Genetic characterization of zoonotic Dirofilaria asiatica in Cambodian dogs through nanopore metabarcoding

Abstract

Filarioid nematodes are harmful vector-borne pathogens that afflict humans and other animals, with numerous species transmissible from animals to humans, i.e., zoonotic. In the last decade, one zoonotic filarioid, previously named Dirofilaria sp. Hong Kong genotype has been increasingly found as a cause of disease in people traveling from South Asia and has recently been characterized as a novel species: Dirofilaria. Nonetheless, the epidemiology of this parasite in Asia remains poorly understood. Therefore, with the aid of a novel pan-filarioid nanopore-based metabarcoding assay, we aimed to elucidate the epidemiology of dirofilariosis in Cambodia. We tested 504 canine blood samples collect..