Mitochondrial Gene Diversity and Host Specificity of Isospora in Passerine Birds

Steven V Kubiski; Carmel Witte; Jennifer A Burchell; Dylan Conradson; Alexandra Zmuda; Alberto Rodriguez Barbon; Jose G Vilches-Moure; Stephen A Felt; Bruce A Rideout

doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.847030

Mitochondrial Gene Diversity and Host Specificity of Isospora in Passerine Birds

Front Vet Sci. 2022 Jun 29:9:847030. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2022.847030. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Steven V Kubiski¹, Carmel Witte¹, Jennifer A Burchell¹, Dylan Conradson², Alexandra Zmuda³, Alberto Rodriguez Barbon⁴, Jose G Vilches-Moure⁵, Stephen A Felt⁵, Bruce A Rideout¹

Affiliations

¹ Disease Investigations, Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, San Diego, CA, United States.
² College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States.
³ Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
⁴ Veterinary Department, Jersey Zoo, Trinity, Jersey.
⁵ Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.

Abstract

Isospora infections are common in both wild and captive passerine species. Many bird species have been shown to have co-evolved with a particular species of Isospora. Disease can range from subclinical to severe and fatal, making infection and transmission of this parasite a concern for birds under managed care, particularly in institutions housing endangered species for breeding and reintroduction purposes. Whether birds in mixed-species enclosures represent a risk factor for severe isosporiasis due to infection with non-host-adapted strains is of concern for institutions managing these populations. To begin answering this question, we sought to characterize the host-specificity of Isospora spp. in a large number of passerine birds via retrospective sequencing of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI). Despite outliers, Isospora sequences largely grouped by host species and/or host family. Additional research is warranted into the degree of interspecies transmission and host-switching of Isospora parasites, and risk factors for the development of severe disease in passerine birds.

Keywords: Isospora; coccidia; cytochrome oxidase; passerine; zoological.