The 18S gene sequences of Cestodes of chickens from Zimbabwe

Tapeworms were collected from intestines of 34 free range chickens slaughtered from different localities for eating purposes. The tapeworms were observed under the microscope for selection of Raillietina sp. only. From a lot of tapeworms, 9 representative isolates were selected for further analyses. DNA was extracted from the 9 isolates and PCR amplification of the 18S rDNA gene done. Sequencing was then done and identification of the individual Raillietina sp. was done using BLAST. These sequences were analysed, edited and submitted to Genebank to obtain accession numbers. The results presented are unique as they contribute to the information gap in Zimbabwe and Africa as a whole when it comes to molecular analyses of cestodes of chickens. This is a first report of Raillietina tunetensis in chickens as a host.