A total of 250 droppings of tumbler pigeons (Columba livia domestica, Columbidae) were collected individually from different breeders in Turkey, to investigate the presence and genotyping of microsporidian species by nested PCR and to reveal their zoonotic potential. In the present study, Enterocytozoon bieneusi was the only microsporidian species identified in 35 pigeons with an overall molecular prevalence of 14.0%. Only one known genotype zoonotic Peru6 was identified in all positive samples according to the sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA of E. bieneusi. This study represents the first report of E. bieneusi in pigeons in Turkey. Our study also confirms the competence of breeding pigeons as hosts for the zoonotic Peru6 genotype, corroborating its potential role as a source of human infection and environmental contamination. LAY SUMMARY Microsporidia are spore-producing fungi defined as emerging opportunistic pathogens of humans. The occurrence of microsporidia in animals could be risky for human public health. Home kept breeding pigeons pose a high risk for transmission of the microsporidians to humans.

中文翻译：

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土耳其不倒翁鸽（Columba livia domestica）中潜在的人畜共患的肠小肠比氏小肠虫的首次报道和分子患病率。

从土耳其的不同种鸽个体中分别收集了250头不倒翁鸽子（Columba livia domestica，Columbidae），以通过巢式PCR研究微孢子虫种类的存在和基因分型，并揭示了它们的人畜共患病潜力。在本研究中，Enterocytozoon bieneusi是在35羽鸽子中唯一鉴定出的小孢子虫物种，总分子患病率为14.0％。根据比氏埃希氏菌核糖体DNA内部转录间隔区的序列分析，在所有阳性样品中仅鉴定出一种已知的人畜共患疾病Peru6。这项研究代表了土耳其鸽子中比埃希氏大肠杆菌的首次报道。我们的研究还证实了育种鸽子作为人畜共患的秘鲁6基因型的宿主的能力，证实了其作为人类感染和环境污染源的潜在作用。发明内容小孢子虫是产生孢子的真菌，被定义为人类的新兴机会病原体。动物中微孢子虫的发生可能对人类公共健康具有风险。家庭饲养的种鸽将微孢子虫传播给人类的风险很高。