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Trichomonas gypaetinii n. sp., a new trichomonad from the upper gastrointestinal tract of scavenging birds of prey

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Abstract

In the context of an epidemiological study carried out by several wildlife recovery centers in Spain, trichomonads resembling Trichomonas gallinae were found in the oropharyngeal cavity of 2 Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) and 14 cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus) which did not show any symptoms of trichomonosis. In order to characterize them, these isolates along with seven other T. gallinae isolates obtained from different hosts and from different geographical origin were analyzed. Genetic analyses were performed by sequencing the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU-rRNA) and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA regions. The morphological study of the isolates in both light and scanning electron microscopy was also performed. The sequences obtained in the genetic analysis coincide with previously published sequences of an isolate named as Trichomonas sp., obtained from a bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), and showed clear differences to the T. gallinae sequences (97 and 90–91 % homology, respectively, for SSU-rRNA and ITS regions) and display higher similarity with Trichomonas vaginalis and Trichomonas stableri than with T. gallinae. Multivariate statistical analysis of the morphometric study also reveals significant differences between the trichomonads of vultures and the isolates of T. gallinae. The isolates from vultures presented smaller values for each variable except for the length of axostyle projection, which was higher. These results together with the different nature of their hosts suggest the possibility of a new species of trichomonad which we hereby name Trichomonas gypaetinii, whose main host are birds of the subfamily Gypaetinae.

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Acknowledgments

This work is supported by a Grant from the Spanish Ministery of Science and Innovation, project AGL2011-29,442. Mª Carmen Martínez Herrero has been granted by a felllowship (ACIF/2013/055) of the program for engagement of predoctoral research personnel VALi + D, and wishes to express her gratitude to the Conselleria of Science and Education of the Valencian Community.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Salud Pública y Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo S/N, 28029, Madrid, Spain

    Rafael Alberto Martínez-Díaz & Irene Rodríguez-Arce

  2. Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Plaza de Ramón y Cajal S/N, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    Francisco Ponce-Gordo

  3. Departamento de Producción y Sanidad Animal, Salud Pública y Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos. Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad CEU Cardenal-Herrera, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Calle Tirant Lo Blanch 7, 46115, Alfara del Patriarca, Valencia, Spain

    María Carmen del Martínez-Herrero

  4. GREFA (Grupo de Rehabilitación de la Fauna Autóctona y su Hábitat), Monte del Pilar S/N, Majadahonda, 28220, Madrid, Spain

    Fernando González González

  5. Centre de Fauna Salvatge de Torreferrussa, Catalan Wildlife-Service, Forestal Catalana, Santa Perpètua de la Mogoda, 08130, Barcelona, Spain

    Rafael Ángel Molina-López

  6. Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Avenida Puerta de Hierro S/N, 28040, Madrid, Spain

    María Teresa Gómez-Muñoz

Authors
  1. Rafael Alberto Martínez-Díaz
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  2. Francisco Ponce-Gordo
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  3. Irene Rodríguez-Arce
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  4. María Carmen del Martínez-Herrero
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  5. Fernando González González
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  6. Rafael Ángel Molina-López
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  7. María Teresa Gómez-Muñoz
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Correspondence to Rafael Alberto Martínez-Díaz.

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Rafael Alberto Martínez-Díaz and Francisco Ponce-Gordo contributed equally to this work.

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Martínez-Díaz, R.A., Ponce-Gordo, F., Rodríguez-Arce, I. et al. Trichomonas gypaetinii n. sp., a new trichomonad from the upper gastrointestinal tract of scavenging birds of prey. Parasitol Res 114, 101–112 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-014-4165-5

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