Occurrence and molecular characterization of Giardia spp. in birds of the order Psittaciformes kept in captivity

• Grant number: 17/17916-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2017
• End date: November 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Vasconcelos Meireles
• Grantee: Ricardo Shoiti Ichikawa
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The protozoan Giardia spp. is a flagellate intestinal parasite and six species are recognized: G. agilis in amphibians, G. psittaci and G. ardeae in birds, G. microti and G. muris in rodents and G. duodenalis in humans and some domestic animals. There is also the classification according to the genetic variability of G. duodenalis, in assemblages A to H. The host becomes infected when consuming water and food with the presence of cysts. The frequently encountered clinical signs are delayed growth, dehydration, weight loss, and recurrent diarrhea. There are few reports related to the occurrence of Giardia spp. infection in birds and, in Brazil, there are no reports of Giardia infection in bird. This study aims to determine the occurrence of Giardia spp. and to accomplish its molecular characterization in 463 samples of genomic DNA extracted from feces of birds of the order Psittaciformes, using the polymerase chain reaction targeting the SSS RNA gene followed by sequencing of the amplified fragments. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ICHIKAWA, RICARDO SHOITI; SANTANA, BRUNA NICOLETI; FERRARI, ELIS DOMINGOS; DO NASCIMENTO, ISABELA GARCIA; NAKAMURA, ALEX AKIRA; NARDI, ANA RITA MORAES; MEIRELES, MARCELO VASCONCELOS. Detection and molecular characterization of Giardia spp. in captive Psittaciformes in Brazil. PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE, v. 164, p. 10-12, MAR 1 2019. (17/17916-9)