ITS-2 rDNA sequencing of Gnathostoma species (Nematoda) and elucidation of the species causing human gnathostomiasis in the Americas.

From several gnathostome species the complete internal transcribed spacer ITS-2 ribosomal DNA (rDNA) repeat sequence and a fragment of the 5.8S rDNA were obtained by direct polymerase chain reaction cycle-sequencing and silver-staining methods. The size of the complete ITS-1 sequence in agarose gel electrophoresis was also obtained. The ITS-2 enabled the differentiation of Gnathostoma spinigerum from Thailand and Gnathostoma binucleatum from Mexico and Ecuador and confirmed the validity of the latter. Gnathostoma turgidum, Gnathostoma sp. I (=Gnathostoma procyonis sensu Almeyda-Artigas et al., 1994), and Gnathostoma sp. II (=G. turgidum sensu Foster, 1939 pro parte), all from Mexico, proved…