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Detection of the European epidemic strain of Trichomonas gallinae in finches, but not other non-columbiformes, in the absence of macroscopic disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2016

ERASMUS K.H.J. ZU ERMGASSEN ,
CHRIS DURRANT ,
SHINTO JOHN ,
ROXANNE GARDINER ,
ABDULWAHED F. ALREFAEI ,
ANDREW A. CUNNINGHAM  and
BECKI LAWSON
ERASMUS K.H.J. ZU ERMGASSEN
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
CHRIS DURRANT
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK Queen Mary University of London, Fogg Building, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
SHINTO JOHN
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
ROXANNE GARDINER
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
ABDULWAHED F. ALREFAEI
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
ANDREW A. CUNNINGHAM
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
BECKI LAWSON*
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, UK. Tel: +44 207 449 6677. E-mail: becki.lawson@ioz.ac.uk
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Summary

Finch trichomonosis is an emerging infectious disease affecting European passerines caused by a clonal strain of Trichomonas gallinae. Migrating chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs) were proposed as the likely vector of parasite spread from Great Britain to Fennoscandia. To test for such parasite carriage, we screened samples of oesophagus/crop from 275 Apodiform, Passeriform and Piciform birds (40 species) which had no macroscopic evidence of trichomonosis (i.e. necrotic ingluvitis). These birds were found dead following the emergence of trichomonosis in Great Britain, 2009–2012, and were examined post-mortem. Polymerase chain reactions were used to detect (ITS1/5·8S rRNA/ITS2 region and single subunit rRNA gene) and to subtype (Fe-hydrogenase gene) T. gallinae. Trichomonas gallinae was detected in six finches [three chaffinches, two greenfinches (Chloris chloris) and a bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula)]. Sequence data had 100% identity to the European finch epidemic A1 strain for each species. While these results are consistent with finches being vectors of T. gallinae, alternative explanations include the presence of incubating or resolved T. gallinae infections. The inclusion of histopathological examination would help elucidate the significance of T. gallinae infection in the absence of macroscopic lesions.

Keywords

trichomonosispasserineepidemiologywild birdemerging infectious disease
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 143 , Issue 10 , September 2016 , pp. 1294 - 1300
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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