Incidence,Morphometric identification and Histopathological changes of Eimeria species infecting domestic pigeons in Giza,Egypt | ||||
Egyptian Veterinary Medical Society of Parasitology Journal (EVMSPJ) | ||||
Volume 20, Issue 1, 2024, Page 93-112 PDF (2.42 MB) | ||||
Document Type: Original Article | ||||
DOI: 10.21608/evmspj.2024.376043 | ||||
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Author | ||||
Ahmed M. Nassar | ||||
Departement of Parasitology,Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,Cairo University | ||||
Abstract | ||||
Eimeria spp. is a common protozoan parasite that infects domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) globally. This study aimed to detect the incidence and morphometric identification of Eimeria spp. in domestic pigeons in the Giza governorate, Egypt. Also, the clinical symptoms and histopathological changes in experimentally infected squabs were studied. Eimeria spp. was detected in 27.43% of the 350 intestinal samples collected from domestic pigeons. Seasonal incidence revealed that winter had the highest rate of infection (30.68%), while summer had the lowest one (15.66%). Five species of Eimeria were identified morphologically as Eimeria labbeana (18.75× 16.5 µm), E. columbarum (19.5×18.5µm), E. columbae (16.25×14µm), E. columbinae (14.75×13.25µm) and E. chalcoptereae (22.5×21.5µm). This study showed that E. columbinae and E. chalcoptereae were morphologically identified for the first time in domestic pigeons in Egypt. The experimentally infected squabs showed ruffled feathers, greenish-watery mucoid diarrhea, weakness and decrease in body weight. The prepatent period was 6 days, while the patent period was 18 days. Histopathological changes of the small intestine's lining epithelium (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) of the experimentally infected squabs revealed severe diffuse enteritis with sloughing of lining epithelium, blood vessels congestion and severe leukocytic infiltration with different Eimeria developmental stages | ||||
Keywords | ||||
Eimeria spp; pigeons; incidence; morphology; histopatholog | ||||
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