Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T07:15:02.341Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Apparent absence of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Toxoplasma gondii in three species of penguins along the Antarctic Peninsula

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2010

Maria José Palacios ,
Andrés Barbosa ,
Susana Pedraza-Díaz ,
Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora ,
Francisco Valera ,
José Javier Cuervo ,
Jesús Benzal  and
Carlos De La Cruz
Maria José Palacios
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
Andrés Barbosa*
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, C/José Gutierrez Abascal, 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain
Susana Pedraza-Díaz
Affiliation:
Grupo SALUVET, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Luis Miguel Ortega-Mora
Affiliation:
Grupo SALUVET, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain
Francisco Valera
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
José Javier Cuervo
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
Jesús Benzal
Affiliation:
Departamento de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Carretera de Sacramento s/n, 04120 La Cañada de San Urbano, Almería, Spain
Carlos De La Cruz
Affiliation:
Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
*
*Corresponding author: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

We carried out a study to investigate the presence of some protozoan parasites (Cryptosporidium sp., Giardia sp., Toxoplasma gondii) on three species of Antarctic penguins: Adélie (Pygoscelis adeliae), gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarctica) from different locations along the Antarctic Peninsula and the South Shetland Islands. Swabs and faeces samples were analysed by PCR assay for Cryptosporidium sp. and Giardia sp. while Toxoplasma was studied using serological methods from blood samples. We did not detect the presence of these organisms in the species studied. However, based on the upper values of the confidence intervals of the observed prevalence, their presence cannot be completely excluded.

Keywords

diseasesparasitesProtozoaPygoscelis adeliaePygoscelis antarcticaPygoscelis papua
Type
Biological Sciences
Information
Antarctic Science , Volume 22 , Issue 3 , June 2010 , pp. 265 - 270
Copyright
Copyright © Antarctic Science Ltd 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Afonso, E., Thulllez, P., Pontier, D.Gilot-Fromont, E. 2007. Toxoplasmosis in prey species and consequences for prevalence in feral cats: not all prey species are equal. Parasitology, 134, 1963–1971.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Appelbee, A.J., Thompson, R.C.A.Olson, M.E. 2005. Giardia and Cryptosporidium in mammalian wildlife - current status and future needs. Trends in Parasitology, 21, 370–376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Atías, A. 1998. Parasitología médica. Santiago, Chile: Ediciones Mediterráneo, 615 pp.Google Scholar
Ballweber, L.R., Panuska, C., Huston, C.L., Vasilopulos, R., Pharr, G.T.Mackin, A. 2009. Prevalence of and risk factors associated with shedding of Cryptosporidium felis in domestic cats of Mississippi and Alabama. Veterinary Parasitology, 160, 306–310.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barbosa, A.Palacios, M.J. 2009. Health of Antarctic birds: a review of their parasites, pathogens and diseases. Polar Biology, 31, 1095–1115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barbosa, A., Merino, S., Benzal, J., Martinez, J.García-Fraile, S. 2007. Geographic variation in the immunoglobulin levels in pygoscelid penguins. Polar Biology, 30, 219–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boom, R., Sol, C.J.A., Salimans, M.M.M., Jansen, C.L., Wertheim van Dillen, P.M.E.van der Noordaa, J. 1990. Rapid and simple method for purification of nucleic acids. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 28, 495–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bush, A.O., Lafferty, K.D., Lotz, J.M.Shostak, A.W. 1997. Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. revisited. Journal of Parasitology, 83, 575–583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Carlini, A., Coria, N.R., Santos, M.M., Negrete, J., Juares, M.A.Daneri, G.A. 2009. Responses of Pygoscelis adeliae and P. papua populations to environmental changes at Isla 25 de Mayo (King George Island). Polar Biology, 32, 1427–1433.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clarke, J.Kerry, K. 2000. Diseases and parasites of penguins. Penguin Conservation, 13, 5–24.Google Scholar
De Camps, S., Dubey, J.P.Saville, W.J. 2008. Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in zoo animals in selected zoos in the midwestern United States. Journal of Parasitology, 94, 648–653.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Desmonts, G.Remington, J.S. 1980. Direct agglutination test for diagnosis of Toxoplasma infection: method for increasing sensitivity and specificity. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 11, 562–568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dolnik, O.Loonen, M.J.J.E. 2007. First finding of Tyzzeria parvula (Kotlán 1933) Klimes 1963 (Protozoa: Coccidiia) in Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis Bechstein, 1803) on Spitsbergen. Zoosystematica Rossica, 15, 214.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dorrenstein, G.M. 1997. Passerines. In Altman, R.B.,ed. Avian medicine and surgery. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders, 867–885.Google Scholar
Dubey, J.P. 2002. A review of Toxoplasmosis in wild birds. Veterinary Parasitology, 106, 121–153.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dubey, J.P.Beattie, C.P. 1988. Toxoplasmosis of animals and man. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 232 pp.Google Scholar
Dubey, J.P.Desmonts, G. 1987. Serological responses of equids fed Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Equine Veterinary Journal, 19, 337–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dubey, J.P.Jones, J.L. 2008. Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans and animals in the United States. International Journal for Parasitology, 38, 1257–1278.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fayer, R., Speer, C.A.Dubey, J.P. 1997. The general biology of Cryptosporidium. In Fayer, R., ed. Cryptosporidium and Cryptosporidiosis. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 22–23.Google Scholar
Fredes, F., Raffo, E.Muñoz, P. 2007a. First report of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in stool of Adélie penguin from the Antarctic using acid-fast stain. Antarctic Science, 19, 437–438.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fredes, F., Diaz, A., Raffo, E.Muñoz, P. 2008. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts detected using acid-fast stain in faeces of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) in Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 20, 495–496.Google Scholar
Fredes, F., Madariaga, C., Raffo, E., Valencia, J., Herrera, M., Godoy, C.Alcaino, H. 2007b. Gastrointestinal parasite fauna of gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) from the Peninsula Munita, Bahia Paraiso, Antarctica. Antarctic Science, 19, 93–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frenckel, J.K., Dubey, J.P.Miller, N.L. 1970. Toxoplasma gondii in cats: fecal stages identified as coccidian ooscyst. Science, 167, 893.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golemanski, V. 2003. Eimeria pygosceli n. sp. (Coccidia: Eimeriidae) from the penguins (Pygoscelidae) on the Livingston Island (the Antarctic). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica, 55, 3–8.Google Scholar
Ippen, R.Henne, D. 1989. Weitere Sarcocystisbefunde bei Vogeln und Saugetierern der Antarktis. Erkrankungen der Zootiere, 31, 371–376.Google Scholar
Johnson, D.C., Reynolds, K.A., Gerba, C.P., Pepper, I.L.Rose, J.B. 1995a. Detection on Giardia and Cryptosporidium in marine waters. Water Science Technology, 5, 439–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, D.W., Pieniazek, N.J., Griffin, D.W., Misener, L.Rose, J.B. 1995b. Development of a PCR protocol for sensitive detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in water samples. Applied Environmental Microbiology, 61, 3849–3855.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jones, H.I.Shellam, G.R. 1999. The occurrence of blood-inhabiting protozoa in captive and free-living penguins. Polar Biology, 21, 5–10.Google Scholar
Lalle, M., Pozio, E., Capelli, G., Bruschi, F., Crotti, D.Caccio, S.M. 2005. Genetic heterogeneity at the beta-giardin locus among human and animal isolates of Giardia duodenalis and identification of potentially zoonotic subgenotypes. International Journal for Parasitology, 35, 207–213.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mason, R.W., Hartley, W.J.Dubey, J.P. 1991. Lethal toxoplasmosis in a little penguin (Eudyptula minor) from Tasmania. Journal of Parasitology, 77, 328.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McLauchlin, J., Pedraza-Díaz, S., Amar-Hoetzeneder, C.Nichols, G.L. 1999. Genetic characterization of Cryptosporidium strains from 218 patients with diarrhea diagnosed as having sporadic cryptosporidiosis. Journal of Clinical Microbiology, 37, 3153–3158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merino, S., Barbosa, A., Moreno, J.Potti, J. 1997. Absence of haematozoa in a wild chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) population. Polar Biology, 18, 227–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Merino, S., Moreno, J., Sanz, J.J.Arriero, E. 2000. Are avian blood parasites pathogenic in the wild? A medication experiment in blue tits (Parus caeruleus). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B267, 2507–2510.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meunier, V., Jourda, S., Deville, M.Guillot, J. 2006. Prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in serum and aqueous humor samples from cats with uveitis or systemic diseases in France. Veterinary Parasitology, 138, 362–365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Negash, T., Tilahun, G., Patton, S., Prévot, F.Dorchies, P. 2004. Serological survey on Toxoplasmosis in sheep and goats in Nazareth, Ethiopia. Revue Médecine Vétérinaire, 155, 486–487.Google Scholar
Olson, M.E., Roach, P.D., Stabler, M.Chan, W. 1997. Giardiasis in ringed seals from the western Arctic. Journal of Wildlife Diseases, 33, 646–648.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pfeiffer, S. 2005. Effects of human activities on southern giant petrel and skuas in the Antarctic. PhD thesis, Ecology Institute, University of Jena. Available at: www.db-thueringen.de/servlets/derivateservlet/derivate6345/Pfeiffer.pdfGoogle Scholar
Prestrud, K.W., Asbakk, K., Fuglei, E., Mork, T., Stien, A., Ropstad, E., Tryland, M., Gabrielsen, G.W., Lydersen, C., Kovacs, K.M., Loonen, M.J.J.E., Sagerup, K.Oksanen, A. 2007. Serosurvey for Toxoplasma gondii in Arctic foxes and possible sources of infection in the high Arctic of Svalbard. Veterinary Parasitology, 150, 6–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ratcliffe, H.L.Worth, C.B. 1951. Toxoplamosis in captive wild birds and mammals. American Journal of Pathology, 27, 655–667.Google Scholar
Roach, P.D., Olson, M.E., Whitley, G.Wallis, P.M. 1993. Waterbone giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis in the Yukon, Canada. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 59, 67–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salant, H., Landau, D.Y.Baneth, G. 2009. A cross-sectional survey of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in Israeli pigeons. Veterinary Parasitology, 165, 145–149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sanz, J.J., Arriero, E., Moreno, J.Merino, S. 2001. Female hematozoan infection reduces hatching success but not fledging success in pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca. Auk, 118, 750–755.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tin, T., Roura, R. 2004. Environmental Reports of Fildes Peninsula 1988–1997: benchmarks for environmental management. ASOC report available at www.asoc.org/portals/0/ADOC%20Fildes%20Peninsula%20%20inspections%20review%202004.pdfGoogle Scholar
Xiao, L., Alderisio, K., Limor, J., Royer, M.Lal, A.A. 2000. Identification of species and sources of Cryptosporidium oocysts in storm waters with a small-subunit rRNA based diagnostic and genotyping tool. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66, 5492–5498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiao, L., Escalante, L., Yang, C., Sulaiman, I., Escalante, A.A., Montali, R.J., Fayer, R.Lal, A.A. 1999. Phylogenetic analysis of Cryptosporidium parasites based on the small-subunit rRNA gene locus. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 65, 1578–1583.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waap, H., Vilares, A., Rebelo, E., Gomes, S.Angelo, H. 2008. Epidemiological and genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii in urban pigeons from the area of Lisbon (Portugal). Veterinary Parasitology, 157, 306–309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, T.D. 1995. The penguins. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 295 pp.Google Scholar
Zhu, J., Yin, J., Xiao, Y., Jiang, N., Ankarlev, J., Lindh, J.Chen, Q. 2008. A sero-epidemiological survey of Toxoplasma gondii infection in free-range and caged chickens in northeast China. Veterinary Parasitology, 158, 360–363.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed