AUTHOR=Albasyouni Shurug , Abdel-Gaber Rewaida , Al Quraishy Saleh , Al-Shaebi Esam M. , Mohammed Osama B. 

TITLE=Morphology, morphometry, and phylogeny of the protozoan parasite, Eimeria labbeana-like (Apicomplexa, Eimeriidae), infecting Columba livia domestica

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Veterinary Science

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2024.1392238

DOI=10.3389/fvets.2024.1392238

ISSN=2297-1769

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p><italic>Eimeria</italic> spp. are intracellular protozoan parasites of the phylum Apicomplexa causing economic losses to various wild and domestic animals. An eimerian species infecting <italic>Columba livia domestica</italic> was identified in this study.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 15 faecal samples were examined by floatation technique, a prevalence rate of 60% was reported. Eimerian oocysts were sporulated in 2.5% potassium dichromate solution then identified using morphological and molecular (DNA amplification of the <italic>18S rRNA</italic> and <italic>ITS-1</italic> genes) diagnostic techniques.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Sporulated oocysts were identified as <italic>Eimeria labbeana</italic>-like, after morphometry with typical bi-layered wall with spherical to subspherical oocysts morphology. A polar granule is present, but no micropyle or oocyst residuum. Sporocysts are elongated ovoidal with stieda body. Sporocyst residuum with many granules and sporozoites with refractile bodies and nucleus. Both <italic>18S rRNA</italic> and <italic>ITS-1</italic> sequences have been deposited in GenBank database. DNA sequences from the partial <italic>18S rRNA</italic> generated from the oocysts were found to be related to eimerian and isosporan parasites found in domestic pigeons. For the first time, <italic>ITS-1</italic> sequences for <italic>E. labbeana</italic>-like were provided.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>The necessity of using molecular techniques to describe pigeon intestinal coccidian parasites in conjunction with traditional morphology-based tools was emphasized in this work in order to understand the biology of such parasites.</p></sec>