Identification and Molecular Characterization of Clogmia (Telmatoscopus) albipunctatus (Drain Fly) Larva in a Rare Case of Urinary Myiasis in a Domestic Dog in India.

Abstract

PURPOSE: The study aimed to identify Clogmia (Telmatoscopus) albipunctata larva recovered from the urinary tract of a four-year-old female Siberian Husky dog in India using morphological assessment and molecular techniques. METHODS: Larval specimen obtained from the dog urine underwent preliminary morphological assessments followed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to selectively amplify segments of the Cytochrome b (Cytb), NADH1 genes, and the tRNA-Ser gene within mitochondrial DNA. Species identification was achieved through sequence analysis of the amplified product and subsequent phylogenetic analysis. RESULTS: Larva recovered from dog urine underwent morphological examination, revealing notable features characteristic of Clogmia genus. The primers targeting the mitochondrial DNA gene region of fly larva, amplified a distinct product of approximately 788 bp. Integration of morphological and molecular biology techniques confirmed the identification of the C. albipunctata larva in the dog urinary tract. CONCLUSION: This study elucidates the initial molecular evidence of C. albipunctata presence in a four-year-old female Siberian Husky dog exhibiting symptoms of haematuria and frequent micturition in India. It reveals an instance of a domestic dog in India contracting a C. albipunctata larva infection in its urinary tract, emphasizing the importance of clinical vigilance towards this infection.