Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, 252-0880, Japan.
Niigata City Aquarium Marinepia Nihonkai, 5932-445 Nishifunamicho, Chuo, Niigata, 951-8555, Japan.
Malar J. 2021 Mar 6;20(1):136. doi: 10.1186/s12936-021-03669-3.
Captive populations of penguins outside of their natural distributions are often maintained in outdoor facilities, such as zoos and aquariums. Consequently, such penguins in captivity are constantly exposed to mosquito vectors and risk of avian malarial infection during their active period from spring to autumn, which can be lethal to these naïve birds. Previous studies have investigated parasite prevalence in mosquitoes or penguins, but simultaneous investigations, which would be crucial to monitor the transmission dynamics and cycle within a facility, have not been done. To identify dominant lineages and trends, multiple-year surveys are recommended.
Avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium spp.) and related haemosporidia were tested in penguins and mosquitoes at an aquarium in Japan through multiple years from 2011 to 2018. Prevalence and dynamics were confirmed, and molecular analyses targeting the protozoal cytb gene were used to reveal the transmission cycle. Blood meals of mosquitoes were also identified using molecular methods.
Parasite detection in penguins tended to fluctuate within an individual. Two Plasmodium lineages were consistently detected in mosquitoes that had fed on penguins and wild birds observed around the aquarium. Plasmodium lineage CXPIP09 was detected from both mosquitoes and penguins, suggesting active transmission at this facility. However, Plasmodium cathemerium PADOM02 was only detected in mosquitoes, which may be due to host, vector or parasite-related factors, or detection methods and their limits. Additionally, Haemoproteus larae SPMAG12 was detected from penguins, suggesting active transmission via biting midges.
The mismatch in parasite composition between penguins and mosquitoes shows that multiple aspects such as captive birds, wild birds and vector insects should be monitored in order to better understand and control avian malarial infection within ex-situ conservation facilities. Furthermore, morphological analyses would be needed to confirm competency and infection dynamics of avian malaria parasites.
在自然分布范围之外,圈养的企鹅种群通常被饲养在户外设施中,如动物园和水族馆。因此,这些圈养的企鹅在春季到秋季的活跃期内,会持续接触到蚊子等媒介,并面临感染禽疟的风险,这对这些天真的鸟类来说可能是致命的。先前的研究已经调查了蚊子或企鹅中的寄生虫流行率,但尚未进行同步调查,这对于监测设施内的传播动态和周期至关重要。为了确定优势谱系和趋势,建议进行多年调查。
在日本的一个水族馆,通过 2011 年至 2018 年的多年调查,对企鹅和蚊子中的禽疟原虫(Plasmodium spp.)和相关血孢子虫进行了测试。确认了流行率和动态,并使用针对原生动物 cytb 基因的分子分析来揭示传播周期。还使用分子方法鉴定了蚊子的血液来源。
在个体内部,寄生虫在企鹅体内的检测结果存在波动。在以水族馆周围观察到的野生鸟类和企鹅为食的蚊子中, consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected consistently detected 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