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Cryptic Eimeria genotypes are common across the southern but not northern hemisphere

Lookup NU author(s): Abdalgader Moftah

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).


Abstract

The phylum Apicomplexa includes parasites of medical, zoonotic and veterinary significance. Understanding the global distribution and genetic diversity of these protozoa is of fundamental importance for efficient, robust and long-lasting methods of control. Eimeria spp. cause intestinal coccidiosis in all major livestock animals and are the most important parasites of domestic chickens in terms of both economic impact and animal welfare. Despite having significant negative impacts on the efficiency of food production, many fundamental questions relating to the global distribution and genetic variation of Eimeria spp. remain largely unanswered. Here, we provide the broadest map yet of Eimeria occurrence for domestic chickens, confirming that all the known species (Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria brunetti, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria mitis, Eimeria necatrix, Eimeria praecox, Eimeria tenella) are present in all six continents where chickens are found (including 21 countries). Analysis of 248 internal transcribed spacer sequences derived from 17 countries provided evidence of possible allopatric diversity for species such as E. tenella (F-ST values < 0.34) but not E. acervulina and E. mitis, and highlighted a trend towards widespread genetic variance. We found that three genetic variants described previously only in Australia and southern Africa (operational taxonomic units x, y and z) have a wide distribution across the southern, but not the northern hemisphere. While the drivers for such a polarised distribution of these operational taxonomic unit genotypes remains unclear, the occurrence of genetically variant Eimeria may pose a risk to food security and animal welfare in Europe and North America should these parasites spread to the northern hemisphere. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Australian Society for Parasitology.


Publication metadata

Author(s): Clark EL, Macdonald SE, Thenmozhi V, Kundu K, Garg R, Kumar S, Ayoade S, Fornace KM, Jatau ID, Moftah A, Nolan MJ, Sudhakar NR, Adebambo AO, Lawal IA, Zapata RA, Awuni JA, Chapman HD, Karimuribo E, Mugasa CM, Namangala B, Rushton J, Suo X, Thangaraj K, Rao ASRS, Tewari AK, Banerjee PS, Raj GD, Raman M, Tomley FM, Blake DP

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: International Journal for Parasitology

Year: 2016

Volume: 46

Issue: 9

Pages: 537-544

Print publication date: 01/08/2016

Online publication date: 29/06/2016

Acceptance date: 24/05/2016

Date deposited: 31/10/2016

ISSN (print): 0020-7519

ISSN (electronic): 1879-0135

Publisher: Elsevier

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.05.006

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.05.006


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Funding

Funder referenceFunder name
Department for International Development
BB/H009337Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council through the Combating Infectious Diseases of Livestock for International Development (CIDLID) initiative (UK)
BB/L00478XBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council through the Combating Infectious Diseases of Livestock for International Development (CIDLID) initiative (UK)
BB/H009337
BB/L00478X
PPB_01102

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