DISEASES / PARASITES / CONDITIONS
2003
Analysis of field and laboratory data to derive selenium toxicity thresholds for birds. Adams, W.J.; Brix, K.V.; Edwards, M.; Tear, L.M.; DeForest, D.K.; Fairbrother, A. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Sept. 2003, p. 2020-2029. ISSN: 0730-7268.
NAL call no: QH545.A1E58
Descriptors: selenium toxicity, birds, chronic egg thresholds, laboratory mallard ducks, wild black-necked stilts.
Abstract: In this paper, we critically evaluate the statistical approaches and datasets previously used to derive chronic egg selenium thresholds for mallard ducks (laboratory data) and black-necked stilts (field data). These effect concentration thresholds of 3%, 10% (EC10), or 20% have been used by regulatory agencies to set avian protection criteria and site remediation goals, thus the need for careful assessment of the data. The present review indicates that the stilt dataset used to establish a frequently cited chronic avian egg selenium threshold of 6 mg/kg dry weight lacks statistical robustness (r2=0.19-0.28) based on generalized linear models), suggesting that stilt embryo sensitivity to selenium is highly variable or that factors other than selenium are principally responsible for the increase in effects observed at the lower range of this dataset. Hockey stick regressions used with the stilt field dataset improve the statistical relationship (r2=0.90-0.97) but result in considerably higher egg selenium thresholds (EC10=21-31 mg/kg dry wt). Laboratory-derived (for mallards) and field derived (for stilts) teratogenicity EC10 values are quite similar (16-24 mg/kg dry wt). Laboratory data regarding mallard egg inviability and duckling mortality data provide the most sensitive and statistically robust chronic mean egg selenium EC10 values of 12 to 15 mg/kg dry weight (r2=0.75-0.90).
Avian cryptococcosis. Malik, R.; Krockenberger, M.B.; Cross, G.; Doneley, R.; Madill, D.N.; Black, D.; McWhirter, P.; Rozenwax, A.; Rose, K.; Alley, M.; Forshaw, D.; Russell-Brown, I.; Johnstone, A.C.; Martin, P.; O’Brian, C.R.; Love, D.N. Medical Mycology, Apr. 2003, v. 41 (2), p. 115-124. ISSN: 1369-3786.
NAL call no: RC117.A1J68
Descriptors: Cryptococcosus, avian, birds, Australia, captive parrots, pigeon, kiwis, respiratory system.
Abstract: Clinical and laboratory findings in 15 unreported cases of avian cryptococcosis from Australia were collected and contrasted with 11 cases recorded in the literature. Cryptococcosus species produced localized invasive disease of the upper respiratory tract of captive parrots living in Australia. This resulted in signs referable to mycotic rhinitis or to involvement of structures contiguous with the nasal cavity, such as the beak, sinuses, choana, retrobulbar space and palate. Parrots of widely differing ages were affected and of the seven birds for which sex was determinable, six were male. Cryptococcosus bacillisporus (formerly C. neoformans var. gatti) accounted for four of five infections in which the species or variety was determinable, suggesting that exposure to eucalyptus material may be a predisposing factor. In these cases, Cryptococcus appeared to behave as a primary pathogen of immunocompetent hosts. One tissue specimen was available from an Australian racing pigeon with minimally invasive subcutaneous disease; immunohistology demonstrated a C. neoformans var. grubii (formerly C. neoformans var. neoformans serotype A) infection, presumably subsequent to traumatic inoculation of yeast cells into the subcutis. Two similar cases had been reported previously in pigeons domiciled in America. Data for parrots, one pigeon and other birds studied principally in America and Europe (and likely infected with C. neoformans) suggested a different pattern of disease, more suggestive of opportunistic infection of immunodeficient hosts. In this cohort of patients, the organism was not restricted to cool superficial sites such as the upper respiratory tract or subcutis. Instead, infections typically penetrated the lower respiratory tract or disseminated widely to a variety of internal organs. Finally, three captive North Island brown kiwis, one residing in Australia, the other two in New Zealand, died as a result of sever diffuse cryptococcal pneumonia (two cases) or widely disseminated disease (one case). C. bacillisporus strains were isolated from all three cases, as reported previously for another kiwi with disseminated disease in New Zealand.
Comparison of methods to detect Pasteurella multocida in carrier waterfowl. Samuel, M.D.; Shadduck, D.J.; Goldberg, D.R.; Johnson, W.P. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 2003, v. 39 (1), p. 125-135. ref. ISSN: 0090-3558.
NAL call no: 41.9 W64B
Descriptors: waterfowl, Pasteurella, carrier, detection, mallard ducks, Anas platyrhynchos.
Abstract: We conducted laboratory challenge trials using mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) to compare methods for detecting carriers of Pasteurella multocida, the bacterium that causes avian cholera, in wild birds. Birds that survived the initial infection were euthanized at 2-to 4-week intervals up to 14 weeks post-challenge. Isolates of Pasteurella multocida were obtained at necropsy from 23% of the birds that survived initial infection. We found that swab samples (oral, cloacal, nasal, eye, and leg joint) were most effective for detecting carrier birds up to 14 weeks postinfection. No detectable differences in isolation were observed for samples stored in either 10% dimethyl sulfoxide or brain heart infusion broth. The frequency of detecting carriers in our challenge trials appeared to be related to mortality rates observed during the trial, but was not related to a number of other factors including time after challenge, time delays in collecting tissues postmortem, and route of infection. In our trials, there was little association between antibody levels and carrier status. We concluded that swab samples collected from recently dead birds, stored in liquid nitrogen, and processed using selective broth provide a feasible field method for detecting P. multocida carriers in wild waterfowl.
Detection of West Nile Virus infection in birds in the United States by blocking ELISA and immunohistochemistry. Jozan, M.; Evans, R.; McLean, R.; Tangredi, B.; Reed, L.; Scott, J. Vector Borne and Zoonotic Diseases, Fall 2003, v. 3 (3), p. 99-110. ISSN: 1530-3667.
NAL call no: RA639.5.V43
Descriptors: West Nile Virus, detection from sera, ELISA, immunohistochemistry, sentinel chickens, wild birds, New Jersey, New York.
Abstract: A blocking ELISA targeting an immunodominant West Nile epitope on the West Nile Virus NSI protein was assessed for the detection of West Nile-specific antibodies in blood samples collected from 584 sentinel chickens and 238 wild birds collected in New Jersey from May-December 2000. Ten mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) experimentally infected with West Nile virus and six uninfected controls were also tested. The ELISA proved specific in detecting WNV antibodies in 9/10 chickens and 4/4 wild birds previously confirmed as positive by Plaque Reduction Neutralization test (PRNT) at the Center for Disease Control, Division of Vector Borne Diseases, fort Collins, CO, USA. Nine out of the ten experimentally infected mallard ducks also tested positive for WN antibodies in the blocking ELISA, while 6/6 uninfected controls did not. Additionally, 1705 wild birds, collected in New Jersey from December 2000-November 2001 and Long Island, New York between November 1999 and August 2001 were also tested for WN antibodies by the blocking ELISA. These tests identified 30 positive specimens, 12 of which had formalin-fixed tissues available to allow detection of WN specific viral antigen in various tissues by WN -specific immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that rapid and specific detection of antibodies to WN virus in sera from a range of avian species by blocking ELISA is an effective strategy for WN Virus surveillance in avian hosts. In combination with detection of WN-specific antigens in tissues by immunohistochemistry (IHC) the blocking ELISA will also be useful for confirming WN infection in diseased birds.
Feather mites (Acari: Astigmata): Ecology, behavior, and evolution. Proctor, H.C. Annual Review of Entomology, 2003, v. 48, p. 185-209. ISSN: 0066-4170. ref.
NAL call no: 421 An72
Descriptors: feather mites, adaptation, host-parasite relationships, bird parasite.
International standards for the control of avian influenza. Pearson, J.E. Avian Diseases, 2003, v. 47 (3 Suppl), p. 972-975. ISSN: 0005-2086.
NAL call no: 41.8 AV5
Descriptors: avian influenza, international standards, control, Office International des Epizooties, reporting procedures.
Abstract: The Office International des Epizooties (OIE) has developed international standards to reduce the risk of the spread of high-pathogenicity avian influenza through international trade. These standards include providing a definition of high-pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI), procedures for prompt reporting of HPAI outbreaks, requirements that must be met for a country or zone to be defined as free of HPAI, requirements that should be met to import live birds and avian products to reduce the risk of spread of HPAI through trade. The goal of these standards is to facilitate trade while minimizing the risk of the introduction of HPAI.
Pathogenicity of a ratite-origin influenza A H5 virus in ostriches (Struthio camelus). Clavijo, A.; Riva, J.; Pasick, J. Avian Diseases, 2003, v. 47 (3 Suppl), p. 1203-1207. ISSN: 0005-2806.
NAL call no: 41.8 AV5
Descriptors: influenza virus, ostrich, pathogenicity, avian influenza, pathogenic isolate.
Abstract: Ostriches were inoculated with a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus of ratite origin, A/emu/Texas/39924/93 (H5N2) done clB. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pathogenicity of this isolate for ostriches and to assess the ability of routine virologic and serologic tests to detect infection. Avian influenza virus (AIV) was isolated from tracheal swabs from 2 to 12 days postinfection and from cloacal swabs from 3 to 10 days postinfection. AIV was also isolated from a wide range of tissues. Birds seroconverted as early as 7 days postinfection. This study indicates that HPAI virus of ratite origin replicates extensively in infected ostriches without causing significant clinical disease of mortality.
2002
Avian diseases at the Salton Sea. Friend, Milton. Hydrobiologia, 2002, Apr. 1, 2002, v. 473, p. 293-306. ISSN: 0018-8158. www.kluweronline.com/issn/0018-8158
NAL call no: 410 H992
Descriptors: Aves, diseases and disorders, avian botulism, avian cholera, Salmonella, Newcastle disease, cattle egrets Bubulcus ibis, eared grebes, Podiceps nigricollis, pelicans, Pelecanus occidentali, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos, Mullet Island cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, literature review, Salton Sea.
Abstract: A review of existing records and the scientific literature was conducted for occurrences of avian diseases affecting free-ranging avifauna within the Salton Sea ecosystem. The period for evaluation was 1907 through 1999. Records of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Biological Survey and the scientific literature were the data sources for the period or 1907-1939. The narrative reports of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Sonny Bono National Wildlife refuge Complex and the epizootic database of the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center were the primary data sources for the remainder of the evaluation. The pattern of avian diseases at the Salton Sea has changed greatly over time. Relative to past decades, there was a greater frequency of major outbreaks of avian disease at the Salton Sea during the 1990s than in previous decades, a greater variety of disease agents causing epizootics, and apparent chronic increases in the attrition of birds from disease. Avian mortality was high for about a decade beginning during the mid-1920s, diminished substantially by the 1940s and was at low to moderate levels until the 1990s when it reached the highest levels reported. Avian botulism (Clostridium botulinum type C) was the only major cause of avian disease until 1979 when the first major epizootic of avian cholera (Pasteurella multocidia) was documented. Waterfowl and shorebirds were the primary species affected by avian botulism. A broader spectrum of species have been killed by avian cholera but waterfowl have suffered the greatest losses. Avian cholera reappeared in 1983 and has joined avian botulism as a recurring cause of avian mortality. In 1989, avian salmonellosis (Salmonella typhimurium) was first diagnosed as a major cause of avian disease within the Salton Sea ecosystem and has since reappeared several times, primarily among cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis). The largest loss from a single epizootic occurred in 1992, when an estimated 155,000 birds, primarily eared grebes (Podiceps nigricollis), died from an undiagnosed cause. Reoccurrences of that unknown malady have continued to kill substantial numbers of eared grebes throughout the 1990s. The first major epizootic of type C avian botulism in fish-eating birds occurred in 1996 and killed large numbers of pelicans (Pelecanus occidentalis & P. erythrorhynchos). Avian botulism has remained as a major annual cause of disease in pelicans. In contrast, the chronic on-Sea occurrence of avian botulism in waterfowl and shorebirds of previous decades was seldom seen during the 1990s. Newcastle disease became the first viral disease to cause major bird losses at the Salton Sea when it appeared in the Mullet Island cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) breeding colony during 1997 and again during 1998.
Avian GI tract morphology and diseases. Orosz, S.E.; Marx, K.L. (ed.); Roston, M.A. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference on Avian Medicine and Surgery, Mid Atlantic States Association of Avian Veterinarians, Fredericksburg, VA Apr. 28-30, 2002, p. 116-120.
NAL call no: SF994.J6
Descriptors: anatomy, aviary birds, gastrointestinal diseases, diagnosis.
Avian polyomavirus vaccines in psittacine birds. Poet, Steven; Ritchie, Branson W.; Burnley, Victoria; Pesti, Denise. Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Patents, Dec. 10, 2002, v. 1265 (2), No pagination. ISSN: 0098-1133.
NAL call no: T223.A21
Descriptor: avian polyomavirus, pathogen, infection, viral disease.
Abstract: The invention provides a nucleic acid vaccine which is protective against avian polyomavirus infection in a bird which is classified as being a member of the Psittaciformes order comprising a nucleic acid vaccine vector comprising a suitable eukaryotic cis-acting transcription/translation regulatory sequence functionally linked to a nucleic acid encoding an immunogenic avian polyomavirus polypeptide. Methods for preventing avian polyomavirus infection in a bird classified as being a member of the Psittaciformes order, are also provided.
Avian reservoirs of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis? Daniels, Thomas J.; Battaly, Gertrude R.; Liveris, Dionysios; Falco, Richard C.; Schwartz, Ira. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Dec. 2002, v. 8 (120, p. 1524-1525. ISSN: 1080-6040.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E64
Descriptors: granulocytic ehrlichosis, bacterial disease, Aves, infection, zoonotic disease.
Avian vacuolar myelinopathy: A newly recognized fatal neurological disease of eagles, waterfowl and other birds. Fischer, John R.; Lewis, Lynn A.; Augspurger, Tom; Rocke, Tonie E. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, 2002, v. 67, p. 51-61. Rham, Jennifer (Ed.), Wildlife Management Institute, 1101 14th St., N.W., Suite 801, Washington, C.D. 20005. ISSN: 0078-1355.
Descriptors: avian vacuolar myelinopathy, epidemiology, nervous system disease.
Avian wildlife diseases in New Zealand: Current issues and achievements. Alley, M.R. New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 2002, v. 50 (3 Supplement), p. 118-120. ref. ISSN: 0048-0169.
NAL call no: 41.8 N483
Descriptors: animal health, wild birds, wildlife.
Birds and Borrelia. Humair, Pierre Francois. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Jun. 2002, v. 291 (Supplement 33), p. 70-74. VIth International Potsdam Symposium on tick Borne Diseases, Berlin, Germany, Apr. 26-27, 2001. ISSN: 1438-4221.
NAL call no: OR1.Z443
Descriptors: borreliosis, bacterial disease, ticks, birds.
A bird in the hand. Dick, A.D. British Journal of Ophthalmology, Dec. 2002, v. 86 (12), p. 1324-1325. ISSN: 0007-1161.
Descriptors: eye diseases, ophthalmology, pathology, symptoms.
Blood parasites of American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and fish crows (Corvus ossifragus) in Florida, USA. Dusek, Robert; Forrester, Donald J. Comparative Parasitology, Jan. 2002, v. 69 (1), p. 92-96. ref. ISSN: 1049-233X.
NAL call no: QL392 J68
Descriptors: blood, lymphatics, crows, blood parasites, Haemoproteus, Trypanosoma.
Abstract: Blood films from 46 fish crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and fish crows (Corvus ossifragus) from Florida, U.S.A., were examined for blood parasites. Haemoproteus picae Coatney and Roudabush, Haemoproteus danilewski Kruse, Trypanosoma avium (Danilewsky), and microfilaria of an unidentified filarioid were identified from both species of crows. An unidentified species of Haemoproteus and Trypanosoma ontarioensis Woo and Bartlett were observed in American crow blood films. Fish crow blood films contained Plasmodium relictum Celli and Sanfelice. Prior to this study, T. avium and P. relictum had not been reported from fish crows.
A comparative analysis of PCR-based detection methods for avian malaria. Richard, F. Alexander; Sehgal, Ravinder N.M.; Jones, Hugh I.; Smith, Thomas B. Journal of Parsitology, Aug. 2002, v. 88 (4), p. 819-822. ISSN: 0022-3395.
NAL call no: 448.8 J824
Descriptors: malaria, parasitic disease, blood and lymphatic disease, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus.
Abstract: Here, 4 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays are compared to test for the presence of avian malaria, including both the Plasmodium and Haemoproteus genera, in 29 different species of African rainforest birds. Two of these PCR assays use primer sets that amplify fragments of the cytochrome b (cyt b) gene of Plasmodium; the other 2 target the 18S ribosomal subunit gene. These PCR assays were performed using genomic DNA extracted from blood and subsequently compared with the results obtained by microscopic examination of blood smears taken from the same individuals. The 2 primer sets amplifying the cyt b gene were found to perform more reliably than those that target the 18S gene and yielded a substantial number of positive samples that were undetected by blood smear analysis. Of all the individuals screened by PCR, 40% tested positive for avian malaria, whereas 27% tested positive by blood smear analysis. Although sequence variation in the parasites may prohibit the specific alignment of primers and the subsequent PCR amplification of some individuals, PCR, once optimized, is faster, cheaper, and more reliable than blood smear analysis for large-scale screening.
Compendium of measures to control Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly Chlamydia psittaci) infection among humans (psittacosis) and pet birds, 2002: Diagnosis and treatment. Smith, K.A. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian, 2002, v. 24 (4), p. 328-331. ref. ISSN: 0193-1903.
NAL call no: SF601.C66
Descriptors: diagnosis, disease control, human diseases, medical treatment, psittacosis, zoonotic diseases.
Compendium of measures to control Chlamydophila psittaci (formerly Chlamydia psittaci) infection among humans (Psittacosis) and pet birds, 2002: Recommendations and requirements. USA, National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians. Compendium on Continuing Education for the Practicing Veterinarian, 2002, v. 24 (5), p. 374-378. ref. ISSN: 0193-1903.
NAL call no: SF601.C66
Descriptors: disease control, disease prevention, importation, pets, psittacosis, zoonotic diseases.
Criptosporidiosi negli uccelli. [Cryptosporidiosis in birds.] D’Agostino, C.; Papini, B.; Nannetti, C.; Tatantino, C.; Perrucci, S. Summa, 2002, v. 19 (3), p. 23-26. ref. Note: In Italian.
Descriptors: cryptosporidiosis, diagnosis, disease control, life cycle.
Detection by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of antibodies to West Nile virus in birds. Ebel, Gregory D.; Dupuis, Alan P. II; Nicholas, David: Young, Donna; Maffei, Joseph; Kramer, Laura D. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Sept. 2002, v. 8 (9), p. 979-982. ISSN: 1080-6040.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E46
Descriptors: Aves, diagnostic techniques, viral diseases, ELISA, West Nile virus.
Abstract: We adapted an indirect immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to facilitate studies of West Nile virus (WNV) and evaluated its application to taxonomically diverse avian species. Anti-WNV antibodies were detected in 23 bird species, including many exotic species, demonstrating its value in studies of WNV epizootiology.
Detection of West Nile virus in oral and cloacal swabs from bird carcasses. Komar, Nicholas; Lanciotti, Robert; Brown, Richard; Langevin, Stanley; Bunning, Michel. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Jul. 2002, v. 8 (7), p. 741-742. ISSN: 1080-6040.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E46
Descriptors: West Nile virus infection, infectious diseases, viral disease.
Abstract: We evaluated if postmortem cloacal and oral swabs could replace brain tissue as a specimen for West Nile virus (WNV) detection. WNV was detected in all three specimen types from 20 dead crows and jays with an average of >105 WNV PFU in each. These findings suggest that testing cloacal or oral swabs might be a low-resource approach to detect WNV in dead birds.
Diseases of farmed crocodiles and ostriches. Huchzermeyer, F.W. Revue Scientifique et Technique, Office International des Epizooties, 2002, v. 21 (2), p. 265-276. ref. ISSN: 0253-1933.
NAL call no: SF781.R4
Descriptors: coccidiosis, mycoplasmosis, salmonellosis, stress, thermoregulation.
Diseases in wild (free-living) bird populations. Newton, I. Birds of Prey: Health & Diseases. 3rd ed. Cooper, John E. Blackwell Science Ltd. Oxford, Malden, etc. 2002. i-xvii. 1-345 p, Chapter pagination: 217 -234. ISBN: 0632051159.
Descriptors: Falconiformes, parasite, diseases, disorders, Strigiformes.
Diversification and host switching in avian malaria parasites. Ricklefs, Robert E.; Fallon, Sylvia M. Proceedings of the Royal Society Biological Sciences Series B, May 2002, v. 269 (1494), p. 885-892. ISSN: 0962-8452.
Descriptors: malaria, parasitic disease, blood and lymphatic disease.
Abstract: The switching of parasitic organisms to novel hosts, in which they may cause the emergence of new diseases, is of great concern to human health and the management of wild and domesticated populations of animals. We used a phylogenetic approach to develop a better statistical assessment of host switching in a large sample of vector-borne malaria parasites of birds (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) over their history of parasite-host relations. Even with sparse sampling, the number of parasite lineages was almost equal to the number of avian hosts. We found that strongly supported sister lineages of parasites, averaging 1.2% sequence divergence, exhibited highly significant host and geographical fidelity. Event-based matching of host and parasite phylogenetic trees revealed significant cospeciation. However, the accumulated effects of host switching and long distance dispersal cause these signals to disappear before 4% sequence divergence is achieved. Mitochondrial DNA nucleotide substitution appears to occur about three times faster in hosts than in parasites, contrary to findings on other parasite-host systems. Using this mutual calibration, the phylogenies of the parasites and their hosts appear to be similar in age, suggesting that avian malaria parasites diversified along with their modern avian hosts. Although host switching has been a prominent feature over the evolutionary history of avian malaria parasites, it is infrequent and unpredictable on time scales germane to public health and wildlife management.
The evolutionary transition to coloniality promotes higher blood parasitism in birds. Tella J.L. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Jan. 2002, v. 15 (1), p. 32-41. ISSN: 1010-061X.
NAL call no: QH359.J68
Descriptors: avian hosts, colonial breeding, evolution, protozoan parasites.
Abstract: Parasitism has been argued as one of the major costs of breeding sociality in birds. However, there is no clear evidence for an increased parasite pressure associated with the evolutionary transition from solitary to colonial breeding. I used the pairwise comparative method to test whether colonial bird species incur in a greater risk of infection and if they must to face with a greater diversity of blood parasites (Haematozoa), by comparing pairs of congeners that included one solitary and one colonial breeding species. The richness, both in terms of number of species and number of genera, as well as the prevalence of blood parasites resulted higher in colonial species than in their solitary breeding sisters, while controlling for differences in research effort and other potentially confounding effects. These results point towards higher transmission rates of blood parasites among colonial hosts. Given the detrimental effects of blood parasites on their host fitness, the higher risk of infection and the exposition to a more diverse parasite fauna may have imposed an important cost associated to the evolution of avian coloniality. This may help to explain why colonial species have larger immune system organs, as well as to explore differences in other host life history traits potentially shaped by blood parasites.
Ehrlichiosis, Ixodes ticks and migratory birds. Alekseev, A.N.; Dubinina, H.V. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Jun. 2002, v. 291 (Supplement 33), p. 196. VIth International Potsdam Symposium on Tick Borne Diseases, Berlin, Germany. Apr. 26-27, 2001. ISSN: 1438-4221.
NAL call no: OR1.Z443
Descriptors: ehrlichiosis, bacterial disease, ticks, migratory birds.
Emerging infectious diseases in wildlife. Williams, E.S.; Yuill, T.; Artois, M.; Fischer, J.; Haigh, S.A. Revue Scientifique et Technique, Office of International des Epizooties. Apr. 2002, v. 21 (1), p. 139-157. ISSN: 0253-1933.
NAL call no: SF781.R4
Descriptors: pathogens, infectious diseases, population dynamics, vectors, bacterial diseases, viral diseases, fungal diseases.
Abstract: The process which gives rise to emerging infectious diseases of wildlife can be categorised as follows: ecosystem alterations of anthropogenic or natural origin; movement of pathogens or vectors, via human or natural agency; and changes in microbes or in the recognition of emerging pathogens due to advances in the techniques of epidemiology. These are simplistic divisions because factors influencing the emergence of diseases of wild animals generally fall into more than one category. Mycoplasmosis among passerines is related to habitat changes and artificial feeding resulting in increased bird densities and subsequent disease transmission. The origin of this strain of Mycoplasma gallisepticum is not known. Hantavirus infections in rodents have emerged due to human-induced landscape alterations and/or climactic changes influencing population dynamics of hantavirus reservoir hosts, with disease consequences for humans. Movement of pathogens or vectors is a very important process by which diseases of wildlife expand geographic range. Although the origin of calciviruses of rabbits and hares is somewhat obscure, their movement by humans, either deliberately of accidentally, has greatly expanded the distribution of these viruses. Rabies is an ancient disease, but geographic expansion has occurred by both natural and anthropogenic movements of wild animals. Human movement of amphibians may explain the distribution of the highly pathogenic chytrid fungus around the world. Newly recognised paramyxoviruses may reflect both changes in these pathogens and the development of techniques of identification and classification. Many more such examples of emerging diseases will arise in the future, given the extensive alterations in landscapes world-wide and movements of animals, vectors and pathogens. Those who study and diagnose diseases of wildlife must be alert for emerging diseases so that the impact of such diseases on wild animals, domestic animals and humans can be minimized.
Engineering mosquito resistance to malaria parasites: The avian malaria model. James, A.A. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Oct. 2002, v. 32 (10), p. 1317-1323. ISSN: 0965-1748.
NAL call no: QL495.A1I57
Descriptors: malaria, transmission, Aedes aegypti, Plasmodium gallinaceum, blood and lymphatic disease.
Abstract: Genetic approaches to controlling the transmission of mosquito-borne diseases are being developed to augment the available chemical control practices and environmental manipulation methods. Much progress has been made in laboratory-based research that seeks to develop antipathogen or antivector effector genes and methods for genetically manipulating host vector strains. Research is summarized here in the development of a malarial-resistant phenotype using as a model system the avian parasite, Plasmodium gallinaceum, and the mosquito, Aedes aegypti. Robust transformation technology based on number of transposable elements, the identification of promoter regions derived from endogenous mosquito genes, and the development of single-chain antibodies as effector genes have made it possible to produce malaria-resistant mosquitoes. Future challenges include discovery of methods for spreading antiparasite genes through mosquito populations, determining the threshold levels below which parasite intensities of infection must be held, and defining the circumstances in which a genetic control strategy would be employed in the field.
Four new species of feather mites (Acari: Analgoidea). Mironov, Sergei V.; Galloway, Terry D. Canadian Entomologist, Sept./Oct. 2002, v. 134 (5), p. 605-618. ISSN: 0008-347X.
NAL call no: 421.C16
Descriptors: parasitology, systematics, taxonomy, morphology, Megniniella ratcliffi sp. nov., Metanalges holderi sp. nov., Metengrassia pelecani sp. nov., Vingrassia cygni sp. nov.
Abstract: Four new species of feather mites are described from birds in Canada: Megniniella ratcliffi sp. nov. (Analgidae) and Metanalges holderi sp. nov. (Analgidae) from the Sora, Prozana carolina (Linnaeus) (Gruiformes: Rallidae); Metengrassia pelecani sp. nov. (Xolalgidae) from the American White Pelican, Pelecanus erythrororhynchos Gmelin (Pelicaniformes: Pelicanidae); and Vingrassia cygni sp. nov. (Xolalgidae) from the Tundra Swan, Cygnus columbianus (Ord) (Anseriformes: Anatidae). The genus Vingrassia is reinstated from its previous synonymy with the genus Ingrassia based on the presence of an enlarged prodorsal shield in both sexes, by the shape of the idiosoma and the interlobar membrane on the lobar apices in the male, and by the shape of the hysteronotal shield and the absence of setae ps2 in the female.
Fowl cholera in pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) - etiological investigation and effect of therapy with thiamphenical. Popova, T. Bulgarian Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 2002, v. 5 (1), p. 23-28. ref. ill. ISSN: 1311-1477.
Descriptors: pheasants, fowl cholera, antibiotics, etiology, infectious diseases, Pasteurella multocida.
Abstract: In an outbreak of fowl cholera that occurred in a pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) flock, seventeen per cent of about 1000 birds from the flock died of an acute disease. The established pathological alterations were typical of fowl cholera. Pasteurella multocida was isolated in pure culture from hearts, livers and spleens of three dead birds. Examined characteristics included phenotypic and biochemical determination of the biotype (subspecies) and the in vitro susceptibility of isolates to antimicrobial agents. Isolates were identified as belonging to the multocida subspecies. Their drug susceptibility was identical. All isolates were highly susceptible in vitro to tested amphenicols, including thiamphenicol.
Haemoproteus lophortyx infection in bobwhite quail. Cardona, Carol J.; Ihejirika, Arthur; McClellan, Linda. Avian Diseases, Jan/Mar. 2002, v. 46 (1), p. 249-255. ref. ISSN: 0005-2086.
NAL call no: 41.8 AV5
Descriptors: parasitic diseases, mortality, blood and lymphatic diseases.
Abstract: This report chronicles recurring outbreaks of Haemoproteus lophortyx infection in captive bobwhite quail. Clinically, the signs of infection included reluctance to move, ruffled appearance, prostration, and death. These signs were associated with parasitemia, anemia, and the presence of large megaloschizonts in skeletal muscles, particularly those of the thighs and back. The average cumulative mortality for flocks experiencing outbreaks was over 20%. In a typical outbreak, mortality rose when birds were 5-6 weeks of age, peaked in 8-10 wk old quail, and declined rapidly when quail were 9-11 wk old. Outbreaks occurred exclusively between the months of May and October, and warm weather was determined to be a risk factor for H. lophortyx mortality. This protozoan most likely overwinters in native California quail in the area and is transmitted to quail on the ranch by an insect vector that emerges in warm weather. Infection of the large population of naive bobwhite quail on the ranch leads to amplification of H. lophortyx, resulting in epidemics in successive flocks.
Helminth and arthropod parasites of the brown pelican, Pelecanus occidentalis, in Puerto Rico, with a compilation of all metazoan parasites reported from this host in the western hemisphere. Dyer, William G.; Williams, Ernest H. Jr.; Mignucci-Giannoni, Antonio A.; Jiminez-Marrero, Nilda M.; Bunkley-Williams, Lucy; Moore, Debra P.; Pence, Danny B. Avian Pathology, Oct. 2002, v. 31 (5), p. 441-448. ISSN: 0307-9457. www.tandf.co.uk/journals/tf/03079457.html
NAL call no: SF995.A1A9
Descriptors: parasitic diseases, pelican, infestation, Pelecanus, metazoan parasites, helminths, arthropods.
Abstract: Seven species of helminths and six species of arthropods are reported from 23 of 40 brown pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis, collected from various localities in Puerto Rico. Helminth parasites include three nematodes (Contracaecum multipapillatum, Contracaecum mexicanum, and Eustrongylides sp.), three trematodes (Galactosomum darbyi, Mesostephanus appendiculatoides, and Ribeiroia ondatrae), and one cestode (Tetrabothrium sulae). Arthropod parasites include Colpocephalum occidentalis, Neottialges apunctatus, Ornithodoros capensis, Phalacrodectus pelecani, Phalacrodectus punctatissimus, and Phalacrodectus sp. The presence of R. ondatrae in the brown pelican is a new species host record, and P. pelecani, P. punctatissimus and N. apunctatus are new subspecies host records. C. multipapillatum, C. mexicanum, G. darbyi and M. appendiculatoides are new locality records for Puerto Rico, and N. apunctatus, P. punctatissimus and T. sulae are new locality records for the Caribbean. Necrosis produced by C. multipapillatum, C. mexicanum, and R. ondatrae may have contributed to the emaciation and death of the brown pelicans examined in the present study.
The importance of host spatial distribution for parasite specialization and speciation: A comparative study of bird fleas (Siphonaptera: Ceratophyllidae). Tripet, Frederick; Christe, Philippe; Moller, Anders Pape. Journal of Animal Ecology, Sept. 2002, v. 71 (5), p. 735-748. ISSN: 0021-8790.
NAL call no: 410 J826
Descriptors: parasitology, ecology, speciation, parasite-host range.
Abstract: 1. The environment of parasites is determined largely by their hosts. Variation in host quality, abundance and spatial distribution affects the balance between selection within hosts and gene flow between hosts, and this should determine the evolution of a parasite’s host-range and its propensity to locally adapt and speciate. 2. We investigated the relationship between host spatial distribution and (1) parasite-host range, (2) parasite mobility and (3) parasite geographical range, in a comparative study of a major group of avian ectoparasites, the bird fleas belonging to the Ceratophyllidae (Siphonaptera). 3. Flea species parasitizing colonial birds had a narrower host range than those infesting territorial nesters or birds with an intermediate level of nest aggregation. 4. The potential mobility and geographical ranges of fleas decreased with increasing level of aggregation of their hosts and increased with the fleas’ host range. 5. Birds with aggregated nest distribution harboured more flea species mainly due to a larger number of specialists than solitary nesting hosts. 6. These results emphasize the importance of host spatial distribution for the evolution of specialization, and for local adaptation and speciation in Ceratophyllid bird fleas.
Infectious agents associated with respiratory disease in pheasants. Welchman, D. de B.; Bradbury, J.M.; Cavaugh, D.; Aebischer, N.J.; de B. Welchman, D. Veterinary Record, 2002 v. 150 (21), p. 658-664. ref. ISSN: 0042-4900.
NAL call no: 41.8 V641
Descriptors: aetiology, disease distribution, outbreaks, respiratory diseases, Mycoplasma gallisepticum.
Abstract: In a case-control study of the infectious agents associated with natural outbreaks of respiratory disease in pheasants, 28 batches of birds from sites affected by disease and eight batches of birds from unaffected sites were examined by six veterinary laboratories in England, Wales and Scotland during the 1998-1999 (April 1998) and 1999-2000 (February 2000) seasons and tested for mycoplasmas, other bacteria and viruses. Sinusitis was the commonest sign of disease and was associated with Mycoplasma gallisepticum as detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in the trachea (P<0.05) and conjunctiva (P<0.01). Sinusitis was also associated with Pasteurella cultured from the sinus (P<0.05), antibody to avian pneumovirus (APV) (P<0.01) and avian coronaviruses as detected by reverse- transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) (P<0.05); there was no association between disease and APV as detected by PCR. Avian coronaviruses were the most common infectious agents detected. They were genetically close to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) but differed in their gene sequence from all the serotypes of IBV previously identified in domestic fowl and serological tests with six known IBV types showed little cross reactivity. Mycoplasma species other than M. gallisepticum were cultured in 18 batches of pheasants but, with the exception of Mycoplasma gallisepticum, were not associated with disease.
Low humidity reduces ectoparasite pressure: Implications for host life history evolution. Moyer, Brett R.; Drown, Devin M.; Clayton, Dale H. Oikos, May 2002, v. 97 (2), p. 223-228. ISSN: 0030-1299. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0706.2002.970208.x
NAL call no: 410 O14
Descriptors: ecology, evolution, parasitology, adaptation, effects of humidity, arid regions, parasite levels, lice.
Abstract: A parasite’s potential effect, or “pressure”, can influence the life history strategy of its host. In environments with high parasite pressure, hosts invest more in anti-parasite defense, which may limit their investment in other life history components, such as survival. This tradeoff is difficult to study in natural populations because pressure is hard to quantify. Pressure is not necessarily correlated with the abundance of the parasite. A host population can be under high pressure, yet have few parasites, because members of the population have invested heavily in defense. Therefore, the extent to which parasite pressure varies among host populations, and the cause of such variation, remain largely undocumented. In this paper we show that birds in arid regions have fewer ectoparasitic lice than birds in humid regions. We show experimentally that low humidity reduces the number of lice on birds, even when the host defense is held constant. Comparisons of ambient humidity to humidity beneath the plumage demonstrate that plumage does not provide a buffer for lice against low humidity. Our results confirm that an abiotic factor can cause substantial variation in parasite pressure among host populations. We suggest that humidity may influence host life history evolution through its impact on ectoparasites.
The metazoan parasite fauna of loons (Aves: Gaviiformes), its relationship to the bird’s evolutionary history and biology, and a comparison with the parasite fauna of grebes. Storer, Robert W. Miscellaneous Publications Museum of Zoology University of Michigan, Jun. 18, 2002, i-iv. 191 p. Chapter pagination: 1-44. ISSN: 0076-8405.
NAL call no: 410.9 M58M
Descriptors: parasitism, host, parasite, evolution, relationships, helminths.
Abstract: The data base of this work parallels that of Storer (2000) on the grebes and contains lists of the multicellular parasites known to parasitize loons and a list of the known species of prey taken ny each species of loon. The former includes information on where in the bird the parasites are found, the distribution of the parasite species by continents, the degree of host specificity, and life cycles (whether in fresh of salt water), and lists of known intermediate and parasitic hosts. These data sets are used to show how the parasite faunas are related to the biology of the birds and their evolutionary histories. The known species of helminths of loons include 47 digeneans, 22 cestodes, 14 acanthocephalans, and 15 nematodes, most of which have aquatic life cycles. No families or subfamilies and only 2 genera and 23 species of helminths are considered loon specialists. Several factors appear to have contributed to the greater number of genera and species of parasites in grebes than in loons. Most loons spend the breeding season on bodies of oligotrophic water, which have fewer species and numbers of potential prey than eutrophic waters where most grebes nest. All species of loons winter on salt water, whereas many grebes are resident on fresh waters, although those nesting in regions where fresh waters freeze in winter spend that season on salt waters. Much of the difference can also be attributed to the greater number of genera (7 versus 1) and species (21 versus 5) in the two groups of birds, and the wider distribution (nearly cosmopolitan in the grebes versus holarctic in the loons). The difference is also consistent with the grebes’ greater age and degree of parasite-host specificity. Other factors affecting differences in the two helminth faunas are a presumed marine origin for the loon in contrast with a fresh-water one for the grebes’, and the greater size and hence greater speed of loons under water. The smaller size of grebes for which a greater number of prey species of optimal size is presumably available, the grebes’ breeding on eutrophic bodies of water in which a greater variety of prey species (and hence greater number of species of hosts for parasites) is available, and grebes’ greater diversity in bill form and foot proportions which are associated with specializations for taking a greater variety of prey, may all be involved. Adaptations for pursuit diving, include larger size, which makes possible a relatively larger mass of leg muscles, longer cnemial crests, which provide a larger area for the attachment of these muscles, and the possible effect of the coiled barbules on the outer part of grebe’s contour feathers, which act like capillaries in absorbing water, which may decrease buoyancy and may also cause this part of the combined feathers to act like a flexible skin which cause movement of the water in the feathers to act like the skin of a cetacean in producing laminar flow of water across the surface of the birds. There is still much to be done before an adequate knowledge of the multicellular parasites of loons and grebes is know. The larger number of species of external parasites found on grebes (12 mites and 13 lice versus 1 mite and 2 line on loons) is believed to have resulted from the association of grebes with coots and subsequent speciation on the larger number of species of grebes than loons.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in a canary (Serinus canaria L.) And a blue-fronted Amazon parrot (Amazona amazona aestiva). Hoop, R.K. Avian Diseases, 2002, v. 46 (2), p. 502-504. ref. ISSN: 0005-2086.
NAL call no: 41.8 AV5
Descriptors: clinical aspects, diagnosis, tuberculosis, new host records, case report.
Parasites from farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus) and rheas (Rhea americana) in Europe. Ponce, Gordo F.; Herrera, S.; Castro, A.T.; Garcia, Duran B.; Martinez, Diaz R.A. Veterinary Parasitology, 2002, v. 107 (1-2), p. 137-160. ref. ISSN: 0304-4017.
NAL call no: SF810.V4
Descriptors: digestive tract, ectoparasites, parasitoses, lice, mites, helminths, ciliates, protozoa.
Abstract: During a 4 year period (1997-2000), more than 500 ostriches and several rheas, all born in European countries and raised in Spain and Portugal, have been analysed for the presence of ectoparasites and endoparasites. A total of 29 parasite species have been found, most of them of the gastrointestinal tract. Some of the helminth species found may represent spurious parasitoses, as only the eggs (of an ascarid and a trematode) were found in some samples. From the organisms identified, the ectoparasites (lice: Struthiolipeurus rhea, S. nandu; mites: Dermoglyphus pachycnemis, Gabucinia bicaudata), helminths (Cestoda: Houttuynia struthionis; Nematoda: Libyostongylus sp., Codiostomum struthionis) and the ciliate Balantidium struthionis are known as ratite specific parasites. Capillaria eggs and larvae were also found; there are no previous records of this parasite from ostriches, and the data available do not allow to do a tentative specific diagnosis. Among protozoa, most of the species now found are described for the first time in ratites. They include organisms also found in other birds (Trichomonas gallinae, Tetratrichomonas gallinarum, Chilomastix gallinarum, Spironucleus meleagridis and Pleuromonas jaculans), and organisms whose specific status cannot be established until further analysis are performed (Cryptosporidium sp., Elmeria sp. and/or Isospora sp., Entomoeba sp. of the one-nucleate and of the 8-nucleate mature cyst groups, Endolimax sp., Iodamoeba sp., Monocercomonas sp., Retortamonas sp., Giardia sp., Blastocystis sp. and euglenids.
Patterns of intermediate host use and levels of association between two conflicting manipulative parasites. Outreman, Yannick; Bollache, Loic; Plaistow, Stewart; Cezilly, Frank. International Journal for Parasitology, Jan. 2002, v. 32 (1), p. 15-20. ISSN: 0020-7519.
NAL call no: QH547.I55
Descriptors: natural selection, selective constraints, transmission, incidence, infection level, Polymorphus minutus, Pomphorhynchus laevis.
Abstract: For many parasites with complex life cycles, manipulation of intermediate host phenotypes is often regarded as an adaptation to increase the probability of successful transmission. This phenomenon creates opportunities for either synergistic of conflicting interests between different parasite species sharing the same intermediate host. When more than one manipulative parasite infect the same intermediate host, but differ in their definitive host, selection should favour the establishment of a negative association between these manipulators. Both Polymorphus minutus and Pomphorhynchus laevis exploit the amphipod Gammarus pulex as intermediate host but differ markedly in their final host, a fish for P. laevis and a bird for P. minutus. The pattern of host use by these two conflicting manipulative parasites was studied. Their incidence and intensity of infection and their distribution among G. pulex were first examined by analysing three large samples of grammarids collected from the river Tille, Eastern France. Both parasites had low prevalence in the host population. However, temporal fluctuation in the level of parasitic infection was observed. Overall, prevalence of both parasite species was higher in male than in female G. pulex. We then assessed the degree of association between the two parasites among their intermediate hosts, using two different methods: a host-centered measure and a parasite-centered measure. Both measures gave similar results; showing random association between the two acanthocephalan species in their intermediate hosts. We discuss our results in relation to the selective forces and ecological constraints that may determine the pattern of association between conflicting manipulative parasites.
Pelecitus helicinus Railliet & Henry, 1910 (Filaroides, Dirofilariinae) and other nematode parasites of Brazilian birds. Oniki, Y.; Kinsella, J.M.; Willis, E.O. Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 2002, v. 97 (4), p. 597-598. ref. ISSN: 0074-0276.
NAL call no: 448.9 IN74
Descriptors: nematode infections, taxonomy, geographical distribution.
Abstract: We report Pelecitus helicinus from 13 species of birds of 2 orders and 7 families, collected from the states of Sao Paulo and Mato Grosso, Brazil during 1983-84 and 1987-88. All 13 constitute new host records for this nematode. In addition, we report the first record of Aprocta golvani from Brazil and Monasa nigrifrons (Bucconidae), as well as a number of other nematode records from neotropical birds.
Pet parrot taxonomy and disease predilections: A regional perspective. Speer, B.L.; Lightfoot, T.; Marx, K.L. (ed.); Roston, M.A. Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Conference on Avian Medicine and Surgery, Mid Atlantic States Association of Avian Veterinarians, Fredericksburg, VA, Apr. 28-30, 2002, p, 134-158. ref.
NAL call no: SF994.M52
Descriptors: aviary birds, diseases, clinical aspects, infectious diseases, taxonomy.
Pictorial guide to selected avian skin diseases. Schmidt, R.E. Exotic DVM, 2002, v. 4 (1), p. 27-32. ref. ISSN: 1521-1363.
NAL call no: SF981.E96
Descriptors: dermatitis, diagnosis, feathers, skin diseases, skin lesions, pets.
Psittacosis/avian chlamydiosis. Eidson, Millicent. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Dec. 15, 2002, v. 221 (12), p. 1710-1712. ISSN: 0003-1488.
NAL call no: 41.8 Am3
Descriptors: psittacosis, avian chlamydiosis, bacterial diseases, diagnosis, therapy.
Redescription and systematic status of Brachydistomum ventricosum (Rudolphi, 1809) comb. N. (Trematoda: Dicrocoeliidae) parasiting passeriformes birds. Sitko, J.; Okulewicz, J. Helminthologia, 2002, v. 39 (2), p. 103-110. ref.
NAL call no: 436.8 H36
Descriptors: nomenclature, synonyms, taxonomy, new combinations, parasite.
Abstract: The morphometrical variability of 373 specimens of Brachydistomum ventricosum was studied. Brachylecithum emberizae, B. mosquensis, Lutztrema sinense, Platynosomum illeciens sensu, P. kirgisensis, P. macrorchis and P. tuvensis are considered synonyms of B. ventricosum.
Reovirus infection in psittacine birds (Psittacus erithacus): Morphologic and immunohistochemical study. Sanchez-Cordon, P.J.; Hervas, J.; de Lara, F. Chacon; Jahn, J.; Saiguero, F.J.; Gomez-Villamandos, J.C. Avian Diseases, Apr./Jun. 2002, v. 46 (2), p. 485-492. ref. ISSN: 0005-2086.
NAL call no: 41.8 AV5
Descriptors: Pacheco disease, mycosis, grey parrots, herpesvirus infection, diagnosis, transmission, epidemiology.
Abstract: In this paper we report on an outbreak of reovirus, herpesvirus (Pacheco disease), and/or mycosis infection (Aspergillus spp. and Zygomyces spp.) Affecting a batch of young African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus), with 80% morbidity and 30% mortality. Study material was taken from five birds (four dead and one euthanized) with a range of clinical symptoms (depression, diarrhea, respiratory symptoms). Diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical detection of avian reovirus, electron microscopy, and virus isolation. Viral antigen of reovirus was detected mainly in large mononuclear cells in the bursa of Fabricus and the spleen, pancreas epithelial cells, and circulating cells; lymphoid organs displayed the largest number of immunopositive cells and severe lymphocyte depletion. Bacteriologic study was negative. Reovirus infection was common in all birds studied, whereas Pacheco disease and mycosis were found in only some, suggesting that reovirus could be the initial cause triggering the outbreak and facilitating infection by other agents and their swift spread through the batch.
A review of toxoplasmosis in wild birds. Dubey, J.P. Veterinary Parasitology, 2002, v. 106 (2), p. 121-153. ref. ISSN: 0304-4017.
NAL call no: SF810 V4
Descriptors: animal pathology, blindness, diagnosis, clinical aspects, toxoplasmosis.
Some parasitic nematodes (Nematoda) of birds (Aves) in the Czech republic. Frantova, D. Acta Societatis Zoologicae Bohemicae, 2002, v. 66 (1), p. 13-28. ref. ISSN: 1211-376X.
NAL call no: QL1.C4
Descriptors: parasitic nematodes, morphology, epidemiology, disease prevalence.
Abstract: More than 600 birds belonging to 50 species and 8 orders, coming mostly from southern Bohemia in the Czech Republic, were dissected during 1977-1983 and 1999. Parasitic nematodes seemed to be more prevalent in carnivorous than herbivorous birds. 13 species of birds of the orders Falconiformes, Charadriiformes (Larus ridibundus Linnaeus, 1766), Passeriformes and Pelecaniformes (Phalacrocorax carbo Linnaeus, 1758) were infected with 20 nematode species: Capillariidae (11 species), Ascarididae (3), Syngamida (2), Acuariidae (2), Anisakidae (1) and Aproctidae (1). The occurrence of some rare species (Aonchotheca longifilla) (Dujardin, 1845), Baruscapillaria carbonis (Dubinin et Dubonina, 1940), Capillaria cf. Tenuissima (Rudolphi, 1809), Cosmocephalus obvelarus (Creplin, 1825) was recorded. Detailed descriptions of Aonchotheca exilis (Dujardin, 1845) and A. longifilla are given. Baruscapillaria carbonis from Phalacrocorax carbo is new for the nematofauna of the Czech Republic. Parasites of the genus Aonchotheca (Lopex-Neyra, 1947) were recorded from Fringilla coelebs for the first time.
Spot-on formulations for combating parasites. Huet, Anne Marie; Julia, Bruno; Etchegaray, Jean Pierre; Weil, Andre; Jeannin, Philippe. Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Patents. (e-file) Jul 30, 2002, v. 1260 (5), no pagination. ISSN: 0098-1133.
NAL call no: T223.A21
Descriptors: parasitic infection, drug therapy, parasitic disease, treatment, topical treatment.
Abstract: In particular this invention provides for spot-on compositions for the treatment or prophylaxis of parasite infestations in mammals or birds which comprise: (1) a composition compromising (A) an effective amount of a 1-phenylpyrazole derivative; and/or (B) an effective amount of a macrocyclic lactone antihelmintic or antiparasitic agent; (2) an acceptable liquid carrier vehicle; and (3) optionally, a crystallization inhibitor. The invention also provides for a method of treating parasitic infestations of for the prophylaxis of parasite infestations in mammals or birds which comprises topically applying to said mammal treating parasitic infestations or for the prophylaxis of parasite infestations in mammals or birds which comprises topically applying to said mammal or bird an effective amount of a composition according to the present invention.
Thyroid hyperplasia in birds. Schmidt, Robert A.; Reavill, Drury, R. Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, Jun. 2002, v. 16 (2), p. 111-114. ISSN: 1082-6742.
NAL call no: SF994.J6
Descriptors: Aves, thyroid gland, thyroid hyperplasia, occurrence rate, causes, various species.
Abstract: Thyroid hyperplasia (goiter) has been considered a common problem in birds and is most commonly observed in budgerigars and pigeons. Records of the Zoo/Exotic Pathology Service (West Sacramento, CA, USA) were reviewed for the period from October 1984 tp April 2001. From nearly 12, 500 avian accessions, 30 reported a morphologic diagnosis of thyroid hyperplasia. Twenty-nine of 30 birds from varying species had multiple diagnoses at necropsy, while the remaining bird was diagnosed with thyroid hyperplasia alone. The appearance of all thyroid glands submitted was similar-the glands were enlarged bilaterally (approximately 2.7 x 1.4 cm in size) and red-brown or purple in color. Histologic changes to the thyroid parenchyma were diffuse in all cases (30/30). Thyroid glands contained numerous follicles lined by large cuboidal or low columnar epithelial cells. The morphological diagnosis was thyroid follicular hyperplasia (hyperplastic goiter). Macaws were represented disproportionately (20/30), particularly blue and gold macaws (Ara ararauna), which represented 15/20 macaws. The cause of thyroid hyperplasia was not determined with certainty in the birds examined.
Two new rhabdoviruses (Rhabdoviridae) isolated from birds during surveillance for arboviral encephalitis, Northern United States. Travassos da Rosa, A.P.A.; Mather, T.N.; Takeda, T.; Whitehouse, C.A.; Shope, R.E.; Popov, V.L.; Guzman, H.; Coffey, L.; Araujo, T.P.; Tesh, R.B.; da-Rosa, A.P.A. Travassos. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2002, v. 8 (6), p. 514-618. ref. ISSN: 1080-6040.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E6
Descriptors: taxonomy, viral diseases, birds.
Abstract: Two novel rhabdoviruses were isolated from birds (i.e. dead pigeons) during surveillance for arboviral encephalitis in the northeastern USA. The first, designated Farmington virus, is a tentative new member of the Vesiculovirus genus. The second, designated Rhode Island virus, is unclassified antigenically, but its ultrastructure and size are more similar to those of some of the plant rhabdoviruses. Both viruses infect birds and mice, as well as monkey kidney cells in culture, but their importance for human health is unknown.
Update on survey of diseases and causes of death in wild birds. Waine, Jason. Fair Isle Bird Observatory Report, 2002, v. 54, p. 16-20. ISSN: 0427-9190.
Descriptors: Aves, diseases and disorders, causes, Scotland, mortality causes.
Variation in tick infestation rate in passerine birds. Strub, O.; Seitz, A.; Kaiser, A. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, Jun. 2002, v. 291 (Supplement 33), p. 236. VIth International Potsdam Symposium on tick Borne Diseases, Berlin, Germany, Apr. 26-27, 2001. ISSN: 1438-4221.
NAL call no: QR1.Z443
Descriptors: bird, host, tick, disease vector.
Virus neutralization assays used in exotic bird medicine. Phalen, David N. Seminars in Avian and Exotic Pet Medicine, Jan. 2002, v. 11 (1), p. 19-24. ISSN: 1055-937X.
NAL call no: SF994.2.A1S36
Descriptors: psittaciformes, diagnostic technique, virus neutralization assays.
West Nile virus activity: United States, November 7-13, 2002. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, Nov. 15, 2002, v. 51 (45), p. 1026-1027. ISSN: 0149-2195.
NAL call no: RA407.3.M562
Descriptors: West Nile virus infection, epidemiology, Aves, disease vector, host, birds.
West Nile virus: A threat to North American avian species. McLean, Robert G. Transactions of the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference, 2002, v. 67, p. 62-74. ISSN: 0078-1355. Wildlife Management Institute, 1101 14th St., N.W., Suite 801, Washington, C.D. 20005.
NAL call no: 412.9 N814
Descriptors: epidemiology, vector biology, disease surveillance in birds.
2001
Air borne transmission of avian pneumovirus (APV). Nagaraja, K.V.; Shin, H.; Halvorson, D.A. Abstracts of the General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, 2001, v. 101, p. 696. ISSN: 1060-2011.
NAL call no: OR1.A5
Descriptors: viral infection, viral respiratory disease, vector biology, avian pneumovirus, metapneumovirus, turkeys.
Abstract: Avian pneumovirus (APV) is a Paramyxovirus that belongs to the genus Metapneumovirus, and is associated with catarrhal inflammation of upper respiratory tract in turkeys. APV has been a cause of serious economic problem in turkeys industry in Minnesota, but the mechanism of transmission of the virus is not clearly understood. We investigated the possibility of air borne transmission of APV. Briefly, twenty 2 week old turkey poults were experimentally exposed with 200 ul of vero cell cultured avian pneumovirus MN-2a strain (TCID50 5.3/ml) oculo-nasally. Another 20 birds were exposed with 200 ul of minimum essential media (MEM) through the same route. Turkeys in both groups were kept in two experimental nursery pens (1.2x1.2m) enclosed in 4 aluminum and plexiglass-clad chambers connected by a rectangular duct (0.6x0.6m) that was 1m long. The duct allowed ventilating air to flow from 1 pen housing exposed to the APV unexposed control turkeys. On 3, 6 and 15 days post inoculation (PI), choanal swabs were collected from each bird and examined by M. Gene based RT-PCR. In addition, serum samples were monitored for APV antibody. It is suggested from these results that APV is transmitted through the air. The results of RT-PCR revealed the presence of APV viral nucleic acid in samples from controls by 3 days post exposure of turkeys in one chamber. The serum samples from control showed the presence of APV antibody.
Birds and Borrelia. Humair, P.F.; Suss, J. (ed); Kahl, O. (ed); Dautel, H. International Journal of Microbiology, 2001, v. 291, Supplement 33, p. 70-74. ref. ISSN: 1438-4221.
Descriptors: disease vectors, epidemiology, Lyme disease, reservoir hosts, Borrelia burgdorferi.
Abstract: After several years of controversy, the contribution of birds in the ecology of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (sl) has become more and more obvious on the three continents where the pathogens are distributed. Evidence of the reservoir competence of particular bird species has been obtained using tick xenodiagnosis. B. burgdorferi sl circulates not only in terrestrial environment involving Ixodes ricinus and undergrowth-frequenting birds but also in marine environment involving I. uriae and seabirds. Migrating birds contribute to the spread of B. burgdorferi sl and infected tick vectors along migration routes.
Bird schistosomes: do they die in mammalian skin? Horak, Petr; Kolarova, Libuse. Trends in Parasitology, Feb. 2001, v. 17 (2), p. 66-69. ISSN: 1471-4922.
NAL call no: QL757.P374
Descriptors: avian hosts, human hosts, life cycle, skin invasion, transmission.
Bird and their ticks in northwestern California: Minimal contribution to Borrelia bugdorferi enzootiology. Slowik, Ted J; Lane, Robert S. Journal of Parasitology, Aug. 2001, v. 87 (4), p. 755-761. ISSN: 0022-3395.
NAL call no: 448.8.J824
Descriptors: parasitology, vector biology, tick infestation, Aves, Lyme disease, California.
Abstract: Birds and their attendant ticks were surveyed for infection with the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi, in chaparral and woodland-grass habitats in northwestern California from March to July, 1998 to 1999. In total, 234 birds were captured and recaptured (15%); nearly 2.5 times more birds were captured in chaparral than in woodland-grass. Overall, 34 species representing 15 families were collected during this study; of these, 24 species were caught in chaparral, 19 in woodland-grass, and 9 in both vegetational types. The most frequently captured birds were sage sparrows (Amphispiza belli) in chaparral, and American robins (Turdus migratorius) and oak titmice (Baelophus inornatus) in woodland-grass. Birds hosted 35 Ixodes pacificus (15 larvae, 20 nymphs) and 9 Haemaphysalis leporispalustris (3 larvae, 5 nymphs, 1 adult) ticks, of which 32 were removed from chaparral birds and 12 from woodland birds. The prevalence of tick infestation was 13% (21/167) in chaparral and 5% (3/67) in woodland-grass, but the relative and mean tick intensities of 0.19 and 1.5 for chaparral birds, and 0.18 and 4.0 for woodland birds, respectively, did not differ significantly by habitat. Spirochetes were not detected in either bird-blood or tick-tissue samples when tested by culture, immunofluorescence, or Giemsa-staining. In contrast, over 90% (86/94) of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) collected in June or July were infested with an average of 6.9 and 8.9 immature I. pacificus in chaparral and woodland-grass, respectively. We concluded that birds contribute little to the enzootiology of B. burgdorferi in chaparral and woodland-grass habitats in northwestern California because of their limited parasitism by tick vectors and lack of detectable spirochetes.
Blood parasites of birds: A plea for more cautious terminology. Cooper, John E.; Anwar, M. Ali. Ibis, Jan. 2001, v. 143 (1), p. 149-150. ISSN: 0019-1019.
NAL call no: SB359.5 B78
Descriptors: blood parasitism, blood and lymphatic diseases, parasitic diseases, taxonomy.
Detection and heterogeneity of herpesviruses causing Pacheco’s disease in parrots. Tomaszewski, E.; Wilson, V.G.; Wigle, W.L.; Phalen, D.N. Journal of clinical Microbiology, 2001, v. 39 (2), p. 533-538. ref. ISSN: 0095-1137.
NAL call no: QL46.J6
Descriptors: animal diseases, diagnosis, epidemiology, polymerase chain reaction, alphaherpesvirus.
Abstract: Pacheco’s disease (PD) is a common, often fatal, disease of parrots. We cloned a virus isolate from a parrot that had characteristic lesions of PD. Three viral clones were partly sequenced demonstrating that this virus was an alphaherpesvirus most closely related to the gallid herpesvirus. Five primer sets were developed from these sequences. The primer sets were used with PCR to screen tissues or tissue culture media suspected to contain viruses from 54 outbreaks of PD. The primer sets amplified DNA from all but one sample. Ten amplification patterns were detected, indicating that PD is caused by a genetically heterogeneous population of viruses. A single genetic variant (psittacid herpesvirus variant) amplified with all primer sets was the most common virus variant (62.7%). A single primer set (23F) amplified DNA from all of the positive samples, suggesting that PCR could be used as a rapid postmortem assay for these viruses. PCR was found to be significantly more sensitive than tissue culture for the detection of psittacid herpesviruses.
Disease of aviary birds. Resanovic, R. Zivinarstvo, 2001, v. 36 (6-7), p. 143-145. ISSN: 0354-4036.
Descriptors: aviary birds, disease, pets.
Abstract: This is a discussion of handling and treating caged exotic birds at small animal practice.
Disease control in adult pheasants. Pennycott, T. In Practice, 2001, v. 23 (3), p. 132-140. ref. ISSN: 0263-841X.
NAL call no: SF601.I4
Descriptors: diagnosis, disease control, helminths, game birds, peritonitis.
Disease emergence in birds: Challenges for the twenty-first century. Friend, M.; McLean, R.G.; Dein, F.J. Auk, 2001, v. 118 (2), p. 290-303. ref. ISSN: 0004-8038.
NAL call no: 413.8 AU4
Descriptors: bacterial diseases, distribution, parasitoses, reviews, zoonoses.
Abstract: Disease occurrences in birds that have increased within the past 3 decades, or threaten to increase in the near future relative to populations affected, geographical distribution, or magnitude of effects are presented. Disease and disease emergence in birds are defined. This paper focuses on the microbes and parasites that cause diseases in unconfined biota and wild avifauna. The following topics are discussed: disease-distribution; geographical-distribution; mycoses; parasitoses; population-dynamics; and zoonoses.
Diseases of caged birds transmissible to humans. Resanovic, R. Zivinarstvo, 2001, v. 36 (11), p. 239-240. ref. ISSN: 0354-4036.
Descriptors: antibiotics, drug therapy, ivermectin, zoonoses, treatment, Knemidokoptes.
Abstract: A parrot beak and feather dystrophy (parvoviral infection), and Knemidokoptes spp. ectoparasitosis of birds are discussed. Parrot and beak and feather dystrophy can be treated by systemic antibiotics, antifungal disinfectants and glucocorticosteroids, and Knemidokoptes spp. ectoparasitosis with ivermectin.
Diseases of penguins. Duignan, P.J. Surveillance-Wellington, 2001, v. 28 (4), p. 5-11. ref. ISSN: 0112-4972.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E46
Descriptors: bacterial diseases, starvation, viral diseases, animal welfare.
Ehrlichia-infected ticks on migrating birds. Bjoersdorff, A.; Bergstrom, S.; Massung, R.F.; Haemig, P.D.; Olsen, B. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2001, v. 7 (5), p. 877-879. ref. ISSN: 1080-6040.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E46
Descriptors: disease transmission, disease vectors, human diseases, tickborne diseases.
Abstract: During the spring of 1996, and estimated 581395 Ehrlichia-infected ticks were imported into Sweden by migrating birds. Ehrlichia gene sequences found 9 of 165 ticks collected from these migrating birds were identical to those of granulocytic ehrlichiosis found in domestic animals and humans in Sweden. These findings support the idea that birds may play a role in dispersing Ehrlichia.
Ehrlichiosis, Ixodes ticks and migratory birds. Alekseev, A.N.; Dubinina, H.V.; Suss, J.(ed.); Kahl, O.(ed.); Dautel, H. Proceedings of the VIth International Potsdam Symposium on Tick Borne Diseases (IPS VI), Berlin, Germany, Apr. 26-27, 2001. International Journal of Medical Biology, 2001, v. 291 Supplement 33, p. 236. ISSN: 1438-4221.
NAL call no: QR1.Z443
Descriptors: disease vectors, human diseases, mixed infections, reservoir hosts, Ehrlichia.
Emerging zoonotic diseases. Hansen, G.R.; Woodall, J.; Brown, C.; Jaax, N.; McNamara, T.; Ruiz, A. International Conference on Infectious Diseases, Jul. 2000, Atlanta, GA. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2001, v. 7 (3) Supplement 537. ISSN: 1080-6040.
NAL call no: RA648.5.E46
Descriptors: bacterial diseases, cat-scratch disease, disease models, exotics.
Encephalitis virus persistence in California birds: Preliminary studies with house finches. Reisen, W.K.; Kramer, L.G.; Chiles, R.E.; Green, E.G.N.; Martinez, V.M. Journal of Medical Entomology, May 2001, v. 38 (3), p. 393-399. ref. ISSN: 0022-2585.
NAL call no: 421.J828
Descriptors: Fringillidae, western equine encephalitis virus, chronic infections.
Abstract: Field collected house finches of mixed sex and age were infected experimentally with either western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE) or St. Louis encephalitis (SLE) viruses during the summer or fall of 1998 and maintained over the winter under ambient conditions. To detect natural relapse during the spring, 32 birds were bled weekly from February through June 1999, and then necropsied 1 yr after infection to detect chronic infections using a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After 10 mo, 13/14 surviving birds previously infected with WEE were antibody positive by enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and 11/14 had plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) antibody titers >1:20, whereas only of 8/13 birds previously infected with SLE were positive by EIA and all had PRNT titers < 1:20. When necropsied, 1/14 and 1/13 birds had WEE and SLE RT-PCR positive lung or spleen tissue, respectively; blood, brain, and liver tissues were negative as were all previous blood samples. All tissues from these birds including weekly blood samples tested negative for infectious virus by plaque assay on Vero cell culture. To determine if persistent antibody was protective, birds infected initially with WEE of SLE in November 1998 were challenged 6 mo later with homologous virus. WEE antibody persisted well (5/6 birds remained PRNT positive before challenge) and remained protective, because 0/6 birds were viremic after challenge. In contrast, SLE antibody decayed rapidly (0/6 birds remained PRNT positive before challenge) and was not protective, because 3/6 birds developed an ephemeral viremia on day 1 after infection (mean titer, 10(2.73) plaque forming units/0.1 ml). When necropsied 7 wk after challenge, 1/10 birds infected with WEE and 1/10 birds infected with SLE exhibited an RT-PCR positive spleen, despite the fact that both birds had PRNT antibody titers >1:40 at this time. To determine if immunosuppression would cause a chronic infection to relapse, eight birds initially infected with either WEE or SLE were treated with cyclophosphamide and then tested repeatedly for viremia; all samples were negative for virus by plaque assay. Collectively, our results indicated that a low percentage of birds experimentally infected with WEE or SLE developed chronic infections in the spleen or lung that could be detected by Rt-PCR, but not by plaque assay. Birds did not appear to relapse naturally or after immunosuppression. The rapid decay of SLE, but not WEE, antibody may allow the relapse of chronic infections of SLE, but not WEE, to produce viremias sufficiently elevated to infect mosquitoes.
Feather mites on birds: Costs of parasitism or conditional outcomes? Blanco, Guillermo; Tella, Jose L.; Potti, Jaime; Baz, Arturo. Journal of Avian Biology, Sept. 2001, v. 32 (3), p. 271-274. ISSN: 0908-8857.
Descriptors: Aves, host, feather mite, parasite, symbiont, cost-benefit relations.
Abstract: Feather mites (suborder Astigmata, superfamilies Analgoidea, Pterolichoidea and Freyaniidae) are among the commonest ectosymbionts of birds. Most researchers have assumed they are parasites, having negative effects on hosts. Here we present evidence that suggests that feather mites may not be parasites. We develop a framework for considering conditional outcomes in these interspecific associations, dealing with different kinds of relationships between symbionts. The non-parasitic status of feather mites is supported by a literature review as well as by preliminary data on mites’ food. We illustrate symbiotic relationships with a graphical model showing different scenarios in which hosts’ cost-benefit relations are determined by the interactions among their symbionts.
Fecal shedding and antimicrobial susceptibility of selected bacterial pathogens and a survey of intestinal parasites in free-living waterfowl. Fallacara, D.M.; Monahan, C.M.; Morishita, T.Y.; Wack, R.F. Avian Diseases, 2001, v. 45 91), p. 128-135. ref. ISSN: 0005-2086.
NAL call no: 41.8 AV5
Descriptors: parasitic nematodes, bacitracin, parasitoses, multiple drug resistance, nematodes, Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella, Pasteurella multocida.
Abstract: Free-living waterfowl residing in metropolitan parks in central Ohio, USA were surveyed between October 1998 and August 1999 for faecal shedding and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Pasteurella multocida. In addition, a survey for intestinal parasites was also conducted in these same waterfowl to determine parasite burdens in free-living waterfowl. Prevalences of 67, 50 and 0.2 % of E. coli, C. jejuni, and Salmonella, respectively, were observed for all waterfowl species. P. multocida was not isolated from the sample population. S. java was isolated from one mallard duck. Statistically, there was a significantly higher E. coli isolation rate for mallard ducks than for Canada geese, but no difference was observed for C. jejuni isolation rates between waterfowl species. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted via the disk diffusion method and multidrug resistance was exhibited for penicillin G, lincomycin, vancomycin, erythromycin and bacitracin. In addition, the prevalence of endoparasites in these sampled waterfowl ranged between 5 and 66%. Protozoan oocysts were most prevalent followed by nematode ova. No trematode or cestode ovum was recovered from this sampled population.
Gastrointestinal parasites in ostriches (Struthio camelus). Pennycott, T. Veterinary Record, 2001, v. 148 (5), p. 155-156. ISSN: 0042-4900.
NAL call no: 41.8 V641
Descriptors: disease surveys, parasites, gastrointestinal, Libyostrongylus douglassii, Codiostomum struthionis, Balantidium sp., Entamoeba.
Abstract: In 1995 a small survey was carried out by the SAC Veterinary Science Division in which samples from 50 ostriches from Scotland, England and Wales were examined for the eggs or larvae of Libyostrongylus douglassii or Codiostomum struthionis. No evidence of these nematodes was found but in 1998, larger numbers of L. douglassii and their eggs were found in a 3 year old ostrich which had died on a farm in Scotland. Small to large numbers of eggs or larvae were found in faecal samples from 7 of 9 birds on the same site, with the highest counts found in birds from the same paddock as the bird which died. No further losses occurred after remaining birds were given ivermectin. Small numbers of Balantidium sp. cysts have been found in the faeces of several healthy ostriches in Scotland, but large numbers were found in the colon of a young ostrich, aged 3 months, that lost weight and died. Large numbers of Entamoeba-like protozoa were repeatedly found in the faeces of a healthy 4 month old ostrich.
Infestation of a bird and two cats by larvae of Plodia interpunctella (Lepidoptera: Pyalidae). Pinckney, Rhonda D.: Kanton, Karin; Foster, Cheryl N.; Steinberg, Howard; Pellitteri, Phillip. Journal of Medical Entomology, Sept. 2001, v. 38 (5), p. 725-727. ISSN: 0022-2585.
NAL call no: 421 J828
Descriptors: parasite, cat, bird, larva, brain, nervous system, Indian meal moth.
Abstract: The larvae of Plodia interpunctella (Hubner), commonly known as the Indian meal moth, often cause enormous losses in stored food supplies. We present three clinical case reports of accidental infestation by P. interpunctella larvae in two domestic cats and one parakeet. A larva gained entry into the avian host and subsequently migrated to the brain. It was alive, covered with “silk-like” fibers and confirmed to be a fourth instar. Plodia interpunctella larvae were excised with forceps from the subcutaneous tissues of the ear and neck of two cats in a different household. Previous reports of infestation by P. interpunctella larvae in vertebrates are unknown.
Influence of host ecology and morphology on the diversity of neotropical bird lice. Clayton, D.H.; Walther, B.A. Oikos, Sept. 2001, v. 94 (3), p. 455-467. ISSN: 0030-1299.
NAL call no: 410.OI4
Descriptors: evolution, adaptation, parasitology, birds, hosts, host ecology, morphology, chewing lice, Peruvian birds.
Abstract: Host-parasite systems can be powerful arenas in which to explore factors influencing community structure. We used a comparative approach to examine the influence of host ecology and morphology on diversity of chewing lice (Insecta: Phthiraptera) among 52 species of Peruvian birds. For each host species we calculated two components of parasite diversity: 1.) Cumulative species richness, and 2.) Mean abundance. We tested for correlations between these parasite indices and 13 host ecological and morphological variables. Host ecological variables included geographic range size, local population density, and microhabitat use. Host morphological variables included body mass, plumage depth, and standard dimensions of bill, foot and toenail morphology, all of which could influence the efficiency of anti-parasite grooming. Data were analysed using statistical and comparative methods that control for sampling effort and host phylogeny. None of the independent host variables correlated with louse species richness when treated as a dependent variable. When richness was treated as an independent variable, however, it was positively correlated with mean louse abundance. Host body mass was also positively correlated with mean louse abundance. When louse richness and host body mass were held constant, mean louse abundance correlated negatively with the degree to which the upper mandible of the host’s bill overhangs the lower mandible. This correlation suggests that birds with longer overhangs are better at controlling lice during preening. We propose a specific functional hypothesis in which preening damages lice by exerting a shearing force between the overhang and the tip of the lower mandible. This study is the first to suggest a parasite-control function of such a detailed component of bill morphology across species. Avian biologists have traditionally focused almost exclusively on bills as tools for feeding. We suggest that the adaptive radiation of bill morphology should be reinterpreted with both preening and feeding in mind.
Infraorbital sinusitis associated with Pasteurella multocida in pen-raised ring-neck pheasants. Chin, R.P.; Goshgarian, M. Avian Diseases. Apr./Jun. 2001, v. 45 (2), p. 540-543. ref. ISSN: 0005-2086.
NAL call no: 41.9 AV5
Descriptors: pheasants, sinuses, sinusitis, Pasteurella multocida, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella haemolytica, Mycoplasma gallinaceum, Mycoplasma glycophilum, multiple infections, tetracycline.
Abstract: Pateurella mulocida, somatic serotype 6, was isolated from the infraorbital sinuses of 8-wk-old ring-necked pheasants with severe sinusitis. In addition, Escherichia coli, Pasteurella haemolytica like bacteria, Mycoplasma gallinaceum, and Mycoplasma glycophilum were also isolated from some of the sinuses. Clinical signs appeared 3 days after placement on the grow-out ranch. The sinusitis consisted of severe unilateral of bilateral distention of the sinuses by mucoid to caseous exudate. Mortality and morbidity were low. Birds responded to treatment with tetracycline after proper medication procedures. The source of the infection was not determined, though possible sources include the brood ranch, wild animals, or wild waterfowl.
Interspecific variability of prevalence in blood parasites of adult passerine birds during the breeding season in Alaska. Deviche, Pierre; Greiner, Ellis C.; Manteca, Xavier. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, Jan. 2001, v. 37 (1), p. 28-35. ISSN: 0090-3558.
NAL call no: 41.9 W64B
Descriptors: blood parasite infection, parasitic disease, blood and lymphatic disease, Alaska.
Abstract: Blood parasite prevalence based on microscopic examination of stained blood smears was determined in adults of 11 passerine bird species sampled during their breeding season (May and June 1997-98) in interior Alaska (USA). These species included primarily Nearctic migratory species such as the dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) and neotropical migratory species such as the blackpoll warbler (Dendrocia striata), alder flycatcher (Empidonax ainorum), Swainson’s thrush (Catharus ustulatus), northern waterthrush (Seiurus noveboracensis), and bank swallow (Riparia riparia) as well as one long-distance palearctic migrant, the arctic warbler (Phylloscopus borealis). The more prevalent parasites were Leucocytozoon dubreuili (73% of the sampled turdinids), L. fringillinarum (42% of the sampled fringillids and parulids), and Trypanosoma avium (39% of the sampled hosts). Other parasites (H. Fallisi: 18% of the sampled turdinids; Haemoproteus paruli: 14% of the sampled parulids; H. fringillae: 5% of the sampled fringillids; microfilaria: 4% of the sampled hosts) were observed less frequently. Plasmodium vaughani was found only in two yellow warblers (Dendroica petechia). Overall parasite prevalence varied between 0% in the alder flycatcher to >80% in Swainson’s thrush, arctic warbler, and Townsend’s warbler (Dendroica townsendi). Prevalence of various hematozoa also was bird species dependent. No relationship was observed between prevalence and either foraging (aerial versus trees/shrubs) or nesting habits (ground versus arboreal) or general location of the wintering area of the different species examined. Prevalence also was unrelated to average dates of arrival on breeding grounds and, therefore, to potential duration of exposure to local insect vectors before capture. Differences in blood parasite prevalence among species breeding in a same region and in the same type of habitat may result from differences in host specificity such as immunological resistance to infection or blood meal preference by potential vectors and/or in behavioral adjustments/physiological traits that alter exposure to vectors.
Mycobacteriosis in birds. Tell, L.A.; Woods, L.; Cromie, R.L. Revue Scientifique et Technique Office International des Epizooties, 2001, v. 20 (1), p. 180-203. ref. ISSN: 0253-1933.
NAL call no: SF781.R4
Descriptors: diagnosis, disease control, prevention, intestinal diseases, treatment, Mycobacterium avium, Mycobacterium genavense.
Abstract: Avian mycobacteriosis is an important disease which affects companion, captive exotic, wild and domestic birds. The disease is most commonly caused by Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium genavense. Lesions are typically found in the liver and gastrointestinal tract, although many other organ systems can potentially be affected. The authors review those species of Mycobacterium reported to affect birds, the epidemiology of avian mycobacteriosis, immunological responses to mycobacterial infection, an