Morphological and Molecular Identification of <i>Physaloptera alata</i> (Nematoda: Spirurida) in a Booted Eagle (<i>Aquila pennata</i>) from Portugal
Zaida Rentería-Solís,
David W. Ramilo,
Ronald Schmäschke,
Sandra Gawlowska,
Jorge Correia,
Filipa Lopes,
Luís Madeira de Carvalho,
Luís Cardoso,
Isabel Pereira da Fonseca
Affiliations
Zaida Rentería-Solís
Institute for Parasitology, Centre of Infection Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
David W. Ramilo
CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
Ronald Schmäschke
Institute for Parasitology, Centre of Infection Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Sandra Gawlowska
Institute for Parasitology, Centre of Infection Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, An den Tierkliniken 35, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Jorge Correia
CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
Filipa Lopes
CERAS—Centro de Estudos e Recuperação de Animais Selvagens, Quercus Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza, 6000-909 Castelo Branco, Portugal
Luís Madeira de Carvalho
CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
Luís Cardoso
Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Sciences (AL4AnimalS), Portugal
Isabel Pereira da Fonseca
CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Avenida da Universidade Técnica, 1300-477 Lisboa, Portugal
Physaloptera spp. are parasitic nematodes that infect the gastrointestinal tracts of many carnivores and omnivores. Although they are distributed worldwide, Physaloptera spp. have not been studied in raptors in Portugal. In this study, we report Physaloptera alata in a booted eagle (Aquila pennata) in Portugal. Adult nematodes were discovered in the gizzard of a young booted eagle, and morphological features were consistent with those of the genus Physaloptera. DNA was extracted and a PCR assay performed to amplify a region of the 18S small subunit of the ribosomal RNA gene and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. The resulting PCR products were Sanger-sequenced, and comparison with the available sequences in the GenBank database confirmed the initial morphological classification as Physaloptera sp. Phylogenetic analysis clustered the sequence within the Physaloptera group. The presence of this parasite in raptors from Portugal is of particular importance to wildlife rehabilitation centers, disease ecologists, and wildlife professionals. Furthermore, we produced a new genetic sequence and have added it to the GenBank database of parasites in birds of prey.
