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Coccidia of Columbiformes: a taxonomic review of its Eimeriidae species and Eimeria columbinae n. sp. from Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1809) from Brazil

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Abstract

Coccidia (Chromista: Miozoa: Eimeriidae) of columbiform birds (Aves: Columbiformes) have been described since the end of the nineteenth century; however, some of these descriptions were poorly detailed or inconclusive. In this sense, the current work makes a detailed taxonomic revision reconsidering and organizing 18 Eimeria spp. and two Isospora spp. previously described or reported of Columbiformes. Along with this, a new species of Eimeria is morphologically and molecularly identified by the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene and by the 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S) gene from the ruddy ground-dove Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1809) in the Médio Paraíba region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. Eimeria columbinae n. sp. has subspheroidal oocysts, 14.7 × 13.2 μm, with smooth, bi-layered wall, ~ 1.1 μm and length/width ratio of 1.1. Micropyle and oocyst residuum are present, but polar granule is absent. Sporocysts are ellipsoidal to slightly asymmetrical, 9.0 × 5.1 μm, with both Stieda and sub-Stieda bodies. Sporocyst residuum present and sporozoites with refractile body and nucleus. This is the 19th description of an eimerian from Columbiformes in the World, and the second to have a molecular identification of the COI and 18S genes.

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Acknowledgments

We are thankful to the staff at the Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro (Campus Pinheiral), and the landowner at Santa Rita de Cássia in the Municipality of Barra Mansa, RJ, who allowed us to access and use some facilities during the expeditions.

Funding

This study was supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES), Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Curso de Graduação em Medicina Veterinária, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), BR-465 km 7, Seropédica, RJ, 23897-000, Brazil

    Carlos Nei Ortúzar-Ferreira

  2. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde (ICBS), UFRRJ, BR-465 km 7, Seropédica, RJ, 23897-000, Brazil

    Mariana S. Oliveira & Jhon Lennon Genovez-Oliveira

  3. Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Rio de Janeiro, Rua José Breves 550, Pinheiral, RJ, 27197-000, Brazil

    Heider A. Franco & Sergio Thode-Filho

  4. Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação em Agropecuária, UFRRJ, BR-465 km 7, Seropédica, RJ, 23897-000, Brazil

    Sergio Thode-Filho

  5. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biomedicina Translacional, Universidade do Grande Rio, Rua Professor José de Souza Herdy 1160, Duque de Caxias, RJ, 25071-202, Brazil

    Sergian V. Cardozo

  6. Departamento de Biologia Animal, ICBS, UFRRJ, BR-465 km 7, Seropédica, RJ, 23897-000, Brazil

    Águida A. Oliveira, Viviane M. Lima, Ildemar Ferreira & Bruno P. Berto

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  1. Carlos Nei Ortúzar-Ferreira
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  2. Mariana S. Oliveira
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  3. Jhon Lennon Genovez-Oliveira
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  6. Sergian V. Cardozo
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  7. Águida A. Oliveira
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  8. Viviane M. Lima
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Correspondence to Bruno P. Berto.

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Field-collecting permits were issued to B.P. Berto by SISBIO/ICMBio (license 42798-1) and CEUA/UFRRJ (protocol IV-6606250616).

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Ortúzar-Ferreira, C.N., Oliveira, M.S., Genovez-Oliveira, J.L. et al. Coccidia of Columbiformes: a taxonomic review of its Eimeriidae species and Eimeria columbinae n. sp. from Columbina talpacoti (Temminck, 1809) from Brazil. Parasitol Res 119, 267–281 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06514-4

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