First report of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in peafowls in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

Tian, Yi-Ming; Dai, Fei-Yan; Huang, Si-Yang; Deng, Zu-Hong; Duan, Gang; Zhou, Dong-Hui; Yang, Jian-Fa; Weng, Ya-Biao; Zhu, Xing-Quan; Zou, Feng-Cai

The peafowls (Pavo) include two Asiatic species of flying birds in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family Phasianidae, best known for the male's extravagant display feathers. The blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus) is widely distributed naturally in the tropical forests of Southeast Asia, but the green peafowl (P. muticus) is only naturally distributed in Yunnan Province and Tibetan areas in China. Due to hunting and a reduction in extent and quality of habitat, the green peafowl is considered endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species [19] , and is listed as Category I in the list of Key Protected Wildlife in China. In addition to its ornamental value, blue peafowl is a rare breeding bird domesticated for meat in some areas of China. Recent studies have identified a number of pathogens (such as avian influenza, avian pox) of potential conservation concern for this species [20] [21] [22] , but such information still remains relatively limited.