Sequence-characterized amplified regions that differentiate New World screwworms from other potential wound-inhabiting flies

Authors

Joan A Christen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Steven R. Skoda, USDA-ARS-KBUSLIRL Screwworm Research UnitFollow
Tiffany Heng-Moss, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Donald J. Lee, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
John E. Foster, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2015

Citation

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 2015

Comments

U.S. Government work

Abstract

Abstract. New World screwworms, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel, 1858), were once devastating pests of warmblooded animals in the United States before they were successfully eradicated using the sterile insect technique. Guarding against the introduction of screwworms to North America or any other screwworm-free area relies on rapid, reliable identification of suspected cases. In the current study, the DNA from excised markers generated by randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction was used as the basis to generate 2 species-specific sequence-characterized amplified region molecular markers. Resulting primer pairs, named CR92A1 and J1A2 (each with forward and reverse components), produced amplicons of 852 and 848 base pairs, respectively. The 2 primer pairs successfully discriminated between C. hominivorax, Cochliomyia macellaria (Fabricius, 1775), 8 other species of blowflies, 3 noncalliphorid dipterans, and 1 nondipteran outlier. These primers may become important tools for veterinary laboratories and the screwworm eradication and exclusion program for rapid identification or verification of suspicious larval samples in presumed outbreaks.