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）中潜在人畜共患 Enterocytozoon bieneusi 的首次报告和分子流行率

从土耳其的不同饲养者那里分别收集了总共 250 只不倒翁鸽 (Columba livia domestica, Columbidae) 的粪便，以通过巢式 PCR 研究微孢子虫物种的存在和基因分型，并揭示它们的人畜共患病潜力。在本研究中，Enterocytozoon bieneusi 是在 35 只鸽子中发现的唯一一种微孢子虫，总体分子流行率为 14.0%。根据对 E. bieneusi 核糖体 DNA 内部转录间隔区的序列分析，在所有阳性样本中仅鉴定出一种已知基因型人畜共患病 Peru6。这项研究代表了土耳其鸽子中 E. bieneusi 的第一份报告。我们的研究还证实了将鸽子作为人畜共患病 Peru6 基因型宿主的能力，证实了其作为人类感染和环境污染源的潜在作用。总结 微孢子虫是产生孢子的真菌，被定义为人类新出现的机会性病原体。动物体内出现微孢子虫可能对人类公共健康构成威胁。家养种鸽将微孢子虫传播给人类的风险很高。