Phylogenetic relationships of 52 Eimeria species based on COI sequences

Abstract

Coccidiosis is an important protozoan disease of domestic animals, which frequently presents as simultaneous infections with multiple Eimeria species, however the relationships of Eimeria species are not clear at present. In this study, we sequenced the COI of E. tenella, E. mitis, E. anseri isolated from wintering Anser albifrons feces, and also downed 49 Eimeria species published in Genbank. The results indicated that no phylogenetic reconstruction supported monophyly of Eimeria species, which is different from previous studies, Eimeria dispersa may have arisen via host switching from another host.

Keywords

• eimeria
• coi
• phylogenetic relationship