Racing pigeons: a reservoir for nitro-imidazole-resistant Trichomonas gallinae.
Trichomonas gallinae , the cause of avian trichomonosis, is most commonly found in the order Columbiformes. Racing pigeons are often treated preventively with nitro-imidazoles, which could result in the emergence of resistant isolates, and these isolates can be a threat to wildlife when exchanges occur. The sequence type of 16 T. gallinae isolates obtained from racing pigeons and 15 isolates from wild pigeons was determined based on the ITS1/5.8S rRNA/ITS2 region sequence. In addition, the resistance profiles of these isolates against 5 different nitro-imidazoles (metronidazole, dimetridazole, ronidazole, tinidazole, and carnidazole) were determined. Two different Trichomonas sequence types were isolated. Sequence type A isolates were recovered from racing and wild pigeons, in contrast to sequence type B, which was only isolated from wild pigeons. Isolates with sequence type B were all susceptible to the tested nitro-imidazoles, except for tinidazole resistance in 3 isolates. Resistance to the nitro-imidazoles was observed more frequently in isolates obtained from racing pigeons than from wild pigeons, with most isolates belonging to sequence type A. A higher percentage of the sequence type A isolated from racing pigeons, in comparison with those isolated from the wild pigeons, were resistant to the nitro-imidazoles and displayed higher mean lethal concentration (MLC) values. Two isolates belonging to sequence type A, 1 recovered from a racing pigeon and 1 from a wild pigeon, displayed a similar resistance pattern, suggesting a potential exchange of resistant isolates between racing pigeons and wild pigeons.
Department of Pathology, Bacteriology and Avian Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium;
L O
LO
Rouffaer
C
C
Adriaensen
C
C
De Boeck
E
E
Claerebout
A
A
Martel
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000994:Antitrichomonal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000635:transmission; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D003426:Crop, Avian / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000737:chemistry; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000662:veterinary; D004351:Drug Resistance; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D016053:RNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S / Q000235:genetics; D014244:Trichomonas / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission / Q000662:veterinary*
D000994:Antitrichomonal Agents; D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D016053:RNA, Protozoan; D012340:RNA, Ribosomal, 5.8S