Environmental Influences on Eukaryotic Microbiota and Potential Pathogen Prevalence in Domestic Pigeons of Seoul

Feral pigeons are a prevalent urban species in South Korea, and their presence in densely populated areas like Seoul raises significant public health concerns. Their scavenging behavior and droppings contribute to the spread of zoonotic diseases and environmental pollution. Studies have shown that due to their high numbers and proximity to humans, pigeons pose significant public health risks as they carry over a hundred pathogens. In 2009, the Ministry of Environment classified pigeons as harmful wild animals due to these issues. However, research on the eukaryotic microbiota associated with pigeons in South Korea is limited, especially regarding the impact of urbanization on pathogen prevalence. Seoul, being the most densely populated city among OECD countries, amplifies the risk of zoonotic disease transmission. This study aimed to address this research gap by comparing the eukaryotic microbiota of pigeons in Seoul with those in surrounding cities and assessing how urban environmental factors influence pathogen prevalence.Urban environments are known to affect the ecology of parasites and their hosts through factors such as habitat fragmentation, resource availability, and human activity. However, the specific effects of urbanization on pigeon parasites in Seoul remain underexplored. To address this gap, our research investigated the eukaryotic microbiota of urban pigeons and the prevalence of potential pathogens. Based on our previous research, we hypothesized that environmental factors, including location and the presence of homeless individuals, significantly influence parasite communities in pigeons in Seoul. To assess this, we employed metabarcoding, a powerful technique for analyzing microbial diversity in environmental samples. Additionally, we extended our research to investigate the complex relationships among key environmental factors such as housing density, proximity to water, and park accessibility that are known to influence parasite prevalence. This approach integrates amplicon sequencing with detailed environmental data analysis, providing a comprehensive understanding of the eukaryotic microbiota in urban pigeons and how urbanization influences pathogen prevalence. Our study is the first to explore these associations in this context, providing valuable information on how urbanization impacts pigeon health and public health risk.