Isospora and Lankesterella Parasites (Eimeriidae, Apicomplexa) of Passeriform Birds in Europe: Infection Rates, Phylogeny, and Pathogenicity

• Published in: Pathogens (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 4; p. 337
• Main Authors: Keckeisen, Carina, Šujanová, Alžbeta, Himmel, Tanja, Matt, Julia, Nedorost, Nora, Chagas, Carolina R F, Weissenböck, Herbert, Harl, Josef
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 18-04-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Apicomplexa; Birds; chromogenic in situ hybridization; Cytochrome; Cytochrome b; Cytochrome-c oxidase; Cytochromes; Eimeriidae; Eukaryotes; Hybridization; Infections; Intestine; Isospora; Lankesterella; Leukocytes; Liver; Musculoskeletal system; Parasites; Pathogenicity; Pathogens; Pathology; Phylogeny; Polymerase chain reaction; Reptiles & amphibians; rRNA 18S; Spleen; tissue stages; Veterinary medicine; wild birds; Lithuania; Austria; Bosnia-Hercegovina; chromogenic in situ hybridization; wild birds; Lankesterella; tissue stages; Isospora; cytochrome c oxidase I; cytochrome b
• ISSN: 2076-0817; 2076-0817
• DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13040337

Wild birds are common hosts to numerous intracellular parasites such as single-celled eukaryotes of the family Eimeriidae (order Eucoccidiorida, phylum Apicomplexa). We investigated the infection rates, phylogeny, and pathogenicity of
and
parasites in wild and captive passerine birds. Blood and tissue samples of 815 wild and 15 deceased captive birds from Europe were tested using polymerase chain reaction and partial sequencing of the mitochondrial
and
and the nuclear
rRNA gene. The infection rate for
in wild birds was 10.7% compared to 5.8% for
. Chromogenic in situ hybridization with probes targeting the parasites'
rRNA was employed to identify the parasites' presence in multiple organs, and hematoxylin-eosin staining was performed to visualize the parasite stages and assess associated lesions.
parasites were mainly identified in the intestine, spleen, and liver. Extraintestinal tissue stages of
were accompanied by predominantly lymphohistiocytic inflammation of varying severity.
was most frequently detected in the spleen, lung, and brain; however, infected birds presented only a low parasite burden without associated pathological changes. These findings contribute to our understanding of
and
parasites in wild birds.