Development of a qPCR molecular diagnostic assay for the detection of kiwi Eimeria species and its application to determine tissue-specificity of species causing coccidiosis in North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli).

ABSTRACT: Juvenile kiwi (Apteryx spp.) within captive-rearing programmes commonly suffer from coccidiosis, which primarily affects the intestine but can also impact other organs, such as the kidneys, liver, lung, and spleen (Morgan  et al. Avian Pathol 42:137-146 2013). In some immune-compromised birds, disease causes significant morbidity and, occasionally, mortality (Morgan et al. NZVJ 62:315-320 2014); however, understanding of the biology of disease-causing Eimeria species in kiwi is limited. A probe-based qPCR assay targeting a 115-bp fragment of the Eimeria mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (CO1) gene was developed to identify three distinct kiwi Eimeria species: the two species most commonly recovered from faeces, Eimeria kiwii and Eimeria apteryxii, as well as the newly described species,

SUBMITTER: Scheltema E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12226697 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature