Molecular identification of hookworm isolates from stray dogs, humans and selected wildlife from South Africa

There is a paucity of information on hookworm species in humans, domestic animals and wildlife in southern Africa. Our study aimed to identify hookworm species from stray dogs, humans, and selected wildlife from South Africa. A total of 356 faecal samples were screened for the presence of hookworm-like eggs and subsequently coproculture from the positive samples was carried out to obtain larvae. Hookworm-like eggs were detected in 23.03% (82/356) of samples. Of these samples, 78/296 were from dogs, 3/50 from humans and 1/10 from wildlife. DNA was then isolated from the larvae of 55 positive samples, which were subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and sequencing of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) and 5.8S rRNA region. Presence of Ancylostoma caninum, A. braziliense and A. ceylanicum-like species was recorded in stray dogs and A. caninum was recorded in wildlife and humans, using PCR-RFLP. Although PCR-RFLP results pointed to the presence of A. ceylanicum, we did not get a sequence that matched with A. ceylanicum from GenBank. This may have been due to the low proportion of A. ceylanicum larvae in our samples. Twenty-two of the 27 positive amplicons from stray dogs matched with A. caninum, three with A. braziliense and two had mixed infections of A. braziliense and A. caninum. Sequences from a lion and three humans matched with A. caninum. This is the first confirmation of a patent A. caninum infection in humans as evidenced by the presence of eggs in faeces, with the subsequent larvae from coproculture being identified as A. caninum.