ABSTRACT
Hymenolepis nana is a common parasite of rodents as well as human intestine. This parasite has been reported from all over the world, including Iran. The infection rate has been reported up to 40% in some areas. The infection has various clinical manifestations. The parasite could establish severe hyperinfection in patients with immune deficiency. Regarding the rodents as hosts of the parasite, the infection may disseminate through these hosts to the nature. As H. nana is a zoonoses, phylogenic study of this parasite is of particular importance. Considering these criteria, the genomic diversity of 16 H. nana with the origin of Shiraz and Tehran were studied among the worms of mice and rats by RAPD-PCR. Genomic DNA extracted from individual worms by proteinase K method and three oligonucleotides primer [ABl-17, UBC-358, UBC-387] were used for RAPD-PCR. Similarity index were calculated by Nei and Li method. Data were analysed using UPGMA analysis and dendrograms were obtained by group average method with 100 bootstrapping analysis. The range of genomic similarity determined among specimens by ABl-17 primer was 48.3-90%, by UBC-358 primer 55-87% and by UBC-387 primer 53-97%. Regarding our data and genomic similarity indexes, various isolates were found in both specimens of rats and mice. However no differences were obtained between H. nana from rat or mouse isolates by these primers. The results showed that it is not possible to divide the isolates into two distinct groups based on their origin as Tehran and Shiraz