Lee Subin, Alkathiri Badriah, Lee Chang Hyeon, Lee Heon Woo, Jeong Dong-Hyuk, Kim Ju Yeong, Choe Seongjun, Lee Seung-Hun
College of Veterinary Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea.
Department of Parasitology, School of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 28644, Republic of Korea.
Sci Rep. 2025 May 15;15(1):16954. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-01774-w.
The great cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) is a migratory, fish-eating bird that may act as a carrier for various pathogens, raising potential ecological and public health concerns. This study investigated the diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in great cormorants from the Republic of Korea using 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding and conventional diagnostic methods. Fecal samples were collected from 10 great cormorants in Korea, and DNA was extracted for metabarcoding targeting the V4 and V9 regions of the 18S rRNA gene using the MiSeq platform. Conventional PCR and microscopic examination were used for validation. The V4 region of the 18S rRNA gene revealed the presence of Baruscapillaria spiculata, Contracaecum sp., and Isospora lugensae. The V9 region analysis identified the following parasites: Tetratrichomonas sp., Histomonas meleagridis, Trichomitus sp., Tetratrichomonas prowazekii, B. obsignata, Monosiga ovata, and Fasciola gigantica. Furthermore, conventional PCR confirmed the presence of Contracaecum sp., Isospora sp., and unspecified trichomonads, and microscopic examination identified eggs of capillarid, Contracaecum, and Eustrongylides and trophozoites of flagellated protozoa in the collected cormorant fecal samples. The findings underscored the potential ecological role of great cormorants as hosts for diverse gastrointestinal parasites and the utility of 18S rRNA gene metabarcoding for screening the diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in great cormorants.
普通鸬鹚（Phalacrocorax carbo）是一种食鱼候鸟，可能充当多种病原体的携带者，引发潜在的生态和公共卫生问题。本研究采用18S rRNA基因宏条形码技术和传统诊断方法，调查了韩国普通鸬鹚胃肠道寄生虫的多样性。从韩国的10只普通鸬鹚采集粪便样本，提取DNA，使用MiSeq平台针对18S rRNA基因的V4和V9区域进行宏条形码分析。采用传统PCR和显微镜检查进行验证。18S rRNA基因V4区域检测到了尖尾毛细线虫（Baruscapillaria spiculata）、对盲囊线虫属（Contracaecum sp.）和鲁氏等孢球虫（Isospora lugensae）。V9区域分析鉴定出以下寄生虫：四毛滴虫属（Tetratrichomonas sp.）、火鸡组织滴虫（Histomonas meleagridis）、滴虫属（Trichomitus sp.）、普氏四毛滴虫（Tetratrichomonas prowazekii）、隐匿毛细线虫（B. obsignata）、卵形单鞭滴虫（Monosiga ovata）和巨片形吸虫（Fasciola gigantica）。此外，传统PCR证实了对盲囊线虫属、等孢球虫属和未明确的毛滴虫的存在，显微镜检查在采集的鸬鹚粪便样本中鉴定出毛细线虫、对盲囊线虫和真珠线虫的虫卵以及鞭毛虫原生动物的滋养体。研究结果强调了普通鸬鹚作为多种胃肠道寄生虫宿主的潜在生态作用，以及18S rRNA基因宏条形码技术在筛选普通鸬鹚胃肠道寄生虫多样性方面的实用性。
