University of Tehran Iranian Journal of Veterinary Medicine 2251-8894 8 4 2015 01 01 Occurrence of parasitic protozoa in wild waterfowl in southern coastal Caspian sea lagoons وقوع تک یاخته‌های انگلی در پرندگان آبزی وحشی ساکن مرداب های سواحل جنوبی دریای خزر، شمال ایران 261 267 52485 10.22059/ijvm.2015.52485 EN Bahar Shemshadi Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran Shahrokh Ranjbar-Bahadori Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran Sina Faghihzadeh-Gorgi Graduated from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Garmsar Branch, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar, Iran Journal Article 2014 04 08 BACKGROUND: Protozoa are common in poultry and other<br />birds and can cause mild to severe disease. OBJECTIVES: This<br />study was concerned with the prevalence of parasitic protozoa in<br />wild waterfowl in Caspian sea lagoons in the North of Iran.<br />METHODS:Atotal of 293 waterfowl belonging to various genera<br />including Tadorna tadorna (common shelduck),Aythya fuligula<br />(Tufted duck), Aythya ferina (Common puchard), Spatula<br />clypeata (Shoveler), Anser anser (greylag goose), Cygnus<br />Cygnus (Whooper Swan), Anas strepera (Gadwall), Anas<br />Penelope (Eurasian Widgeon), Anas crecca (common teal), and<br />Anas platyrhynchos (mallard) were sampled and tested for<br />intestinal, tracheal, and blood protozoa between winter 2010 and<br />spring 2011. RESULTS: The results showed that 184 birds of 293<br />(62.8%) harbored protozoan parasites. The highest prevalence of<br />protozoan contamination belonged to Giardia spp (24.2%) and<br />the lowest belonged to Haemoproteus spp. (6.1%). Thricomunas<br />gallinea, Plasmodium spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. were<br />found in 7.2%, 8.2%, and 17% of waterfowl, respectively.<br />Moreover, statistical analyses showed that the highest rate of<br />giardiosis was in female Aythya fuligula (43.75%). However,<br />tricomuniasis belonged to Anas crecca (30.5%). On the other<br />hand, female Cygnus cygnus had the highest rate of<br />cryptosporidiosis (44.7%), and more infection to Haemoproteus<br />and Plasmodium spp. were observed in Anas platyrhynchos,<br />concurrently. CONCLUSIONS: Migration of various species of<br />waterfowl toward the northern parts of Iran has an important<br />impact on parasitic diseases in birds and human in these regions. https://ijvm.ut.ac.ir/article_52485_39186201cf5013b5850a25daf231c486.pdf