Coastal Wetlands of Northern Chile

Sielfeld, Walter; Peredo, Ronny; Fuentes, Rosa; Malinarich, Vinko; Olivares, Flavio

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-63877-5_5

Cited by 2 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…It has an area of approximately 300 ha, of which only 31 ha is protected under the denomination of “Municipal Nature Reserve”. For birds, it is the most important wetland in northern Chile, hosting more than 150 species (both resident and migratory), which represent 32% of the bird species described for the country [ 19 , 20 , 21 ]. In 2010, it was designated a shorebird reserve by the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN), a conservation initiative for the protection of the ecological integrity of critical habitats for shorebirds throughout the Americas [ 20 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, the Lluta River wetland in Arica and Parinacota Region has a desert climate (<1 mm yearly rainfall); the El Yali wetland in the Valparaíso Region (central zone) has a climate comprising a cloudy steppe and warm temperate steppe with winter rainfall,; and the Itata River in Biobio Region (southern zone) has a warm temperate climate with dry and rainy seasons. This environmental variety of Chilean wetlands and the size of the country may affect the structure and composition of bird assemblages; however, this is still poorly studied in Chile, especially in the northern zone [ 18 , 19 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The coastal wetlands of northern Chile, being important sources of water in an extremely arid area, are ecosystems that shelter and serve as refuge for many species of wild birds [ 19 ]. The Lluta River wetland is the northernmost coastal wetland in Chile and belongs to the biogeographical province of the Coastal Desert.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Its main water source is the Lluta River, the only exoreic river in the province, which experiences its most important floods during the summer season (December to March) due to the “highland winter” rains. The average annual temperature fluctuates between 16° and 22 °C and rainfall is almost non-existent throughout the year, reaching an annual maximum of 1.5 mm [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This wetland represents the main habitat of the local avifauna in the Atacama Desert and the gateway to the country for many migratory species that use the Pacific route [ 19 , 21 ]. The movements of those species may play an important role in the maintenance and spread of North American lineage viruses; therefore, this wetland may be a possible point of confluence where North and South American IAVs intermix [ 9 ], thereby representing a priority site for avian influenza virus surveillance in Chile.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza A Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile

Ruíz

Galdames

Baumberger

et al. 2023

Viruses

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The Lluta River is the northernmost coastal wetland in Chile, representing a unique ecosystem and an important source of water in the extremely arid Atacama Desert. During peak season, the wetland is home to more than 150 species of wild birds and is the first stopover point for many migratory species that arrive in the country along the Pacific migratory route, thereby representing a priority site for avian influenza virus (AIV) surveillance in Chile. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of influenza A virus (IAV) in the Lluta River wetland, identify subtype diversity, and evaluate ecological and environmental factors that drive the prevalence at the study site. The wetland was studied and sampled from September 2015 to October 2020. In each visit, fresh fecal samples of wild birds were collected for IAV detection by real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, a count of wild birds present at the site was performed and environmental variables, such as temperature, rainfall, vegetation coverage (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index—NDVI), and water body size were determined. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was built to assess the association between AIV prevalence and explanatory variables. Influenza positive samples were sequenced, and the host species was determined by barcoding. Of the 4349 samples screened during the study period, overall prevalence in the wetland was 2.07% (95% CI: 1.68 to 2.55) and monthly prevalence of AIV ranged widely from 0% to 8.6%. Several hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were identified, and 10 viruses were isolated and sequenced, including low pathogenic H5, H7, and H9 strains. In addition, several reservoir species were recognized (both migratory and resident birds), including the newly identified host Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis). Regarding environmental variables, prevalence of AIV was positively associated with NDVI (OR = 3.65, p < 0.05) and with the abundance of migratory birds (OR = 3.57, p < 0.05). These results emphasize the importance of the Lluta wetland as a gateway to Chile for viruses that come from the Northern Hemisphere and contribute to the understanding of AIV ecological drivers.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza A Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile

Ruíz

Galdames

Baumberger

et al. 2023

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza a Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile

Ruíz¹,

Galdames²,

Baumberger³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The Lluta River is the northernmost coastal wetland in Chile, representing a unique ecosystem and an important source of water in the extremely arid Atacama Desert. During peak season, the wetland is home to more than 150 species of wild birds and is the first stopover point for many migratory species that arrive in the country along the Pacific migratory route, representing a priority site for avian influenza virus (AIV) surveillance in Chile. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of influenza A virus (IAV) in the Lluta River wetland, to identify subtype diversity and to evaluate ecological and environmental factors that drive the prevalence at the study site. The wetland was studied and sampled from September 2015 to October 2020. In each visit, fresh fecal environmental samples (n = 178) of wild birds were collected for IAV detection by real-time RT-PCR. Furthermore, a count of wild birds present at the site was performed and environmental variables, such as temperature, rainfall, vegetation coverage (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index - NDVI) and water body size were determined. A generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) was built to assess the association between AIV prevalence and explanatory variables. Influenza positive samples were sequenced, and the host species was determined by barcoding. Of the 4,349 samples screened during the study period, overall prevalence in the wetland was 2.07% (95% CI: 1.68 to 2.55) and monthly prevalence of AIV ranged widely from 0% to 8.6%. A great diversity of hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) subtypes were identified, and 10 viruses were isolated and sequenced, including low pathogenic H5, H7 and H9 strains. In addition, several reservoir species were recognized (both migratory and resident birds), including the newly identified host Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis). Regarding environmental variables, prevalence of AIV was positively associated with NDVI (OR=3.65, p<0.05) and with the abundance of migratory birds (OR=3.57, p<0.05). These results emphasize the importance of the Lluta wetland as a gateway to Chile for viruses that come from the Northern Hemisphere and contribute to the understanding of AIV ecological drivers.

show abstract

Coastal Wetlands of Northern Chile

Cited by 2 publications

References 6 publications

Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza A Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile

Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza A Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile

Remote Sensing and Ecological Variables Related to Influenza a Prevalence and Subtype Diversity in Wild Birds in the Lluta Wetland of Northern Chile

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