title: Parasites of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) in Sebele, Gaborone, Botswana.
abstract: The following parasites were found in apparently healthy pigeons kept in Sebele: a haemoprotozoan, Haemoproteus columbae (80%); endoparasite metazoan nematodes, Ascaridia columbae (30%) and Dispharynx spiralis (10%); a cestode, Raillietina sp. (80%) and coccidian oocysts (40%); 2 ectoparasites, namely the pigeon fly, Pseudolynchia canariensis (50%) and the louse, Columbicola columbae (30%). The pigeons also had highantibody titres, (1:256) to the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (100%). The latter infection in these domestic pigeons has public health implications.
authors.affiliation: Botswana College of Agriculture, Gaborone.
authors.forename: E Z
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Mushi
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Binta
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Chabo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ndebele
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Panzirah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001902:Botswana / Q000453:epidemiology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*; D006801:Humans; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission