identification and phylogenetic classification of fasciola species isolated from sheep and cattle by pcr-rflp in zabol, in sistan and baluchistan province, southeast iran

Background: the detection of fasciola species in various geographical regions is essential for health policymak-ing. here, we aimed to identify livestock (cattle and sheep) related fasciola genotypes by restriction fragment length polymorphism pcr. methods: seventy adult fasciola flukes were collected from 70 infected livers of 35 cattle and 35 sheep slaugh-tered in zabol abattoir, outh-east iran (jan-jul 2017). fasciola species were determined based on molecular fea-tures. for molecular detection, fasciola its1 region was amplified and sequenced. a 700 bp fragment was ampli-fied. these were digested with rasι enzyme. f. hepatica specific fragments were 47, 59, 68, 104, and 370, while those related to f. gigantica had 45, 55, 170, 370. results: the two main species of f. hepatica and f. gigantica are responsible for fasciolosis in sheep and cattle in our region. from 35 fasciola isolated from cattle, 3 and 32 were f. hepatica and f. giagantica respectively. from 35 fasciola isolated from sheep, 4 were f. hepatica and 31 were f. gigantica. conclusion: all seventy fasciola samples from two different hosts (cattle and sheep) were identified as either f. hepatica or f. gigantica by pcr-rflp. genotypic variability of fasciola species was high in our region. it is rec-ommended to assess molecular variation of fasciola isolates in other host livestock.