First records of prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia in snipe species (genus Gallinago) of Japan

Abstract

Migratory birds are important carriers of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria and protozoa. Avian haemosporidia have been detected from many wild birds of Japan, but the infection status of migratory birds and transmission area are still largely unknown. Gallinago snipes are long-distance migratory shorebirds, and five species migrate to or through Japan, including Latham's snipe which is near threatened. Haemosporidian parasites in four snipe species were investigated to understand the role of migratory birds in the transmission of avian haemosporidia. Namely, this study aimed: i) to investigate differences in parasite prevalence and related factors explaining infection likelihood among these migratory species, ii) to explore the diversity in haemosporidian lineages and possible transmission areas, and iii) to assess the possibility of morphological effects of infection. Blood samples were collected from snipes caught in central and southwest Japan during migration. Parasites cyt b gene DNA were detected via PCR-based testing, and detected lineages were phylogenetically analyzed. Additionally, factors related to prevalence and morphological effects of infection were statistically tested. 383 birds from four Gallinago snipe species were caught, showing higher overall prevalence of avian haemosporidia (17.8 %) than reported in other wader species in previous studies. This high infection rate is presumably due to increased contact with vector insects, resultant of environmental preferences. The prevalence of Plasmodium spp. Was higher in Swinhoe's snipes, while Haemoproteus spp. Was higher in Latham's snipes. These differences are thought to be related to ecological factors including habitat use, distribution and migratory route. Six lineages detected from juveniles indicate transmission between the breeding and sampling area. Contrary to expectations, a direct link between morphological features and haemosporidian parasite infection were not detected. These findings provide valuable information for conservation of this endangered migratory bird group. Further studies linking biological and parasitological research are anticipated to contribute to conservational actions.

A widespread survey of avian haemosporidia in deceased wild birds of Japan: the hidden value of personally collected samples

“…Parasite prevalence is known to widely differ between bird species, due to several factors such as their life history, habitat, and behaviors [1,17,18,23]. Furthermore, body conditions and vital status are also known to affect the parasite prevalence [5,8].…”

“…It is not possible to control for the number and species of birds collected, and consequently, only one to a few individuals were obtained for each species. Parasite prevalence is known to widely differ between bird species, due to several factors such as their life history, habitat, and behaviors [ 1 , 17 , 18 , 23 ]. Furthermore, body conditions and vital status are also known to affect the parasite prevalence [ 5 , 8 ].…”

“…Molecular detection of avian haemosporidia: DNA was extracted from the tissue samples using standard phenol-chloroform method and dissolved in tris-EDTA buffer. Avian haemosporidian DNA was detected by a previously described nested -PCR protocol targeting the partial mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene of avian haemosporidia [18]. Briefly, the primer set HaemNFI/HaemNR3 was used for 1st PCR, followed by a 2nd PCR using HaemF/HaemR2 and HaemFL/HaemR2L [11].…”

“…The authors declare they have no competing interests. 18 and 19J20367) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).…”

Natural history of the Fuegian snipe (Gallinago stricklandii (Gray 1845): a resident bird at Cape Horn?

“…La becacina grande pertenece al género Gallinago que incluye 18 especies de aves limícolas (Inumaru et al 2021;Remsen et al 2022;Winkler et al 2020). Se caracteriza por poseer un pico desproporcionadamente largo y fino y un patrón de coloración críptico que varía de intensidad entre sus especies.…”