Description of Spirometra asiana sp. nov. (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) found in wild boars and hound dogs in Japan

Molecular identification of <i>Spirometra</i> infections in companion animals and wildlife in Japan

“…Molecular studies have recently revealed that two other species, Spirometra mansoni and Spirometra asiana , but not S. erinaceieuropaei , coexist in Japan [ 22 , 23 ]. Spirometra asiana is a species that was first discovered in 2017 in Shimane Prefecture, southwestern Japan, and was described as a new species in 2024 [ 23 ]. Although these two species are morphologically similar, they are genetically distinguishable [ 22 , 23 ].…”

“…Spirometra asiana is a species that was first discovered in 2017 in Shimane Prefecture, southwestern Japan, and was described as a new species in 2024 [ 23 ]. Although these two species are morphologically similar, they are genetically distinguishable [ 22 , 23 ]. Therefore, we preliminarily examined Spirometra infections in companion animals and mammalian wildlife by sequence analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene ( cox1 ).…”

“…This result suggests that S. mansoni commonly infect companion animals and mammalian wildlife, although the number examined is too small for the data to be concluded. It is known that S. mansoni is widely distributed in Asia [ 8 , 22 , 23 ] and S. mansoni infections in cats and dogs have also been reported in China [ 2 ] and South Korea [ 6 ]. The etiological agents in Chinese and Korean reports were identified due to morphology and molecular diagnosis, respectively.…”

“…The etiological agents in Chinese and Korean reports were identified due to morphology and molecular diagnosis, respectively. On the other hand, infection cases due to S. asiana have been confirmed in dogs and wild boars in Shimane Prefecture [ 22 , 23 ] and human in Kochi Prefecture [ 9 ], respectively, in Japan. So far, S. asiana has been found in South Korea and Tanzania outside of Japan [ 23 ].…”

“…Spirometra mansoni and/or S. asiana cause Spirometra infection/spirometrosis in companion animals and wildlife in Japan [ 22 , 23 ]. Despite these parasites being important pathogens in veterinary public health, there are only a few cases of molecular analysis of Spirometra infections in companion animals and wildlife in Japan [13, the present study].…”