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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2014, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (11): 90-95.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20141112

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Analysis of the Main Etiology of Gasterophilosis in Przewalski's Horse in Xinjiang

Wang Wenting1, Zhang Dong1, Hu Defu1, Chu Hongjun2, Cao Jie3, Ge Yan2, Aierken Jilili3, Li Kai1   

  1. 1. College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083;
    2. Altar Forestry Bureau of Xinjiang Altay 836599;
    3. Xinjiang Research Center for Breeding Przewalski's Horse Urumqi 831700
  • Received:2014-04-17 Revised:2014-05-29 Online:2014-11-25 Published:2014-12-04

Abstract:

Gasterophilosis is a significant threat to equids in the desert steppe of Xinjiang, China, where Gasterophilus pecorum (Diptera: Gasterophilidae) is the dominant botfly species. A population analysis was conducted on 195 individual G. pecorum larvae collected from three host species, the Przewalski's horse, the domestic horse and the Asiatic wild ass. The sequence of the maternally inherited mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in the 195 G. pecorum larvae was analyzed to assess the population differentiation of G. pecorum, and 57 haplotypes was obtained. High haplotype diversity was observed among G. pecorum populations from all host species, indicating that the G. pecorum infecting one host had multiple maternal ancestors. By using the neighbor joining method, a phylogenetic tree was constructed and consisted of six clades, suggesting a high degree of genetic differentiation. The G. pecorum infecting the three hosts had a low degree of genetic differentiation, and the G. pecorum populations infecting Przewalski's horse and wild ass had the most frequent gene exchanges, indicating that G. pecorum infecting Przewalski's horse were mainly transmitted from the Asiatic wild ass. The infectious period of G. pecorum lagged and the infection prosperous period occurred after the domestic horses left. The study revealed the etiology and the prime of the Gasterophilus infection in Xinjiang, and had important implications for further study of this parasite as well as for the management and conservation of Przewalski's horse.

Key words: Przewalski's horse (Equus przewalskii), Asiatic wild ass (E. hemionus), infect, Gasterophilus pecorum, COI, population genetic structure

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