BACKGROUND: Protozoa are common in poultry and other
birds and can cause mild to severe disease. OBJECTIVES: This
study was concerned with the prevalence of parasitic protozoa in
wild waterfowl in Caspian sea lagoons in the North of Iran.
METHODS:Atotal of 293 waterfowl belonging to various genera
including Tadorna tadorna (common shelduck),Aythya fuligula
(Tufted duck), Aythya ferina (Common puchard), Spatula
clypeata (Shoveler), Anser anser (greylag goose), Cygnus
Cygnus (Whooper Swan), Anas strepera (Gadwall), Anas
Penelope (Eurasian Widgeon), Anas crecca (common teal), and
Anas platyrhynchos (mallard) were sampled and tested for
intestinal, tracheal, and blood protozoa between winter 2010 and
spring 2011. RESULTS: The results showed that 184 birds of 293
(62.8%) harbored protozoan parasites. The highest prevalence of
protozoan contamination belonged to Giardia spp (24.2%) and
the lowest belonged to Haemoproteus spp. (6.1%). Thricomunas
gallinea, Plasmodium spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. were
found in 7.2%, 8.2%, and 17% of waterfowl, respectively.
Moreover, statistical analyses showed that the highest rate of
giardiosis was in female Aythya fuligula (43.75%). However,
tricomuniasis belonged to Anas crecca (30.5%). On the other
hand, female Cygnus cygnus had the highest rate of
cryptosporidiosis (44.7%), and more infection to Haemoproteus
and Plasmodium spp. were observed in Anas platyrhynchos,
concurrently. CONCLUSIONS: Migration of various species of
waterfowl toward the northern parts of Iran has an important
impact on parasitic diseases in birds and human in these regions.