1
|
Couso-Pérez S, Pardavila X, Carro F, Ares-Mazás E, Gómez-Couso H. First report of Eimeria myoxi in the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus Linnaeus, 1766) from Doñana Natural Area (Andalusia, SW Spain). Parasitol Int 2023; 94:102740. [PMID: 36804597 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2023.102740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
This work reports for the first time the presence and molecular characterization of Eimeria myoxi in the garden dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) from the Doñana Natural Area (Andalusia, SW Spain). Fresh faecal samples were collected from a total of 28 garden dormice, which were caught following current guidelines for the ethical use of animals in research, and processing by a standard flotation technique with saturated saline solution. Then, wet drops were examined microscopically, and the number of oocysts was semi-quantified. Eimeria oocysts were observed in 16 of the 28 (57.1%) faecal samples, showing most of them a very low number of oocysts (≤1 oocyst per microscopic field × 400). The unsporulated oocysts visualized in 16 faecal samples were subspherical and of length 19.2 ± 1.2 μm and width 17.4 ± 1.1 μm, being morphologically compatible with E. myoxi. This finding was supported by molecular analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) gene, identifying the same species in 22 of the 28 (78.6%) dormice, including 15 samples in which oocyst size was compatible with E. myoxi. Moreover, the subsequent analyses of the apicoplast open reading frame 470 (ORF470) and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) genes confirmed the molecular identification of the isolates as E. myoxi. The phylogeny analyses were consistent with previous phylogenetic studies and support the existence of three lineages of rodent-infecting Eimeria species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seila Couso-Pérez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; Nanotechnology and Integrated BioEngineering Centre, School of Engineering, Ulster University, Belfast Campus, 2-24 York Street, Belfast BT15 1AP, United Kingdom
| | - Xosé Pardavila
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n 41001, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Francisco Carro
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Avenida Américo Vespucio s/n 41001, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Elvira Ares-Mazás
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Hipólito Gómez-Couso
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis, University of Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Couso-Pérez S, Pardavila X, Ares-Mazás E, Gómez-Couso H. Molecular identification of Eimeria species in Spanish bats. Parasitol Int 2022; 91:102621. [PMID: 35809844 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This is the first study reporting the detection and molecular characterization of Eimeria in bats in Spain, specifically in 12 of 32 chiropteran species described in the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 76 faecal samples were collected from different bat roosting sites across Spanish territory. The DNA was extracted from the samples and sequenced by targeting the Eimeria SSU-rRNA gene. Two Eimeria species were detected in 29 of the 76 faecal samples (38%), and the bat-specific Eimeria rioarribaensis and rodent-specific Eimeria jerfinica were detected in 4 (5%) and 25 (33%) of the samples, respectively. This is the first report of E. rioarribaensis in the bats Rhinolophus euryale, Myotis myotis and Nyctalus lasiopterus, extending the host and geographical ranges for this bat coccidian parasite. The identification of the rodent-specific parasite species E. jerfinica in bats indicates the occurrence of this species in Spain, although its presence has not previously been reported in wild rodents in this country. Considering that most of the Eimeria spp. reported in bats were described only on the basis of morphometric data, molecular studies are required to determined which Eimeria species occur in bats, to complete the identification of these species and to clarify the phylogeny.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Seila Couso-Pérez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Xosé Pardavila
- Sorex Ecoloxía e Medio Ambiente S.L.U., Rúa das Barreiras 80,15702 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Elvira Ares-Mazás
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Hipólito Gómez-Couso
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|