Trichomonosis due to Trichomonas gallinae infection in barn owls (Tyto alba) and barred owls (Strix varia) from the eastern United States

Prevalence and diversity of Trichomonas gallinae in meat pigeons (Columba livia) in Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China

Pigeon farming for meat has developed into an important economic industry in most countries, especially in China. Trichomoniasis, caused by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae, is a worldwide disease in pigeons. However, studies of the prevalence and distribution of T. gallinae lineages in domestic pigeons in southern China are limited. In this study, a total of 636 pigeon throat swabs samples from four regions in Guangdong Province were screened for T. gallinae by in vitro culture assays and microscopy. The results revealed an overall prevalence of T. gallinae infection in southern China of 26.6% (169/636). There were significant differences in the infection rate of T. gallinae between the four regions (χ² = 117.948, df = 4, P = 0.000), with up to 44.6% in the Pearl River Delta region. The infection rate of young pigeons was as high as 70.8%. The rDNA sequences (18S rRNA/ITS1-5.8S rRNA-ITS2) of 153 positive samples were amplified and sequenced. Results identified 58.2% (89/153) overall as ITS-A (18S-VI) (also known as ITS-OBT-Tg-1) and 41.8% (64/153) as ITS-B (18S-IV) (also known as ITS-OBT-Tg-2). Thus, ITS-A (18S-VI) was the dominant T. gallinae genotype in southern China, especially in young pigeon (97.0%, 32/33). In conclusion, a high prevalence of T. gallinae infection in domestic pigeons was identified in southern China, particularly in the Pearl River Delta region. The ITS-A (18S-VI) was the dominant genotype highly pathogenic, which may weaken the immune system of pigeons, and cause a negative impact on the development of the pigeon industry in China.

Detection of Trichomonas gallinae in Wild Birds Admitted to a Rehabilitation Center, Florida, USA

We screened raptors (n=188) and columbids (n=2) presenting to a Tampa, Florida, US rehabilitation center from June 2016 to April 2017 for Trichomonas gallinae. One juvenile Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) was culture- and PCR-positive and sequencing identified as genotype E1. A subset of culture-negative (10%, n=19) samples were negative via PCR.