In situ hybridization and sequence analysis reveal an association of Plasmodium spp. with mortalities in wild passerine birds in Austria

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Abstract

Native European passerine birds are frequently clinically inapparent carriers of haemosporidian parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Clinical disease and death are only exceptionally reported. In the present study, tissue samples of 233 wild passerine birds found dead in Eastern Austria were examined by in situ hybridization (ISH) and partial cytochrome B gene sequence analysis for the presence, abundance and taxonomic assignment of Plasmodium spp. In 34 cases (14.6%), ISH yielded a positive result with large numbers of developmental stages in different cell types of the spleen, liver, brain and lung. The abundance of the tissue stages, which was comparable to fatal cases of avian malaria in penguins, suggested a major contribution to the cause of death. Genetic analysis revealed infections with representatives of three different valid species of Plasmodium, Plasmodium elongatum, Plasmodium lutzi and Plasmodium vaughani. Genetically identical parasite lineages had been found in a previous study in penguins kept in the Vienna zoo, providing evidence for the role of wild birds as reservoir hosts. Further, this study provides evidence that several species of Plasmodium are able to abundantly proliferate in endemic wild birds ultimately resulting in mortalities.

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Introduced avian diseases, climate change, and the future of Hawaiian honeycreepers.

C Atkinson, Dennis A. LaPointe (2009)

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Prevalence of blood parasites in European passeriform birds.

Alex Scheuerlein, Robert Ricklefs (2004)

Variation in the prevalence of blood parasites among species of birds has been used to test hypotheses about the effects of sexual selection and parental investment on disease resistance, and how vector abundance influences infection. However, the factors causing this variation are still poorly understood. We assessed the statistical effects of biogeographic, plumage-related and life-history traits on the prevalence of the blood parasites Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon and Trypanosoma in European passerine birds. Most of the variation in parasite prevalence occurred at low taxonomic levels. Brighter male plumage and greater host body mass were associated with higher prevalence, explaining 32% of the total variation. Male plumage brightness remained a significant factor when we controlled for phylogenetic effects. These relationships were driven primarily by simuliid-transmitted parasites (Leucocytozoon, Trypanosoma), which were more frequent in species with northern distributions. Host species with greater maximum longevity and shorter nestling periods had higher prevalences of Plasmodium; however, the effect was not stable after controlling for phylogeny using pairwise contrasts. Coevolution between hosts and parasites appears to create temporal and spatial variation that disconnects haematozoan prevalence from evolutionarily conservative life-history traits while creating some positive associations with traits that are phylogenetically labile. Clearly, ecologists should be cautious in relating patterns of variation in haematozoan prevalence to particular host traits.

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Monitoring of Usutu virus activity and spread by using dead bird surveillance in Austria, 2003-2005.

H Weissenböck, F Rubel, Tamás Bakonyi … (2007)

Usutu virus has been causing avian mortality in Austria since its emergence in 2001. Between 2003 and 2005 a total of 504 dead birds were examined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry for the presence of Usutu virus nucleic acid and antigen, respectively. In 2003, 92 birds (out of 177 birds) belonging to five different species were positive, while in 2004, only 11 (of 224) birds, and in 2005, 4 (of 103) birds proved positive, all of which were blackbirds (Turdus merula). Within the surveillance period the virus had spread from its initial area of emergence and circulation, the surroundings of Vienna, to large areas of the federal states of Lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria. However, the absolute numbers of Usutu virus associated avian deaths declined significantly during the course of the years. In addition, the proportion of birds with low amounts of virus in their tissues increased continuously, which may indicate developing herd immunity.