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Morphological and Molecular Identification of Some Intestinal Helminths Infesting the Domestic Pigeon (Columba livia domestica) at Ismailia, Egypt

The study identified helminths infecting the domestic pigeon, Columba livia domestica using conven-tional methods (Light and Environmental scanning electron microscopes) as well as the newly introduced molecular biology methods. 120 pigeons were purchased from Ismailia, Egypt during the period from December, 2015 to November, 2016. Light and Environmental scanning electron microscopes were used to study the general morphology and the surface features of the recovered parasites. The identification of the recovered helminths was confirmed using molecular biology techniques. Four helminths were recorded; one nematode (Ascaridia columbae) and three cestodes (Cotugnia polyacantha, Raillietina beveridgei and Raillietina echinobothrida). The total helminths prevalence was 58.3%. Parasites DNA sequence data was used in Blast test, in order to confirm the identities of recovered cestodes. The phylogenetic tree of C. polyacantha picked only one sequence belong to Cotugnia sp. from India, in turn, this may be the first time for C. polyacantha 18S rRNA to be submitted to GenBank from Egypt. Also, PCR reaction positively identified our nematode as A. columbae. Therefore, it is recommended to use molecular technique in helminths identification as the main methodology for correct identification especially in closely related species.