Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology,Stellenbosch University,7602 Stellenbosch,South Africa.
Department of Mathematical Sciences,Stellenbosch University, and African Institute for Mathematical Sciences,Stellenbosch,Western Cape,South Africa.
Parasitology. 2019 May;146(6):791-804. doi: 10.1017/S0031182018002159. Epub 2019 Feb 6.
The African penguin (Spheniscus demersus) is a critically endangered species endemic to southern Africa. Limited information is available on the parasite diversity associated with the species in natural settings. This study explores the diversity and incidence of parasites associated with African penguins and their nests, and records the effect of host and environmental factors on parasite infestation. Ecto-, haemo- and helminth parasites were recorded from 210 adult birds, 583 chicks and 628 nests across five colonies (two mainland and three islands) along the south-western coast of South Africa, in 2016 and 2017. Mean nest density (total and active nests) and climate variables (temperature and precipitation) were obtained for each colony. Parapsyllus humboldti was the most abundant and prevalent ectoparasite on penguins and in nests (69.10 and 57.80%, respectively), while Piroplasmorida/Haemospororida (33.51%) and Cardiocephaloides spp. (56.17%) were the most prevalent haemo- and helminth parasites of penguins, respectively. In general parasite abundance and prevalence was significantly affected by penguin age (chicks vs adults), location (mainland vs islands), nest density (total and active nests) and season (spring vs autumn/winter). It is concluded that parasite infestations are structured and that penguin chicks at mainland colonies are more susceptible to parasite infestations during spring.
非洲企鹅（Spheniscus demersus）是一种极度濒危物种，仅分布于非洲南部。关于该物种在自然环境中与寄生虫相关的多样性的信息有限。本研究旨在探讨与非洲企鹅及其巢穴相关的寄生虫多样性和发生率，并记录宿主和环境因素对寄生虫感染的影响。在 2016 年至 2017 年期间，从南非西南海岸的五个殖民地（两个大陆和三个岛屿）的 210 只成年鸟、583 只雏鸟和 628 个巢穴中记录了外寄生虫、血液寄生虫和内部寄生虫。每个殖民地都获得了平均巢密度（总巢和活动巢）和气候变量（温度和降水）。Parapsyllus humboldti 是企鹅和巢穴中最丰富和最常见的外寄生虫（分别为 69.10%和 57.80%），而 Piroplasmorida/Haemospororida（33.51%）和 Cardiocephaloides spp.（56.17%）分别是企鹅最常见的血液寄生虫和内部寄生虫。一般来说，寄生虫的丰度和流行度受企鹅年龄（雏鸟与成年鸟）、地点（大陆与岛屿）、巢密度（总巢和活动巢）和季节（春季与秋季/冬季）的显著影响。结论是寄生虫感染是有结构的，并且在春季，大陆殖民地的企鹅雏鸟更容易受到寄生虫感染。
