The phylogenetics of Leucocytozoon caulleryi infecting broiler chickens in endemic areas in Indonesia

AIM: The objective of this research was to determine the species and strains of Leucocytozoon caulleryi and study the phylogenetics of L. caulleryi of broiler chickens in endemic areas in Indonesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood samples were collected from broiler chickens originated from endemic area in Indonesia, i.e., Pasuruan, Lamongan, Blitar, Lumajang, Boyolali, Purwokerto, and Banjarmasin in 2017. Collected blood was used for microscopic examination, sequencing using BLAST method to identify the nucleotide structure of cytochrome b (cyt b) gene that determines the species, and the phylogenetics analysis of L. caulleryi that infected broiler chickens in endemic areas in Indonesia, using Mega 5 software. RESULTS: The results showed that Plasmodium sp. and L. caulleryi were infected broiler chickens in endemic areas in Indonesia. L. caulleryi in one area had very close phylogenetic relations with those in other areas. The genetic distance between L. caulleryi taxa from various endemic areas is very close (<5%). CONCLUSION: There is a very close phylogenetics among strains of L. caulleryi that infected broiler chickens in various endemic areas in Indonesia.