1
|
Roldán-Zurabián F, José Ruiz-López M, de la Puente JM, Figuerola J, Drummond H, Ancona S. Apparent absence of avian malaria and malaria-like parasites in northern blue-footed boobies breeding on Isla Isabel. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6892. [PMID: 35477963 PMCID: PMC9046203 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11075-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Haemosporidian parasites are common in birds but are seldom reported in seabirds. The absence of vectors or genetic resistance to infection have been proposed to explain this pattern. However, screening of blood parasites in many seabirds has been done only by visual inspection of blood smears, which can miss low-intensity infections, and molecular detection of blood parasites must be supported by detection in blood smears to confirm the presence of haemosporidians and avoid false positive cases. Here, we tested for the presence of blood parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, combining inspection of blood smears and PCR-based detection methods in a highly philopatric colony of blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) in the Tropical North Pacific. Our results indicate that adults in this colony are likely free of these blood parasites, probably due to unsuitable conditions for insect vectors in booby breeding sites, although potential genetic resistance of blue-footed boobies to infection deserves examination. Apparent absence of blood parasites in Isla Isabel boobies indirectly adds to the growing evidence of variation in parasite infections among avian host species that coexist locally.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federico Roldán-Zurabián
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.,Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Mexico City, 09230, Mexico
| | - María José Ruiz-López
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Josué Martínez de la Puente
- Universidad de Granada, 18071, Granada, Spain.,Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), 41092, Sevilla, Spain.,Ciber de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
| | - Sergio Ancona
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Rosyadi I, Salasia SIO, Argamjav B, Sato H. Impact of Subclinical Haemoproteus columbae Infection on Farmed Domestic Pigeons from Central Java (Yogyakarta), Indonesia, with Special Reference to Changes in the Hemogram. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10040440. [PMID: 33917259 PMCID: PMC8067996 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10040440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Pigeon haemoproteosis caused by Haemoproteus columbae (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) is globally prevalent in rock doves (Columba livia), although little is known regarding this disease in pigeons and doves in Indonesia. Blood samples of 35 farmed domestic pigeons (C. livia f. domestica) from four localities in Yogyakarta Special Region, Central Java, Indonesia, were collected from March to June, 2016, subjected to a hemogram, and analyzed for the presence of hemoprotozoan infections. Microscopic examination of blood smears revealed a prevalence of 62.5–100% of H. columbae at the four localities (n = 8–10 for each locality), and geometric means of 3.0–5.6% of erythrocytes were parasitized by young and mature gametocytes, suggesting that all infected pigeons were in the chronic phase of infection with repeated recurrences and/or reinfections. Nucleotide sequencing of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cytb) for haemosporidian species demonstrated the distribution of four major cytb lineages of H. columbae (mainly HAECOL1, accompanied by COLIV03, COQUI05, and CXNEA02 according to the MalAvi database). Hemogram analysis, involving the estimation of packed cell volume, erythrocyte counts, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, and plasma protein and fibrinogen levels of 20 parasitized pigeons and five non-infected pigeons demonstrated significant macrocytic hypochromic anemia with hypoproteinemia and hyperfibrinogenemia in the infected pigeons. This study shows the profound impact of long-lasting subclinical pigeon haemoproteosis caused by H. columbae on the health of farmed domestic pigeons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Imron Rosyadi
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan; (I.R.); (B.A.)
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia;
| | - Siti Isrina Oktavia Salasia
- Department of Clinical Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Bulaksumur, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia;
| | - Bayanzul Argamjav
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan; (I.R.); (B.A.)
| | - Hiroshi Sato
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Joint Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi 753-8511, Japan; (I.R.); (B.A.)
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nebel C, Harl J, Pajot A, Weissenböck H, Amar A, Sumasgutner P. High prevalence and genetic diversity of Haemoproteus columbae (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) in feral pigeons Columba livia in Cape Town, South Africa. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:447-463. [PMID: 31883048 PMCID: PMC6985069 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06558-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we explore blood parasite prevalence, infection intensity, and co-infection levels in an urban population of feral pigeons Columba livia in Cape Town. We analyze the effect of blood parasites on host body condition and the association between melanin expression in the host's plumage and parasite infection intensity and co-infection levels. Relating to the haemosporidian parasite itself, we study their genetic diversity by means of DNA barcoding (cytochrome b) and show the geographic and host distribution of related parasite lineages in pigeons worldwide. Blood from 195 C. livia individuals was collected from April to June 2018. Morphometric measurements and plumage melanism were recorded from every captured bird. Haemosporidian prevalence and infection intensity were determined by screening blood smears and parasite lineages by DNA sequencing. Prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. was high at 96.9%. The body condition of the hosts was negatively associated with infection intensity. However, infection intensity was unrelated to plumage melanism. The cytochrome b sequences revealed the presence of four Haemoproteus lineages in our population of pigeons, which show high levels of co-occurrence within individual birds. Three lineages (HAECOL1, COLIV03, COQUI05) belong to Haemoproteus columbae and differ only by 0.1% to 0.8% in the cytochrome b gene. Another lineage (COLIV06) differs by 8.3% from the latter ones and is not linked to a morphospecies, yet. No parasites of the genera Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium were detected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Nebel
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Josef Harl
- Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adrien Pajot
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Bordeaux Sciences Agro, 1 Cours du Général de Gaulle, Gradignan, France
| | | | - Arjun Amar
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Petra Sumasgutner
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pedro R, Claudio N, Elena C, Claudio V. Low occurrence of hemosporidian parasites in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) in Chile. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:325-333. [PMID: 30448937 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Hemosporidian parasites rarely infect aquatic birds. Few studies have been conducted in South America identifying some lineages of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus, but none has been done in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus). This species is widely distributed through the American continent, from Southern USA to Tierra del Fuego, using a wide range of aquatic habitats. We molecularly studied the occurrence and diversity of hemosporidian lineages infecting individuals of Neotropic cormorant across a broad latitudinal gradient in Chile (Arica to Tierra del Fuego). As expected, a very low occurrence of individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. (4/123, 3.3%) and Leucocytozoon sp. (2/123, 1.6%) was detected. We found no evidence of Haemoproteus sp. We identified one lineage of Plasmodium (ZEMAC01) and one new lineage of Leucocytozoon (PHABRA01) infecting cormorants. Individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. were birds from only one site (i.e., Chillán), whereas Leucocytozoon sp. was found in one bird from Valdivia and another one from Tierra del Fuego. Our results expand the known range of hemosporidian parasite lineages in aquatic birds providing an essential baseline data that contribute to a better understanding of the geographic range of hemosporidian parasites infecting Phalacrocoracidae in South America.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigues Pedro
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Navarrete Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Campos Elena
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Verdugo Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. .,Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Helminth community and host dynamics in northern bobwhites from the Rolling Plains Ecoregion, U.S.A. J Helminthol 2018; 93:567-573. [PMID: 29957166 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x18000494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
One hundred and sixty-one northern bobwhites (Colinus virginianus; hereafter 'bobwhite') were examined from the Rolling Plains ecoregion of Texas and western Oklahoma from 2011 to 2013. Complete necropsies yielded 13 species, of which two are new host (Gongylonema phasianella) and region (Eucoleus contortus) records and three (Dispharynx nasuta, Tetrameres pattersoni and Oxyspirura petrowi) are known to cause morbidity and mortality. Of the species found, Aulonocephalus pennula commonly occurred, Oxyspirura petrowi was intermediate in prevalence, and the remaining species were rare. Species richness was similar compared to studies from the southeastern U.S., but higher than studies from the same region. In addition, 12 of the 13 species were heteroxenous helminths, supporting the theory that heteroxenous helminths in semi-arid regions are more successful than monoxenous helminths. Prevalence and abundance of A. pennula and O. petrowi were higher in adult bobwhites than in juveniles. Abundance of A. pennula and O. petrowi was higher at southern locations compared to northern locations in the study area. Our study is the first to provide a current assessment of the bobwhite helminth community across the Rolling Plains ecoregion of the U.S.
Collapse
|