Molecular characterization of Chrysomya bezziana isolated from sheep and goats in Al Muthanna Governorate, Iraq

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Parasitology, College Veterinary Medicine, Al-Qasim Green University, Babylon 51013, Iraq

2 Department of Parasitology, College Veterinary Medicine, Al-Qasim Green University, Babylon 51013, Iraq.

10.22103/jab.2026.27124.1889

Abstract

Objective
The Old World screwworm fly (Chrysomya bezziana) is an obligate parasitic fly that causes myiasis in livestock and occasionally in humans. It causes obligate myiasis in livestock and can infest humans in some cases. The aim of the current study was to identify Chrysomya bezziana larvae collected from sheep and goats in Al-Muthanna Governorate, Iraq using molecular techniques for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and investigate the phylogenetic relationship between Iraqi isolates and global reference strains.
Materials and methods
In this study, A total of 100 larvae were collected from infected sheep and goats (n = 150 examined animals) from different regions of Al-Muthani Governorate, Iraq. Genomic DNA was extracted from the tissues of the collected larvae using a standard method. Species-specific primers were designed to study the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. PCR was used to amplify the 670 bp fragment expected for the designed primers. PCR products from selected positive samples were subjected to Sanger sequencing. Sequences were analyzed using BLAST (NCBI) and phylogenetic analysis was performed using MEGA11 software to determine their genetic relationships with global isolates.
Results
Genetic analysis showed that a 670-base-pair segment of the COI gene accurately identified the screwworm fly. Subsequent genetic analysis confirmed this identification by matching the DNA sequence with adult fly samples. The phylogenetic tree shows a degree of separation between Iraqi and global isolates. The Iraqi samples cluster together in their own specific cluster within the tree, while the global isolates are distributed in separate clusters. This indicates that the C. bezziana isolates from Iraq belong to the same species at the global level, but they exhibit slight genetic variation compared to some strains recorded in other countries.
Conclusion
According to the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that the COI gene can be used as an effective molecular marker for the accurate identification of Chrysomya bezziana. The genetic similarity obtained between the Iraqi isolates in this study, although slightly different from global strains, could indicate the presence of regional genetic characteristics of this species in Iraq.

Keywords

References

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Agricultural Biotechnology Journal
Volume 18, Issue 3
June 2026
Pages 585-598

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