Does haemosporidian infection affect hematological and biochemical profiles of the endangered Black-fronted piping-guan (Aburria jacutinga)?

Abstract

Infectious diseases can cause deleterious effects on bird species, leading to population decline and extinction. Haemosporidia can be recognized by their negative effects on host fitness, including reproductive success and immune responses. In captivity, outbreaks of haemosporidian infection have been observed in birds in zoos and aviaries. The endemic Brazilian Atlantic rainforest species Aburria jacutinga is one of the most endangered species in the Cracidae family, and wild populations of this species are currently found mainly in conservation areas in only two Brazilian states. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of avian haemosporidia on hematological and biochemical parameters in two captive populations of A. jacutinga. Forty-two animals were assessed, and the haemosporidian prevalence was similar for males and females. The occurrence of haemosporidian infection in captive A. jacutinga observed in this study was similar to results found in other captive and wild birds in Brazil. We found three different lineages of haemosporidia. Two lineages were identified as Plasmodium sp., one of which was previously detected in Europe and Asia, and the other is a new lineage closely related to P. gallinaceum. A new third lineage was identified as Haemoproteus sp. We found no significant differences in hematological and biochemical values between infected and non-infected birds, and the haemosporidian lineage did not seem to have an impact on the clinical and physiological parameters of A. jacutinga. This is the first report on an evaluation of natural haemosporidian infections diagnosed by microscopic and molecular methods in A. jacutinga by hematology, blood biochemistry, and serum protein values. Determining physiological parameters, occurrence and an estimation of the impact of haemosporidia in endangered avian species may contribute to the management of species rehabilitation and conservation.

Haemoproteus paraortalidum n. sp. in captive Black-fronted Piping-guans Aburria jacutinga (Galliformes, Cracidae): high prevalence in a population reintroduced into the wild

“…lineage described here (Motta et al, 2013). However, there were no significant alterations in hematological, biochemical and in the serum protein (albumin and immunoglobulins) profiles due to this infection, indicating that this parasite may not cause major deleterious effects under the same captive circumstances as evaluated here.…”

“…Birds in our study and in Motta et al (2013) showed low parasitemia (ranging from undetectable parasites under microscopy to 0.1%), a characteristic of the chronic stage of infection (Valkiūnas, 2005). These birds were provided with food and water, and were protected from harsh environmental conditions and predators.…”

“…Infectious diseases may compromise such programs by reducing longevity and reproduction of captive animals (Sainsbury and Vaughan-Higgins, 2012) and by excluding animals from reintroduction (Ewen et al, 2012). To comply with international guidelines (IUCN, 2009), health assessments were conducted to identify hazards to captive populations of Black-fronted Piping-guans participating in reintroduction programs, revealing infections by mites, helminths and haemosporidian parasites Motta et al, 2013).…”

“…in a population which members are being reintroduced into the wild raises questions of how to improve the success of reintroduction programs. Information about the impact of H. paraortalidum n. sp.infection on the Black-fronted Piping-guan is limited, but it seems that this parasite does not cause major impacts on the established captive population during light chronic infection(Motta et al, 2013). However, we do not know the consequences of H. paraortalidum n. sp infection during primary stages of infection and how the parasite behaves in released birds.…”

Searching for putative avian malaria vectors in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in Brazil

“…Species of this mosquito genus are the main vectors of avian Plasmodium [7] and for this reason Culex was included in our analysis despite the lack of identification to the species level. There are no confirmed cases of natural transmission of Plasmodium gallinaceum outside of the Asian continent [3], but lineages closely related to this parasite have been detected in wild birds from southeastern Brazil [10] and in captive Aburria jacutinga , a bird of the order Galliformes [43]. We mist-netted birds for haemosporidian studies at these same areas and periods, but no P. gallinaceum -like parasites were detected (Ferreira Jr., unpublished observations).…”