Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt.
Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, 12211, Egypt.
Sci Rep. 2023 Sep 27;13(1):16195. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-43479-y.
Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) is one of the most well-known herons in Egypt. It is called the friend of the farmer because it benefits farmers and helps them get rid of insects and worms. It acts as a reservoir for many diseases. Few researchers have discussed the significance of parasitic diseases that affect this wild bird and may lead to mortalities among the population especially the importance of vital organs such as kidneys. Therefore, this study aimed to spotlight parasitic infection-affected herons in Egypt and consider the risks to this beneficial bird. During this study, 23 Bubulcus ibis were captured after their death from Abou Rewash Giza Governorate, Egypt, during the period from February to September (2022). Renicola species (spp.) and Apharyngostrigea spp. are two important digenean parasites that were recovered from the kidneys, and small intestine of the heron Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) with an infection rate of (17.2%) and (11.8%) respectively. Histopathological techniques were used to assess tissue alterations while light microscopy and molecular assays were used to assess the parasites. The parasites' morphological and morphometrical characteristics, as well as polymerase chain reaction and sequencing assays (mitochondrial sections), were investigated for the first time in Egypt. These parasites were given in-depth illustrations and drawings. The distinctive qualities of the two species were discussed. As the first record from Egypt, the nucleotide sequences discovered in this work have been uploaded into the GenBank database (accession numbers: OR021986 and OQ955829). Microscopically, the renal blood vessels had vasculitis, necrosis, and other degenerative alterations. Further research analyzing the health of various heron spp. and environmental deterioration can help to close information gaps about the interactions between parasites, their hosts, and environmental health.
牛背鹭（Bubulcus ibis）是埃及最著名的鹭之一。它被称为农民的朋友，因为它有益于农民，并帮助他们消灭昆虫和蠕虫。它是许多疾病的蓄水池。很少有研究人员讨论过影响这种野生鸟类的寄生虫病的意义，这些疾病可能导致种群死亡，尤其是对肾脏等重要器官的影响。因此，本研究旨在关注埃及受寄生虫感染的鹭，并考虑到这种有益鸟类的风险。在这项研究中，2022 年 2 月至 9 月期间，从埃及吉萨省阿布罗瓦什捕获了 23 只死亡的牛背鹭。从鹭牛背鹭（Bubulcus ibis）的肾脏和小肠中回收了两种重要的复殖吸虫寄生虫，即 Renicola 种（spp.）和 Apharyngostrigea 种，感染率分别为（17.2%）和（11.8%）。使用组织学技术评估组织变化，同时使用光镜和分子检测评估寄生虫。首次在埃及研究了寄生虫的形态和形态计量学特征，以及聚合酶链反应和测序检测（线粒体片段）。对这些寄生虫进行了深入的插图和绘图。讨论了这两个物种的特征。由于这是埃及的第一个记录，本工作中发现的核苷酸序列已被上传到 GenBank 数据库（登录号：OR021986 和 OQ955829）。显微镜下，肾血管有血管炎、坏死和其他退行性改变。进一步分析各种鹭 spp. 的健康状况和环境恶化，可以帮助填补寄生虫、宿主和环境健康之间相互作用的信息空白。
