Trichinella genotypes

Malone, Cody J., Oksanen, Antti, Mukaratirwa, Samson, Sharma, Rajnish & Jenkins, Emily, 2024, From wildlife to humans: The global distribution of Trichinella species and genotypes in wildlife and wildlife-associated human trichinellosis, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 24, pp. 100934-100934 : 100934-

4.10. Current taxonomic status of Trichinella genotypes

The taxonomic status of Trichinella T6, T8, and T9 are yet to be fully elucidated. Many criteria are important for determining a new species: in particular, maintaining genetic isolation despite geographic sympatry (Britov, 1985). All three of the genotypes with unresolved taxonomic status share a geographic range with another species: T9 with T. nativa in Japan, T6 with T. nativa and T. chanchalensis in northern Canada, T6 with T. spiralis and T. murrelli in southern Canada and the USA, and finally T8 with T. nelsoni and T. zimbabwensis in Africa. Sharing of the same geographic range and co-infection within the same animal host raises the potential for hybridization, and indeed T8 and T9 have been experimentally interbred with T. britovi , and natural and experimental hybridization has been reported between T6 and T. nativa ( La Rosa et al., 2003; Nagano et al., 1999; Pozio et al., 2009a). Wildlife studies (revealing natural hybridization) are critically needed to determine if the genotypes preferentially breed within their own lineages, and therefore meet criteria for species status.