| Morphological Description and Molecular Characterization of Ascaridia columbae Infecting Domestic Pigeons, Columba livia domestica, in Gharbia Governorate, Egypt, Based on ITS rDNA Sequences |
| Paper ID : 1058-ICBAS2024-FULL |
| Authors |
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Nahed Salah Amer1, Abd Elsattar M. Metwally2, Wafaa Fayez Abd El-Hamed1, Ayman N. Elsayed *3 1Department of Agricultural Zoology and Nematology, Faculty of Agriculture (Girls), Al-Azhar University, Cairo, Egypt 2Department of Agricultural Zoology and Nematology, Faculty of Agriculture (Boys), Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, 11751, Cairo, Egypt 3Zoology department, faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt |
| Abstract |
| Ascaridia columbae is a parasitic nematode commonly infecting domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica), causing significant health issues and economic losses in avian populations. Pigeons of 130 domestic pigeons were examined for the presence of this nematode from April 2018 to March 2019, with 20.7% found to be infected. The prevalence in Gharbia Governorate was high infection rates might be due to selection of weakness, lethargy, and poor growth pigeons. The morphological features of adult worms were studied macroscopically and microscopically, focusing 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) were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR amplification produced a fragment of approximately 900 bp in size. A 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 closely related 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 in 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 |
| Ascaridia columbae, domestic pigeon, Gharbia Governorate, diagnostic traits, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), rDNA |
| Status: Accepted |