1
|
Agbemelo-Tsomafo C, Adjei S, Kusi KA, Deitsch KW, Amoah D, Obeng-Kyeremeh R, Sumabe AM, Aniweh Y. Prevalence of Leucocytozoon infection in domestic birds in Ghana. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0294066. [PMID: 38019839 PMCID: PMC10686479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Leucocytozoon is a haemosporidian parasite known to cause leucocytozoonosis in domestic and wild birds in most parts of the world. It is an important pathogen, as some species can be pathogenic, especially in domestic birds. One of the factors affecting poultry health management worldwide is parasitism. However, the study of haemosporidian parasites in Ghana is still lacking. This study sought to assess the prevalence and diversity of Leucocytozoon parasites in domestic birds in Ghana. Blood samples were collected from domestic birds in Ghana's Bono and Eastern regions to screen for Leucocytozoon parasites. Thin blood smears were prepared for microscopy and DNA was extracted from whole blood kept in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) tubes for PCR. Due to the large number of samples, real-time PCR was performed to amplify the conserved rDNA gene. Two different nested PCR protocols were performed on the positive samples obtained from real-time PCR results, to amplify a partial region of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and the amplicons were sequenced. Sequencing revealed six new lineages of Leucocytozoon sp. recovered in 976 individual domestic birds and these sequences were deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) GenBank. An overall Leucocytozoon prevalence of 11.6% was reported in all birds sampled. The most prevalent lineage LGHA146 (GenBank accession no. OM643346) (93.8%) was found infecting 3 bird species, Gallus gallus, Meleagris gallopavo, and Anas platyrhynchos. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the new lineages (GenBank accession nos. OM643342, OM643343, OM643344, OM643345, OM643346, and OM643347), reported in this study were closely related to Leucocytozoon schoutedeni. We suggest that further studies be conducted to evaluate the effect of these parasite species on the general well-being of poultry in Ghana.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Constance Agbemelo-Tsomafo
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Samuel Adjei
- Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo A. Kusi
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kirk W. Deitsch
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Daniel Amoah
- Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Richard Obeng-Kyeremeh
- Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ayishetu M. Sumabe
- Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaw Aniweh
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pohuang T, Jittimanee S, Junnu S. Pathology and molecular characterization of Leucocytozoon caulleryi from backyard chickens in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. Vet World 2021; 14:2634-2639. [PMID: 34903919 PMCID: PMC8654759 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.2634-2639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this study was to characterize Leucocytozoon caulleryi from backyard chickens in Khon Kaen Province, Thailand. Materials and Methods: Tissue samples were collected from backyard chickens suspected to have leucocytozoonosis and subjected to histopathology examination. The BLAST Tool at NCBI GenBank (Basic Local Alignment Research Tools) (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/BLAST) was used to identify the nucleotide sequence of the partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox I) gene. A Phylogenetic tree for analysis of L. caulleryi was constructed by using MEGA 7.0 software (https://www.megasoftware.net/). Results: The necropsy results revealed the subcutaneous hemorrhages of pectoral muscles, multifocal hemorrhages of the thymus and pectoral muscles, hemorrhage of the proventriculus and peritoneal cavity, and megaloschizonts of the pancreas and intestine, including subcapsular hemorrhages of the liver. Microscopic examination revealed numerous megaloschizonts of Leucocytozoon spp. in the pectoral muscles, intestine, pancreas, and thymus. Molecular analysis of the partial cox I gene showed that the causal agent was closely related to L. caulleryi reported in Japan. Conclusion: From these results, L. caulleryi was determined to be the causal agent of leucocytozoonosis and was closely associated with L. caulleryi reported in Japan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tawatchai Pohuang
- Division of Livestock Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Research Group for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Animals and Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Suphattra Jittimanee
- Research Group for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Animals and Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Division of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Sucheeva Junnu
- Division of Livestock Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.,Research Group for Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases in Animals and Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Elbestawy AR, Ellakany HF, Abd El-Hamid HS, Gado AR, Geneedy AM, Noreldin AE, Menshawy S, El-Neweshy M, El-Shall NA, Salaheldin AH. Leucocytozoon caulleryi in Broiler Chicken Flocks: Clinical, Hematologic, Histopathologic, and Molecular Detection. Avian Dis 2021; 65:407-413. [PMID: 34427415 DOI: 10.1637/0005-2086-65.3.407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Despite the vast Egyptian poultry production, scanty information is available concerning the infection of haemprotozoan parasites as pathogens in commercial broilers. In the present study, we provided the first detection of leucocytozoonosis in five broiler chicken flocks in El-Beheira Egyptian governorate. Despite the low mortality rates in the affected flocks (0.3%-1% as a 5-day mortality), severe postmortem (hemorrhagic spots and scars) and histopathologic lesions appeared in different organs including skeletal muscles, liver, kidney, pancreas, abdominal cavity, and bursa of Fabricius. Evaluation of blood smears revealed gametocytes in erythrocytes and leukocytes. Conventional reverse transcriptase-PCR and partial sequence analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase b gene detected Leucocytozoon caulleryi. GenBank accession numbers of the five Egyptian L. caulleryi isolates were obtained. The five L. caulleryi were 99.9% identical to each other and 99.14% similar to the L. caulleryi mitochondrial DNA gene of Asian strains from India, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed R Elbestawy
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt,
| | - Hany F Ellakany
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt
| | - Hatem S Abd El-Hamid
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt
| | - Ahmed R Gado
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt
| | - Amr M Geneedy
- Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt
| | - Ahmed E Noreldin
- Department Histology and Cytology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt
| | - Soad Menshawy
- Department Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhour University, Damanhour, El-Beheira, 22511, Egypt
| | - Mahmoud El-Neweshy
- Department Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafr El-Sheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh, 33516, Egypt
| | - Nahed A El-Shall
- Department Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, El-Beheira, 22758, Egypt
| | - Ahmed H Salaheldin
- Department Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Edfina, El-Beheira, 22758, Egypt
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Khumpim P, Chawengkirttikul R, Junsiri W, Watthanadirek A, Poolsawat N, Minsakorn S, Srionrod N, Anuracpreeda P. Molecular detection and genetic diversity of Leucocytozoon sabrazesi in chickens in Thailand. Sci Rep 2021; 11:16686. [PMID: 34404893 PMCID: PMC8370975 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96241-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Leucocytozoon sabrazesi is the intracellular protozoa of leucocytozoonosis, which is transmitted by the insect vectors and affects chickens in most subtropical and tropical regions of the globe, except South America, and causing enormous economic losses due to decreasing meat yield and egg production. In this study, L. sabrazesi gametocytes have been observed in the blood smears, and molecular methods have been used to analyse the occurrence and genetic diversity of L. sabrazesi in blood samples from 313 chickens raised in northern, western and southern parts of Thailand. The nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR) assay based on the cytb gene revealed that 80.51% (252/313) chickens were positive of L. sabrazesi. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that L. sabrazesi cytb gene is conserved in Thailand, showed 2 clades and 2 subclades with similarity ranged from 89.5 to 100%. The diversity analysis showed 13 and 18 haplotypes of the sequences from Thailand and from other countries, respectively. The entropy analyses of nucleic acid sequences showed 26 high entropy peaks with values ranging from 0.24493 to 1.21056, while those of amino acid sequences exhibited 5 high entropy peaks with values ranging from 0.39267 to 0.97012. The results; therefore, indicate a high molecular occurrence of L. sabrazesi in chicken blood samples with the associated factors that is statistically significant (p < 0.05). Hence, our results could be used to improve the immunodiagnostic methods and to find appropriate preventive control strategies or vaccination programs against leucocytozoonosis in order to mitigate or eliminate the harmful impact of this infection on chicken industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pacharaporn Khumpim
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | | | - Witchuta Junsiri
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Amaya Watthanadirek
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Napassorn Poolsawat
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Sutthida Minsakorn
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Nitipon Srionrod
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand
| | - Panat Anuracpreeda
- Parasitology Research Laboratory (PRL), Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Win SY, Chel HM, Hmoon MM, Htun LL, Bawm S, Win MM, Murata S, Nonaka N, Nakao R, Katakura K. Detection and molecular identification of Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium species from village chickens in different areas of Myanmar. Acta Trop 2020; 212:105719. [PMID: 32976841 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Village chicken production, a traditional, small-scale, and extensive backyard poultry industry, has been profitable for local farmers in Myanmar. However, there is scanty information available concerning the infection of these chickens with avian pathogens, including haemoprotozoan parasites. In the present study, we provide the first report of microscopic detection and molecular identification of Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium parasites from seven different areas of Myanmar. Leucocytozoon gametocytes were detected in 17.6% (81/461) of the blood smears from village chickens. The nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for targeting Leucocytozoon mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) genes had a 17.6% positive rate. Although the positive rate of nested PCR targeting Plasmodium/Haemoproteus cyt b was 34.3%, the PCR protocol was observed to possibly amplify DNA of a certain species of Leucocytozoon. There were no obvious clinical signs in the infected birds. Statistical analysis of the microscopic detection and PCR detection rates using the age and sex of birds as internal factors revealed that the statistical significances differed according to the study area. The sequencing of 32 PCR products obtained from each study area revealed infection by Leucocytozoon caulleryi in three birds, Leucocytozoon sabrazesi in two birds, Leucocytozoon schoutedeni in two birds, Leucocytozoon sp. in eighteen birds, and Plasmodium juxtanucleare in seven birds; however, Haemoproteus infection was not detected. While L. sabrazesi was detected in chickens from the central region of Myanmar, the other haemosporidians were detected in those from different areas. In the haplotype analysis, we detected 17 haemosporidian cyt b haplotypes, including two for L. caulleryi, one for L. sabrazesi, two for L. schoutedeni, nine for Leucocytozoon sp., and three for P. juxtanucleare. Phylogenetic analysis of the cyt b haplotypes revealed a considerably close genetic relationship among chicken haemosporidians detected in Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia. These results indicate that well-recognized widespread species of chicken Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium are distributed nationwide in Myanmar, providing new insights into the ecosystem and control strategies of haemosporidian parasites in domesticated chickens in Myanmar.
Collapse
|
6
|
Characterization and cardiac differentiation of chicken spermatogonial stem cells. Anim Reprod Sci 2014; 151:244-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Revised: 10/06/2014] [Accepted: 10/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|