Aim

The present work aims to morphologically and molecularly characterize an Eimeria sp. recovered from an adult, captive barred owl Strix varia in Mississippi, USA. While the owl was shedding oocysts, no clinical signs of coccidiosis were observed.

Materials and Methods

Oocysts collected from a barred owl, S. varia were isolated from feces by fecal flotation and characterized by light microscopy. The oocysts were allowed to sporulate in K₂Cr₂O₇ for 7 days and measured for comparison with previously described Eimeria species. Genomic DNA was extracted from measured oocysts and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 mitochondrial gene was amplified and sequenced for comparison and phylogenetic analyses with publicly available sequence data.

Results

Oocysts collected from S. varia were morphologically and molecularly consistent with all previous accounts of Eimeria megabubonis from the great horned owl Bubo virginianus and morphologically consistent with the only account of Eimeria varia from S. varia. Phylogenetic analyses grouped the E. megabubonis sequence from the present study with previously reported sequences from E. megabubonis.

Conclusion

Morphological and molecular data from oocysts collected in this study reveal S. varia is a host for E. megabubonis. Agreement between current data, morphological and molecular data of E. megabubonis, and morphological data from the original description of E. varia indicates E. varia is a junior synonym of E. megabubonis.

中文翻译：

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Eimeria varia Upton, Campbell, Weigel & McKown, 1990 是 Eimeria megabubonis Upton, Campbell, Weigel & McKown, 1990 的初级同义词

目的

目前的工作旨在从形态学和分子学上表征艾美球虫。从美国密西西比州的一只成年圈养条纹猫头鹰Strix varia中回收。虽然猫头鹰正在排出卵囊，但没有观察到球虫病的临床症状。

材料和方法

从禁止猫头鹰收集卵囊，S.杂物从由粪便浮选粪便分离和表征通过光学显微镜。使卵囊在 K ₂ Cr ₂ O _{7 中}形成孢子7 天并进行测量以与先前描述的艾美球虫物种进行比较。从测量的卵囊中提取基因组 DNA，并对细胞色素c氧化酶亚基 1 线粒体基因进行扩增和测序，以便与公开可用的序列数据进行比较和系统发育分析。

结果

从S. varia收集的卵囊在形态和分子上与所有先前对来自大角鸮Bubo virginianus的Eimeria megabubonis的描述一致，并且在形态学上与来自S. varia的Eimeria varia的唯一描述一致。系统发育分析分组的E. megabubonis从与先前报道的序列本研究序列E. megabubonis。

结论

形态学和从在该研究中收集卵囊分子数据揭示S.杂物为主机E. megabubonis。E. megabubonis 的当前数据、形态学和分子数据与E. varia原始描述的形态学数据之间的一致性表明E. varia是E. megabubonis的初级同义词。