Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Agricultural Zoology and Nematology, Faculty of Agriculture (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt
2
Department of Agricultural Zoology and Nematology, Faculty of Agriculture (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, 11751, Cairo, Egypt
3
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, 11884, Cairo, Egypt
Abstract
Ascaridia columbae is a parasitic nematode commonly infecting domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), leading to significant health issues and economic losses in avian populations. From April 2018 to March 2019, 130 domestic pigeons from Gharbia Governorate, Egypt, were examined, with 20.7% found to be infected. The high prevalence of infection may be attributed to the selection of weak, lethargic, and poorly growing pigeons. Morphological features of adult worms were studied both macroscopically and microscopically, with a focus on diagnostic traits such as body size, sexual dimorphism, anterior and esophageal structures, and reproductive organs. Detailed morphometric measurements were provided to support species identification. For molecular characterization, DNA was extracted from individual worms, and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) was amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification produced a fragment of approximately 900 bp in size. An 897 bp segment of the ITS rDNA sequences was submitted to GenBank with accession numbers OP215354 and OP215355. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that the A. columbae samples from the current study are extremely similar to other A. columbae sequences, particularly those from Egypt and China. The genetic distinction between A. columbae and A. galli is evident, supporting the view that they are separate species with unique evolutionary paths despite sharing most morphological features. These findings provide new insights into the morphological and molecular characteristics of A. columbae, contributing to a better understanding of its epidemiology and genetic diversity in Egypt.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)
View on SCiNiTO