Migratory birds have higher prevalence and richness of avian haemosporidian parasites than residents

Determining the prevalence and local transmission dynamics of parasitic organisms are necessary to understand the ability of parasites to persist in host populations and disperse across regions, yet local transmission dynamics, diversity, and distribution of haemosporidian parasites remain poorly understood. We studied the prevalence, diversity, and distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon among resident and migratory birds in Serra do Mar, Brazil. Using 399 blood samples from 66 Atlantic Forest bird species, we determined the prevalence and molecular diversity of these pathogens across avian host species and described a new species of Haemoproteus. Our molecular and morphological study also revealed that migratory species were infected more than residents. However, vector infective stages (gametocytes) of Leucocytozoon spp., the most prevalent parasites found in the most abundant migrating host species in Serra do Mar (Elaenia albiceps), were not seen in blood films of local birds suggesting that this long-distance Austral migrant can disperse Leucocytozoon parasite lineages from Patagonia to the Atlantic Forest, but lineage sharing among resident species and local transmission cannot occur in this part of Brazil. Our study demonstrates that migratory species may harbor a higher diversity and prevalence of parasites than resident species, but transportation of some parasites by migratory hosts may not always affect local transmission.

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Goudplevieren en Wilsterflappers: Eeuwenoude Fascinatie voor Trekvogels [Golden Plovers and Wilsternetters: A Century-old Fascination for Migratory Birds]

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/124.2.728 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 124 (2) ◽

pp. 728-729

Author(s):

Kim van der Linde

Keyword(s):

Migratory Birds ◽

Subjective Assessments ◽

Official Policy ◽

The Individual

Abstract The following critiques express the opinions of the individual evaluators regarding the strengths, weaknesses, and value of the books they review. As such, the appraisals are subjective assessments and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or any official policy of the American Ornithologists' Union.

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Protogyny in Autumn Migration: Do Male Birds ”Play Chicken”?

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/122.1.71 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 122 (1) ◽

pp. 71-81 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Alexander M. Mills

Keyword(s):

Migratory Birds ◽

Indirect Selection ◽

Male Competition ◽

Autumn Migration ◽

Direct Selection ◽

Differential Migration ◽

The North ◽

Parsimonious Explanation ◽

Ground Conditions ◽

Wintering Ground

AbstractProtandry, the earlier arrival of males than of females on breeding areas, occurs in many taxa, including many migratory birds. Numerous hypotheses have been generated to explain protandry. Using bird-banding records, I show that protogyny, the earlier migration of females, frequently occurs in the autumn, though it is less universal and less dramatic than spring protandry. In one species, it occurs in both hatch-year and adult birds. When (1) spring and autumn, (2) departures and arrivals, and (3) breeding and wintering ground conditions are considered, hypotheses generated only to explain spring protandry can be more thoroughly evaluated. Using that approach, the most parsimonious explanation of differential migration between the sexes explains earlier male arrival in spring and later male departure in autumn through either (1) indirect selection operating on intrasexual male competition for territories or (2) direct selection operating on intersexual relations requiring males to be present on breeding territories when females are present. In autumn-protogynous species, males may ”play chicken,” balancing the benefits of remaining longer than females and protecting territories for subsequent years against the costs of remaining in the north under deteriorating conditions and delaying the acquisition of a good winter territory.Protogynie et migration automnale: Est-ce que les mâles ”jouent les dégonflés”?

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Diversity and host assemblage of avian haemosporidians in different terrestrial ecoregions of Peru

Current Zoology ◽

10.1093/cz/zoab030 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Luz Garcia-Longoria ◽

Jaime Muriel ◽

Sergio Magallanes ◽

Zaira Hellen Villa-Galarce ◽

Leonila Ricopa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Amazon Basin ◽

Evolutionary Dynamics ◽

Bird Species ◽

Host Community ◽

Bird Diversity ◽

New Host ◽

Parasite Richness ◽

Haemosporidian Parasites ◽

Avian Haemosporidians ◽

Host Parasite

Abstract Characterizing the diversity and structure of host-parasite communities is crucial to understanding their eco-evolutionary dynamics. Malaria and related haemosporidian parasites are responsible for fitness loss and mortality in bird species worldwide. However, despite exhibiting the greatest ornithological biodiversity, avian haemosporidians from Neotropical regions are quite unexplored. Here, we analyse the genetic diversity of bird haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in 1,336 individuals belonging to 206 bird species to explore for differences in diversity of parasite lineages and bird species across five well-differentiated Peruvian ecoregions. We detected 70 different haemosporidian lineages infecting 74 bird species. We showed that 25 out of the 70 haplotypes had not been previously recorded. Moreover, we also identified 81 new host – parasite interactions representing new host records for these haemosporidian parasites. Our outcomes revealed that the effective diversity (as well as the richness, abundance, and Shannon-Weaver index) for both birds and parasite lineages was higher in Amazon basin ecoregions. Furthermore, we also showed that ecoregions with greater diversity of bird species also had high parasite richness, hence suggesting that host community is crucial in explaining parasite richness. Generalist parasites were found in ecoregions with lower bird diversity, implying that the abundance and richness of hosts may shape the exploitation strategy followed by haemosporidian parasites. These outcomes reveal that Neotropical region is a major reservoir of unidentified haemosporidian lineages. Further studies analysing host distribution and specificity of these parasites in the tropics will provide important knowledge about phylogenetic relationships, phylogeography, and patterns of evolution and distribution of haemosporidian parasites.

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Strong differences in migratory connectivity patterns among species of Neotropical‐Nearctic migratory birds revealed by combining stable isotopes and abundance in a Bayesian assignment analysis

Journal of Biogeography ◽

10.1111/jbi.14111 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Colin E. Studds ◽

Joseph M. Wunderle ◽

Peter P. Marra

Keyword(s):

Stable Isotopes ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Migratory Connectivity ◽

Connectivity Patterns ◽

Assignment Analysis ◽

Bayesian Assignment

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Atlas of ticks (Acari: Argasidae, Ixodidae) in Germany

Experimental and Applied Acarology ◽

10.1007/s10493-021-00619-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Franz Rubel ◽

Katharina Brugger ◽

Lidia Chitimia-Dobler ◽

Hans Dautel ◽

Elisabeth Meyer-Kayser ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tick Species ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Dermacentor Reticulatus ◽

Ixodid Ticks ◽

Federal States ◽

Ixodes Frontalis ◽

Argas Reflexus ◽

The One ◽

Argasid Tick ◽

First Time

AbstractAn updated and increased compilation of georeferenced tick locations in Germany is presented here. This data collection extends the dataset published some years ago by another 1448 new tick locations, 900 locations of which were digitized from literature and 548 locations are published here for the first time. This means that a total of 3492 georeferenced tick locations is now available for Germany. The tick fauna of Germany includes two species of Argasidae in the genera Argas and Carios and 19 species of Ixodidae in the genera Dermacentor, Haemaphysalis, and Ixodes, altogether 21 tick species. In addition, three species of Ixodidae in the genera Hyalomma (each spring imported by migratory birds) and Rhipicephalus (occasionally imported by dogs returning from abroad with their owners) are included in the tick atlas. Of these, the georeferenced locations of 23 tick species are depicted in maps. The occurrence of the one remaining tick species, the recently described Ixodes inopinatus, is given at the level of the federal states. The most common and widespread tick species is Ixodes ricinus, with records in all 16 federal states. With the exception of Hamburg, Dermacentor reticulatus was also found in all federal states. The occurrence of the ixodid ticks Ixodes canisuga, Ixodes frontalis, Ixodes hexagonus and I. inopinatus were documented in at least 11 federal states each. The two mentioned argasid tick species were also documented in numerous federal states, the pigeon tick Argas reflexus in 11 and the bat tick Carios vespertilionis in seven federal states. The atlas of ticks in Germany and the underlying digital dataset in the supplement can be used to improve global tick maps or to study the effects of climate change and habitat alteration on the distribution of tick species.

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Prevalence and genetic diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites in wild bird species of the order Columbiformes

Parasitology Research ◽

10.1007/s00436-021-07053-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yvonne R. Schumm ◽

Dimitris Bakaloudis ◽

Christos Barboutis ◽

Jacopo G. Cecere ◽

Cyril Eraud ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Species ◽

Large Scale ◽

Phylogenetic Reconstruction ◽

Bird Species ◽

Avian Species ◽

Blood Parasites ◽

Migration Strategy ◽

Haemosporidian Parasites ◽

Multiplex Pcr Assay ◽

And Migration

AbstractDiseases can play a role in species decline. Among them, haemosporidian parasites, vector-transmitted protozoan parasites, are known to constitute a risk for different avian species. However, the magnitude of haemosporidian infection in wild columbiform birds, including strongly decreasing European turtle doves, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon and subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus in six species of the order Columbiformes during breeding season and migration by applying nested PCR, one-step multiplex PCR assay and microscopy. We detected infections in 109 of the 259 screened individuals (42%), including 15 distinct haemosporidian mitochondrial cytochrome b lineages, representing five H. (Haemoproteus), two H. (Parahaemoproteus), five Leucocytozoon and three Plasmodium lineages. Five of these lineages have never been described before. We discriminated between single and mixed infections and determined host species-specific prevalence for each parasite genus. Observed differences among sampled host species are discussed with reference to behavioural characteristics, including nesting and migration strategy. Our results support previous suggestions that migratory birds have a higher prevalence and diversity of blood parasites than resident or short-distance migratory species. A phylogenetic reconstruction provided evidence for H. (Haemoproteus) as well as H. (Parahaemoproteus) infections in columbiform birds. Based on microscopic examination, we quantified parasitemia, indicating the probability of negative effects on the host. This study provides a large-scale baseline description of haemosporidian infections of wild birds belonging to the order Columbiformes sampled in the northern hemisphere. The results enable the monitoring of future changes in parasite transmission areas, distribution and diversity associated with global change, posing a potential risk for declining avian species as the European turtle dove.

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One health pathogen surveillance demonstrated the dissemination of gut pathogens within the two coastal regions associated with intensive farming

Gut Pathogens ◽

10.1186/s13099-021-00442-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Qingyao Wang ◽

Yixiang Zhang ◽

Qian Yang ◽

Songzhe Fu ◽

Baocheng Qu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Community Composition ◽

Foodborne Pathogens ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Bacterial Community Composition ◽

Hypervariable Region ◽

Shrimp Farming ◽

Clinical Strain ◽

Coastal Regions ◽

Aquatic Animals ◽

Gut Pathogens

Abstract Background Intensive aquaculture farming has caused significant degradation of coastal wetlands and has been proposed as a reservoir for pathogenic Vibrio spp. Results Gut pathogens including Vibrio spp., Salmonella spp., and Klebsiella spp. were isolated from bird feces, shrimp and wetland water in two typical coastal regions of China in 2015 and 2017 and were subsequently subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Meanwhile, local patient isolates were also selected to confirm the epidemiological links. Bacterial community composition analyses of the sediments that were sampled in 2015 and 2017 were conducted by the hypervariable region 4 of the 16S rRNA gene. Together with the local clinical isolates, we observed highly related Vibrio isolates from waterbirds, wetlands and shrimp. Phylogenetic genome comparisons also demonstrated that sequence types ST3 and ST2414 Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolates obtained from aquatic animals were clonally related to patient isolates. Likewise, three Salmonella typhimurium isolates were also genomically related to one clinical strain. The results showed that farming activities significantly altered the community composition and resulted in the emergence of several pathogens, including Acinetobacter, Mycobacterium and Legionella. Conclusions In conclusion, our results demonstrated that intensive shrimp farming in wetlands has two devastating impacts: pathogen dissemination from aquatic animals into migratory birds and transmission of foodborne pathogens into local communities.

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