Epidemiology and Genetic Diversity of Spirometra Tapeworm Isolates from Snakes in Hunan Province, China

Sparganosis, caused by the plerocercoid larvae of tapeworms, is a public health hazard worldwide. The prevalence and genetics of sparganum from snakes remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of sparganum infection in wild snakes in Hunan province and compared the prevalence of tapeworms in snakes worldwide. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of collected isolates was analyzed using mitochondrial b and 1 genes. The result shows that the sparganum infection rate in wild snakes (89.50%, 402/449) was higher in Hunan than in other regions. Genetic diversity analysis based on concatenated sequences revealed high genetic diversity but no distinct genetic structure among populations. Phylogenetic analysis supported the division of European and Chinese isolates and a single species in Chinese isolates. The prevalence of tapeworms in snakes is serious, and the risk of sparganosis should be further publicized.