New record of Ascaridia nymphii (Secernentea: Ascaridiidae) from macaw parrot, Ara chloroptera, in China

Gastrointestinal parasites in captive wild birds in Mineiros, Goiás, Brazil

Studying parasites in captive wild birds is vital for their health, well-being, biodiversity preservation, species conservation, and safeguarding of both individual birds and ecosystems. It holds significance for public health by identifying potential zoonotic risks. We aimed to describe the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive wild birds from a Conservation Institute in Brazilian Cerrado biome. Fresh fecal samples were collected from 17 captive wild birds (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Ara ararauna, Ara chloropterus, Ara macao, Megascops choliba, Pteroglossus castanotis, Ramphastos dicolorus, Ramphastos tucanus and Strix huhula) at a Conservation Institution in Mineiros, state of Goiás. The samples were processed for Willis' simple flotation and Hoffman's spontaneous sedimentation examinations to identify parasitic forms of gastrointestinal endoparasites. Macaw aviary birds (Ar. ararauna, Ar. chloropterus and Ar. macao) showed higher positivity, with all six fecal samples positive for helminths or protozoa. In contrast, captive toucans showed only two positive results (P. castanotis and R. dicolorus). An. hyacinthinus showed Ascarididae, Capillarinae and Trematoda eggs; whereas S. huhula had Ascarididae eggs. Regular parasitological examinations are essential for the timely detection and treatment of gastrointestinal infections in captive birds, thereby enhancing overall bird management.

Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of Echinostoma revolutum from Red-Crowned Crane (Grus japonensis)

Echinostoma revolutum is a zoonotic food-borne intestinal trematode that can cause intestinal bleeding, enteritis, and diarrhea in human and birds. To identify a suspected E. revolutum trematode from a red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) and to reveal the genetic characteristics of its mitochondrial (mt) genome, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and complete mt genome sequence of this trematode were amplified. The results identified the trematode as E. revolutum. Its entire mt genome sequence was 15,714 bp in length, including 12 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and one non-coding region (NCR), with 61.73% A+T base content and a significant AT preference. The length of the 22 tRNA genes ranged from 59 bp to 70 bp, and their secondary structure showed the typical cloverleaf and D-loop structure. The length of the large subunit of rRNA (rrnL) and the small subunit of rRNA (rrnS) gene was 1,011 bp and 742 bp, respectively. Phylogenetic trees showed that E. revolutum and E. miyagawai clustered together, belonging to Echinostomatidae with Hypoderaeum conoideum. This study may enrich the mitochondrial gene database of Echinostoma trematodes and provide valuable data for studying the molecular identification and phylogeny of some digenean trematodes.