2024-03-29T00:07:38Zhttp://digital.csic.es/dspace-oai/requestoai:digital.csic.es:10261/600902019-03-15T08:05:52Zcom_10261_108com_10261_8col_10261_361
Seropositivity and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds from Spain
Cabezón, Óscar
García-Bocanegra, Ignacio
Molina-López, Rafael
Marco, Ignasi
Blanco, Juan Manuel
Höfle, Ursula
Margalida, Antoni
Bach-Raich, Esther
Darwich, Laila
Echeverría, Israel
Obón, Elena
Hernández, Mauro
Lavín, Santiago
Dubey, Jitender P.
Almería, Sonia
Junta de Castilla y León
Junta de Andalucía
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
CSIC-UCLM - Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC)
Generalitat de Catalunya
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic intracellular protozoan parasite of worldwide distribution that infects many species of warm-blooded animals, including birds. To date, there is scant information about the seropositivity of T. gondii and the risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in wild bird populations. In the present study, T. gondii infection was evaluated on sera obtained from 1079 wild birds belonging to 56 species (including Falconiformes (n = 610), Strigiformes (n = 260), Ciconiiformes (n = 156), Gruiformes (n = 21), and other orders (n = 32), from different areas of Spain. Antibodies to T. gondii (modified agglutination test, MAT titer ≥1:25) were found in 282 (26.1%, IC95%:23.5–28.7) of the 1079 birds. This study constitute the first extensive survey in wild birds species in Spain and reports for the first time T. gondii antibodies in the griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus), short-toed snake-eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Bonelli's eagle (Aquila fasciata), golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), osprey (Pandion haliaetus), Montagu's harrier (Circus pygargus), Western marsh-harrier (Circus aeruginosus), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), long-eared owl (Asio otus), common scops owl (Otus scops), Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), white stork (Ciconia ciconia), grey heron (Ardea cinerea), common moorhen (Gallinula chloropus); in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) “vulnerable” Spanish imperial eagle (Aquila adalberti), lesser kestrel (Falco naumanni) and great bustard (Otis tarda); and in the IUCN “near threatened” red kite (Milvus milvus). The highest seropositivity by species was observed in the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) (68.1%, 98 of 144). The main risk factors associated with T. gondii seropositivity in wild birds were age and diet, with the highest exposure in older animals and in carnivorous wild birds. The results showed that T. gondii infection is widespread and can be at a high level in many wild birds in Spain, most likely related to their feeding behaviour.
This study received partial support from the Spanish CICYT grant AGL2010-21273-C03/GAN. The study was part of an agreement with Dirección General del Medio Natural (CRAS, Junta de Castilla y León), Departament d'Agricultura, Ramaderia, Pesca, Alimentació i Medi Natural (Torreferrussa, Generalitat de Catalunya), Consejería de Medio Ambiente (Junta de Andalucía), SEFaS (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona) and IREC (Ciudad Real) for donation of wild bird samples.
Peer reviewed
2012-11-13T11:03:26Z
2012-11-13T11:03:26Z
2011-12
artículo
http://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_6501
PLoS ONE 6(12): e29549 (2011)
http://hdl.handle.net/10261/60090
10.1371/journal.pone.0029549
1932-6203
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100002809
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011104
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100014180
http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100011011
22216311
en
Publisher’s version
http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0029549
open
Public Library of Science