AUTHOR=Liu Gongzhen , Liu Qing , Zhang Wei , Shen Xuewen 

TITLE=First reported Porrocaecum angusticolle infection in Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus) in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2023.1181999

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2023.1181999

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p>This present study is the first case of a <italic>Porrocaecum angusticolle</italic> (<italic>P. angusticolle</italic>) infection reported in <italic>Griffon vulture</italic> (<italic>Gyps fulvus</italic>) in China. This study aimed to identify the nematode species and explore the genetic evolution of worms infecting <italic>Gyps fulvus</italic> (<italic>G.fulvus</italic>). Clinical examination revealed several milky white parasites in the stomach and intestinal tract. Polymerase chain reaction and partial 18S gene sequencing analyses identified these worms to be <italic>P. angusticolle</italic> (SD isolates). Further phylogenetic analyses revealed that they shared the highest genetic identity (99.9%) with a <italic>P. angusticolle</italic> isolate (EU004820.1) from Germany. Our study is the first report on the identification and characterization of <italic>P. angusticolle</italic> infecting <italic>G.fulvus</italic> in China, based on clinical findings and molecular diagnosis. Therefore, our study provides novel insights for the diagnosis of <italic>P. angusticolle</italic> infections and the prevention of nematode transmission in wild and domestic animals.</p>