ABSTRACT

Hydatid disease (echinococcosis) is one of the most important parasitic zoonoses and remains a public health and economic problem all over the world. Echinococcus granulosus includes a number of genetic variants and, up to date, analyses of mitochondrial DNA sequences have identified ten distinct genetic types (genotypes G1–10). This categorization follows closely the pattern of strain variation emerging based on biological characteristics. The extensive variation in E. granulosus may influence life-cycle patterns, host specificity, development rate, antigenicity, transmission dynamics, sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents, and pathology. In this review, the recent genetic characterizations of Echinococcus genus have been summarized.