PCR-RFLP detection of Haemoproteus spp. (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) in pigeon blood samples from Iran

This study was carried out to determine Haemoproteus spp. infection in pigeons in Iran. Blood sam-ples collected from pigeons were examined for Haemoproteus spp. using stained blood smears and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). For PCR, DNA was extracted from blood samples and a fragment of 617 bp in size subjected to PCR using HAEMF and HAEMR2 derived from cytochrome b gene of the parasite mitochondrial genome. A total number of 93 blood samples from pigeons were examined for Haemoproteus spp. of which 13 (13.97%) samples were positive in stained blood smears for Haemoproteus spp. and 27 (24.73%) were positive in PCR. Digestion of PCR product with AluI re-striction endonuclease generated only one distinct pattern for all positive samples, which is indicative of identical Haemoproteus spp. presence in infected pigeons. The results also revealed that PCR had higher sensitivity in detecting Haemoproteus spp. in pigeons.