Infection of the Jackal (Canis aureus) by Haplor-chis taichui (Trematoda: Heterophyidae) in Southwestern Iran: A Clue for Potential Human Infection

We detected eight trematodes in the small intestine of a road-killed jackal (Canis aureus) from Hamidiyeh District near the city of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province in 2010. Three worms were stained with carmine acid, mounted in Canada balsam on glass slides and examined under a light microscope at 1000X magnification. PCR and sequencing of a partial ITS2 sequence were used to approve the diagnosis. The flukes measured ≈1 mm in length with an elongated ovoid shape resembling the members of heterophyid, and only one testis, characteristics of the genus Haplorchis. Sequencing of a 481-bp fragment of the ITS2 locus from the worms revealed 97%-98% identity with the similar sequences of the H. taichui flukes previously identified in the fish, cat, and humans from Thailand, China, and Vietnam. Further studies with the application of reliable molecular tools to diagnose trematode infections in wildlife and humans can bring more insight into the epidemiology of fish-borne flukes including H. taichui in this area.