BackgroundThe Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is a medium-sized wild cat species distributed throughout Eurasia, from Europe to the Far East. There has been no report on Taenia species (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) infecting this felid in China.MethodsIn this study, 24 tapeworms were found in two Eurasian lynxes (#1 and #2) in Xinjiang, northwestern China. The tapeworms were identified based on two mitochondrial genetic markers, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and 16S rDNA. This was followed by

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... detailed morphologic characterization.ResultsMolecular and phylogenetic analyses of the cox1 gene revealed that i) a single tapeworm from lynx #2 shared 100% identity with Taenia laticollis genotype C detected in Eurasian lynx in Finland, and ii) the remaining 23 tapeworms, provisionally named here as "Taenia sp. Eurasian lynx", had two nucleotide substitutions but phylogenetically clustered together. The latter showed only 93.25% sequence identity to T. hydatigena from sheep (Ovis aries) in Slovakia. The scolex morphology is characteristic enough to distinguish "Taenia sp. Eurasian lynx" from other species of its genus.Conclusions"Taenia sp. Eurasian lynx" is a novel tapeworm species found in Eurasian lynx. In addition, T. laticollis was found in this wild felid for the first time in China. The intermediate hosts of T. laticollis and "Taenia sp. Eurasian lynx" should be explored in the near future.