Prevalence and genotyping of Trichomonas gallinae in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Abstract Trichomonas gallinae is a single-celled protozoan parasite and causative agent of trichomonosis. Trichomonosis is a disease with a worldwide distribution, and has recently been highlighted as a pandemic threat to several wild bird species. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence and genotypic diversity of Trichomonas gallinae in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 273 oral swab samples from birds were collected and tested for T. gallinae infection, and the overall prevalence of Trichomonas gallinae in these samples was 26.4% (72 of 273). We compared the rates of infections with T. gallinae between wild and domestic pigeons and found that the infection was significantly higher in domestic pigeons; a finding which should be considered by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture of Saudi Arabia when evaluating the role of poultry markets in the transmission of trichomonosis. Sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicated genetic variation in these parasite strains, as found in the samples collected. Among 48 sequences 15 different ribotypes were found, 12 of which were novel, and 3 of which were previously-described ribotypes: ribotype A, C, and II. This study demonstrates the diversity of T. gallinae strains in Saudi Arabian birds for the first time, and revealed that ribotypes A and C are predominant among Riyadh birds.