Morphological and genetic characterization of Contracaecum and Porrocaecum species from the wild birds in Turkey.

The superfamily Ascaridoidea are parasitic nematodes in vertebrates, including birds and humans. In order to investigate the presence and distribution of these parasitic nematodes in birds acting as the definitive host, 157 birds of 64 bird species belonging to 16 orders were collected and necropsied in the Kızılırmak Delta area in the Bafra district of Samsun province. The parasites collected were fixed in 70% ethyl alcohol and identified under a light microscope, and morphologically important regions were photographed for identification. The parasitological examination determined morphologically that Ardea purpurea was infected with Contracaecum rudolphii; Accipiter nisus, Buteo buteo, and B. rufinus with Porrocaecum angusticolle; Aythya ferina with P. crassum; Egretta garzetta with P. depressum; and Turdus merula with P. ensicaudatum. ITS-1 gene region was preferred for molecular analyses of all identified species, and morphological findings were confirmed. C. rudolphii, P. depressum, and P. ensicaudatum were described molecularly for the first time in Turkey, while P. angusticolle and P. crassum were described both molecularly and morphologically.