples, confirming the utility of this marker for detecting E. granulosus. PCR–RFLP analysis of the amplified nad1 fragments using the restriction enzyme HinfI revealed distinct restriction fragment patterns among isolates, indicating genetic polymorphism and suggesting the circulation of more than one genotype, predominantly the G1 genotype.

This study provides the first molecular evidence describing the E. granulosus transmission cycle in Kerbala Province and confirms PCR–RFLP as a practical and reliable tool for strain-level differentiation. Continued molecular surveillance, ideally combined with broader genetic analyses, is recommended to strengthen control and prevention efforts against this parasite