Inumaru Mizue, Kimura Rui, Suzuki Naoko, Suzuki Hajime, Horikoshi Kazuo, Nishiumi Isao, Kawakami Kazuto, Tsuda Yoshio, Murata Koichi, Sato Yukita
Department of Medical Entomology National Institute of Infectious Diseases Shinjuku Tokyo Japan.
Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences Nihon University Fujisawa Kanagawa Japan.
Ecol Evol. 2024 Dec 23;14(12):e70737. doi: 10.1002/ece3.70737. eCollection 2024 Dec.
Avian haemosporidian parasites and avian pox virus (APV) are well-known pathogens for their impact on avian populations, especially in oceanic islands where introduced pathogens show strong virulence for endemic and naïve birds. The Bonin Islands are a group of oceanic islands 1000 km south of Tokyo. Like the Hawaiian Islands, there are many endemic and endangered species as well as introduced species, which have greatly affected the native avian fauna. However, pathogens in wild birds of this archipelago had not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and APV among birds and mosquitoes in this unique ecosystem of the Bonin Islands. From 2014 to 2020, 524 birds of 39 species either rescued, deceased, or caught by mist-netting were sampled. APV-like lesions were sampled from nine birds. 262 mosquitoes were collected by sweeping nets or CDC traps. All samples were tested via PCR for haemosporidian infection, and lesions were tested for APV.209 birds (39.9%) of 11 species were positive for haemosporidian parasite DNA, and all three parasite genera were detected. Prevalence was particularly high for (pGRW06) and (pGRW04). The former was detected from both resident birds and mosquitoes, suggesting local transmission. An introduced species, the warbling white-eye (), had a particularly high prevalence of pGRW06 (68.3%) and may be a reservoir of this lineage. Both APV and spp. were detected from all APV-tested birds, suggesting that these two pathogens may be transmitted simultaneously via mosquitoes. The presence of avian haemosporidian parasites and APV was confirmed in the Bonin Islands for the first time. However, the virulence and origin of these pathogens remain unknown, and many bird species are still understudied. Further investigations are required to contribute to the conservation of this unique avifauna.
禽血孢子虫寄生虫和禽痘病毒（APV）是众所周知的病原体，它们对鸟类种群有影响，特别是在海洋岛屿，外来病原体对当地和未接触过病原体的鸟类表现出很强的毒力。小笠原群岛是位于东京以南1000公里处的一组海洋岛屿。与夏威夷群岛一样，这里有许多特有和濒危物种以及外来物种，这对当地的鸟类动物群产生了很大影响。然而，该群岛野生鸟类中的病原体尚未得到调查。在本研究中，我们调查了小笠原群岛这个独特生态系统中鸟类和蚊子体内禽血孢子虫寄生虫和APV的流行情况。2014年至2020年期间，对39种通过救助、死亡或雾网捕获的524只鸟类进行了采样。从9只鸟身上采集了类似APV的病变样本。通过扫网或疾控中心诱捕器收集了262只蚊子。所有样本均通过PCR检测血孢子虫感染情况，病变样本检测APV。11种鸟类中的209只（39.9%）血孢子虫寄生虫DNA呈阳性，并且检测到了所有三个寄生虫属。（pGRW06）和（pGRW04）的流行率特别高。前者在留鸟和蚊子中均被检测到，表明存在本地传播。外来物种黄腰太阳鸟（）的pGRW06流行率特别高（68.3%），可能是该谱系的宿主。在所有检测APV的鸟类中均检测到了APV和疟原虫属，这表明这两种病原体可能通过蚊子同时传播。小笠原群岛首次确认存在禽血孢子虫寄生虫和APV。然而，这些病原体的毒力和来源仍然未知，许多鸟类物种仍未得到充分研究。需要进一步调查以促进对这种独特鸟类动物群的保护。
