First detection of Cryptosporidium proventriculi from wild birds in Cyprus

Kyriacos A. Hasapis, Iris Charalambidou, Eleni Tsouma, Konstantina Sotiriadi, Nicolaos Kassinis, Chad Schou, Panagiotis Karanis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Cryptosporidium is an important intestinal zoonotic pathogen that can infect various hosts and cause diarrheal disease. There are no reports on the prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium in wild birds in Cyprus. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. and genotypes in wild birds found at Phassouri Reedbeds (Akrotiri Wetlands), Cyprus. Fecal samples of 75 wild birds (Eurasian coot Fulica atra, N = 48; Eurasian teal Anas crecca, N = 20; duck – Anas spp., Ν = 7) were screened for Cryptosporidium by PCR amplification and sequencing. Only one sample (1.3%) belonging to a Eurasian coot was PCR-positive for Cryptosporidium. Based on sequencing of the 18S rRNA locus, this species was identified as Cryptosporidium proventriculi. This is the first report on the molecular identification of this Cryptosporidium species in a Eurasian coot.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)201-205
Number of pages5
JournalParasitology Research
Volume122
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2023

Keywords

  • Anas spp
  • Cryptosporidium proventriculi
  • Cyprus
  • Fulica atra
  • Wild birds

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