Gene Regions and Methods Used in Molecular Characterization of Fasciola Species

Fasciola species are zoonotic trematodes that cause fascioliasis in a wide range of hosts, including humans and ruminants such as camels, cattle, sheep and goats. The parasite causes significant economic losses in the livestock sector. Although its effect on human health has previously been understated, recent cases of fascioliasis have sparked increased interest among researchers globally. These situations make it essential to precisely characterize species of Fasciola. However, available phenotypic approaches fail to represent the diversity of Fasciola species in a summarized manner. In this context, the use of molecular approaches offers important advantages for the characterization of Fasciola species. Current molecular techniques greatly facilitate the elucidation of the biology, epidemiology and genetics of the parasite. In this article, the molecular markers used for Fasciola species, the properties of these markers, their intended use and the molecular techniques used to analyze these markers are discussed.