mansoni[23]. This PCR detection protocol can also be easily adapted to identify intermediate host(s) and perform surveillance, which is important in developing effective strategies to control the transmission of eye worms in the field. Our phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rRNA sequences indicated that O. petrowi clustered closely with Streptopharagus and Spirocerca (Figure 3). It is known that

birds are a paratenic host for Spirocerca lupi infection in their life cycle between dogs and dung beetles [24]. Dung beetles are also the Z-VAD-FMK in vitro intermediate host for Streptopharagus[25]. These observations suggest that dung beetles might be worth examining as one of the potential intermediate hosts. Indeed, the detection of O. petrowi DNA in various insects including dung beetles is currently ongoing as part of a separate project in determining the intermediate host(s) and transmission route(s), and the data will be reported upon the completion of the survey. Conclusions We have performed a small-scale genome Ixazomib nmr sequence survey (GSS), which not only rapidly generated a large number of molecular sequence data

for the first time for O. petrowi, but also provided a snapshot of the genome for the eye worm in quail. The survey also identified a large number of microsatellite sequences that may be employed in further genotyping and population genetics studies. Our phylogenetic reconstructions based on 18S rRNA sequences indicated that Spiruroidea was paraphyletic, while O. petrowi, Streptopharagus and Spirocerca formed a sister clade to the filarial nematodes. The obtained ITS sequence data

also permitted us to design specific primers for molecular detection of O. petrowi in fecal samples, which may also be adapted to detect this nematode in insect intermediate hosts for surveillance and developing strategies to control the transmission of eye worms from intermediate hosts to quail. We also determined that ~28% – 33% of the birds were O. petrowi positive, suggesting that eye worm was a significant parasite in at least some quail ranches in Texas. Acknowledgements Major funding for this research provided by Rolling Plains Quail PLEK2 Research Foundation (http://​www.​quailresearch.​org) to GZ, AMF and DR. We thank Dr. Jason M. Fritzler at the Weber State University for his critical reading of the manuscript. Electronic supplementary material Additional file 1: Table S1: List of contigs with annotations and information on top blast hits. (XLSX 122 KB) Additional file 2: Table S2: Oxyspirura petrowi microsatellite sequences identified by the GSS (all perfect matches) using Phobos. (XLSX 84 KB) References 1. Pence DB: The genus Oxyspirura (nematoda: thelaziidae) from birds in Louisiana. Proc Helminth Soc Washington 1972,39(1):23–28.