Eimeria spp. (Eimeriidae) in the migratory whooper swan (Cygnus cygnus) Linnaeus, 1758 (Anatidae) from Sanmenxia Swan Lake National Urban Wetland Park in the middle reaches of the Yellow River in China.

ABSTRACT

This study i dentifies four Eimeria spp. recorded from fecal samples of migratory whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) in Sanmenxia Swan Lake National Urban Wetland Park in Sanmenxia city in the middle reaches of the Yellow River, China. Eimeria hermani, Eimeria nocens, Eimeria stigmosa, and Eimeria magnalabia were compatible in all characteristic features with their respective original descriptions. In addition to the preliminary morphological identification, this study provides a preliminary genotypic identification of these four Eimeria spp. via sequencing of the 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, and COI gene loci that are suitable for the genotypic differentiation of these coccidia. This is the first report of molecular data for the four Eimeria spp. in migratory whooper swans. Finally, this study discusses the environmental risks of these coccidia for migratory whooper swans in Sanmenxia Swan Lake National Urban Wetland Park.