Assessing rates of parasite coinfection and spatiotemporal strain variation via metabarcoding: Insights for the conservation of European turtle doves Streptopelia turtur.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the frequency, spatiotemporal dynamics and impacts of parasite coinfections is fundamental to developing control measures and predicting disease impacts. The European turtle dove (Streptopelia turtur) is one of Europe's most threatened bird species. High prevalence of infection by the protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae has previously been identified, but the role of this and other coinfecting parasites in turtle dove declines remains unclear. Using a high-throughput sequencing approach, we identified seven strains of T. gallinae, including two novel strains, from ITS1/5.8S/ITS2 ribosomal sequences in turtle doves on breeding and wintering grounds, with further intrastrain variation and four novel subtypes revealed by the iron-hydrogenase gene. High spatiotemporal turnove

SUBMITTER: Thomas RC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9325524 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature