PCR Identification and Phylogenetic Analysis of from Domestic Pigeons in Guangzhou, China.

Avian trichomoniasis caused by is a serious protozoan disease worldwide. The domestic pigeon () is the main host for and plays an important role in the spread of the disease. Based on the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA of this parasite, a pair of primers (TgF2/TgR2) was designed and used to develop a PCR assay for the diagnosis of infection in domestic pigeons. This approach allowed the identification of , and no amplicons were produced when using DNA from other common avian pathogens. The minimum amount of DNA detectable by the specific PCR assay developed in this study was 15 pg. Clinical samples from Guangzhou, China, were examined using this PCR assay and a standard microscopy method, and their molecular characteristics were determined by phylogenetic analysis. All of the -positive samples detected by microscopic examination were also detected as positive by the PCR assay. Most of the samples identified as negative by microscopic examination were detected as positive by the PCR assay and were confirmed by sequencing. The positive samples of collected from Guangzhou, China, were identified as genotype B by sequencing and phylogenetic analyses, providing relevant data for studying the ecology and population genetic structures of trichomonads and for the prevention and control of the diseases they cause.