Phylogenetic analysis of pathogenic Candida spp. in domestic pigeons

The current study was conducted to survey the prevalence of pigeon candidiasis in diseased pigeons suspected to candidiasis by isolation, microscopic examination, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and to characterize Candida spp. phylogenetically. For this purpose, samples were obtained from 100 suspected pigeons from September 2018 to February 2019 in Ahvaz, Iran. Cloacal and oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from each diseased pigeon with diarrhea resistant to the antibiotics, crop stasis, white diphtheritic membrane in the mouth, regurgitation, and vomiting. Sabouraud dextrose agar was used as a culture medium. Selected colonies were stained with lactophenol cotton blue stain. In the culture and direct microscopic observation, 19.00% of birds were suspected to candidiasis. Twenty-two isolates were identified. All 22 isolates were confirmed as Candida spp. By PCR method. The PCR test confirmed the presence of Candida spp. in 19.00% of pigeons. Based on the sequencing results of some PCR products, the isolates belonged to Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. The results revealed a 99.78% accordance when compared with other sequences of C. albicans which were formerly deposited in GenBank® from Colombia, Indonesia, China, and Sudan. The results revealed a 99.54% accordance when compared with other sequences of C. glabrata which were formerly deposited in GenBank® from the Netherlands and Spain. The symptoms such as diarrhea resistant to antibiotics, crop stasis, white diphtheritic membrane in the mouth, regurgitation, and vomiting were the most prevalent clinical symptoms in positive pigeons.