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Pathogens
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Pathogens of Wild Birds: Prevalence, Molecular and Morphological Characterization
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Pathogens of Wild Birds: Prevalence, Molecular and Morphological Characterization

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2024 | Viewed by 8222

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rafael Gutiérrez-López

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal Health Research Center (CISA-INIA), CSIC, Carretera Algete-El Casar s/n, 28130 Valdeolmos, Spain
Interests: blood parasites transmission dynamics; emerging infectious diseases; vector-borne diseases; host-vector-pathogen interactions; vector competence; avian malaria parasites; plasmodium; mosquito; arbovirus; zika virus; west nile virus
Dr. Alazne Díez-Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Faculty of Biology, Universidad de Sevilla, Seville, Spain
2. Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Interests: ornithology; avian malaria; host-parasite interaction; vector entomology; microbiome

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Pathogens drive the evolution of their hosts, having large impacts on their population dynamics. For instance, avian malaria parasites, which pose a risk to different bird species, are causing significant declines in bird populations. However, pathogens detected in wild birds are also of great importance, especially with regard to human health, as they cause emerging zoonotic diseases—for, the West Nile fever, for which wild birds are the main reservoirs of the virus, because of which, birds play an important function in its epidemiology. Furthermore, global change is also playing a role in recent range expansions of avian pathogens. Thus, a deeper understanding of wild avian pathogens, their dynamics, and infectious diseases of birds would be useful in helping to predict future outbreaks of infections due to emerging zoonotic pathogens. The aim of this Special Issue is to introduce a detailed overview of pathogens and diseases affecting wild birds. This Special Issue seeks novel research and review articles on all aspects of avian pathogens, their surveillance, the molecular characterization, their epidemiology, and host–pathogen interaction, as well as the ecology of diseases produced by these pathogens. We hope to gain a better understanding of avian pathogens and advances in the study of diseases produced by pathogens on wild birds. Your valuable contribution to this effort would be greatly appreciated.

Dr. Rafael Gutiérrez-López
Dr. Alazne Díez-Fernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wild birds
  • pathogens
  • arbovirus
  • insect vectors
  • ecological interactions
  • one health
  • zoonotic diseases

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3806 KiB  
Article
Novel Genotype of HA Clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 Subtype High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza Virus Emerged at a Wintering Site of Migratory Birds in Japan, 2021/22 Winter
by Berihun Dires Mihiretu, Tatsufumi Usui, Masahiro Kiyama, Kosuke Soda and Tsuyoshi Yamaguchi
Pathogens 2024, 13(5), 380; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13050380 - 2 May 2024
Viewed by 2428
Abstract
Surveillance of avian influenza virus (AIV) was conducted in the 2021–2022 winter season at a wintering site of migratory Anatidae in Japan. An H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity AIV (HPAIV) with a unique gene constellation and four low pathogenicity AIVs (LPAIVs) were isolated from [...] Read more.
Surveillance of avian influenza virus (AIV) was conducted in the 2021–2022 winter season at a wintering site of migratory Anatidae in Japan. An H5N8 subtype high pathogenicity AIV (HPAIV) with a unique gene constellation and four low pathogenicity AIVs (LPAIVs) were isolated from environmental samples. The genetic origin of the HPAIV (NK1201) was determined with whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. Six of NK1201’s eight genes were closely related to HA clade 2.3.4.4b H5N8 subtype HPAIVs, belonging to the G2a group, which was responsible for outbreaks in poultry farms in November 2021 in Japan. However, the remaining two genes, PB1 and NP, most closely matched those of the LPAIVs H7N7 and H1N8, which were isolated at the same place in the same 2021–2022 winter. No virus of the NK1201 genotype had been detected prior to the 2021–2022 winter, indicating that it emerged via genetic reassortment among HPAIV and LPAIVs, which were prevalent at the same wintering site. In addition, experimental infection in chickens indicated that NK1201 had slightly different infectivity compared to the reported infectivity of the representative G2a group H5N8 HPAIV, suggesting that the PB1 and NP genes derived from LPAIVs might have affected the pathogenicity of the virus in chickens. Our results directly demonstrate the emergence of a novel genotype of H5N8 HPAIV through gene reassortment at a wintering site. Analyses of AIVs at wintering sites can help to identify the emergence of novel HPAIVs, which pose risks to poultry, livestock, and humans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogens of Wild Birds: Prevalence, Molecular and Morphological Characterization)
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16 pages, 1807 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of the Exo-Erythrocytic Development of Five Lineages of Haemoproteus majoris, a Common Haemosporidian Parasite of European Passeriform Birds
by Mélanie Duc, Tanja Himmel, Josef Harl, Tatjana Iezhova, Nora Nedorost, Julia Matt, Mikas Ilgūnas, Herbert Weissenböck and Gediminas Valkiūnas
Pathogens 2023, 12(7), 898; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12070898 - 30 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1261
Abstract
Haemoproteus parasites (Apicomplexa, Haemosporida) are widespread pathogens of birds, with a rich genetic (about 1900 lineages) and morphospecies (178 species) diversity. Nonetheless, their life cycles are poorly understood. The exo-erythrocytic stages of three Haemoproteus majoris (widespread generalist parasite) lineages have been previously reported, [...] Read more.
Haemoproteus parasites (Apicomplexa, Haemosporida) are widespread pathogens of birds, with a rich genetic (about 1900 lineages) and morphospecies (178 species) diversity. Nonetheless, their life cycles are poorly understood. The exo-erythrocytic stages of three Haemoproteus majoris (widespread generalist parasite) lineages have been previously reported, each in a different bird species. We aimed to further study and compare the development of five H. majoris lineages—hCCF5, hCWT4, hPARUS1, hPHSIB1, and hWW2—in a wider selection of natural avian hosts. A total of 42 individuals belonging to 14 bird species were sampled. Morphospecies and parasitemia were determined by microscopy of blood films, lineages by DNA-barcoding a 478 bp section of the cytochrome b gene, and exo-erythrocytic stages by histology and chromogenic in situ hybridization. The lineage hCWT4 was morphologically characterized as H. majoris for the first time. All lineage infections exclusively featured megalomeronts. The exo-erythrocytic stages found in all examined bird species were similar, particularly for the lineages hCCF5, hPARUS1, and hPHSIB1. Megalomeronts of the lineages hWW2 and hCWT4 were more similar to each other than to the former three lineages. The kidneys and gizzard were most often affected, followed by lungs and intestines; the site of development showed variation depending on the lineage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogens of Wild Birds: Prevalence, Molecular and Morphological Characterization)
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13 pages, 1814 KiB  
Article
Intracellular Diversity of WNV within Circulating Avian Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells Reveals Host-Dependent Patterns of Polyinfection
by Dalit Talmi-Frank, Alex D. Byas, Reyes Murrieta, James Weger-Lucarelli, Claudia Rückert, Emily N. Gallichotte, Janna A. Yoshimoto, Chris Allen, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Barbara Graham, Todd A. Felix, Aaron C. Brault and Gregory D. Ebel
Pathogens 2023, 12(6), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12060767 - 26 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1486
Abstract
Arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) populations exist as mutant swarms that are maintained between arthropods and vertebrates. West Nile virus (WNV) population dynamics are host-dependent. In American crows, purifying selection is weak and population diversity is high compared to American robins, which have 100- to [...] Read more.
Arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) populations exist as mutant swarms that are maintained between arthropods and vertebrates. West Nile virus (WNV) population dynamics are host-dependent. In American crows, purifying selection is weak and population diversity is high compared to American robins, which have 100- to 1000-fold lower viremia. WNV passed in robins leads to fitness gains, whereas that passed in crows does not. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that high crow viremia allows for higher genetic diversity within individual avian peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), reasoning that this could have produced the previously observed host-specific differences in genetic diversity and fitness. Specifically, we infected cells and birds with a molecularly barcoded WNV and sequenced viral RNA from single cells to quantify the number of WNV barcodes in each. Our results demonstrate that the richness of WNV populations within crows far exceeds that in robins. Similarly, rare WNV variants were maintained by crows more frequently than by robins. Our results suggest that increased viremia in crows relative to robins leads to the maintenance of defective genomes and less prevalent variants, presumably through complementation. Our findings further suggest that weaker purifying selection in highly susceptible crows is attributable to this higher viremia, polyinfections and complementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogens of Wild Birds: Prevalence, Molecular and Morphological Characterization)
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14 pages, 3155 KiB  
Article
Host Cells of Leucocytozoon (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae) Gametocytes, with Remarks on the Phylogenetic Importance of This Character
by Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas, Mélanie Duc, Germán Alfredo Gutiérrez-Liberato and Gediminas Valkiūnas
Pathogens 2023, 12(5), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12050712 - 13 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2122
Abstract
Leucocytozoon parasites remain poorly investigated in comparison to other haemosporidians. The host cell inhabited by their blood stages (gametocytes) remains insufficiently known. This study aimed to determine the blood cells inhabited by Leucocytozoon gametocytes in different species of Passeriformes and to test if [...] Read more.
Leucocytozoon parasites remain poorly investigated in comparison to other haemosporidians. The host cell inhabited by their blood stages (gametocytes) remains insufficiently known. This study aimed to determine the blood cells inhabited by Leucocytozoon gametocytes in different species of Passeriformes and to test if this feature has a phylogenetic importance. We microscopically analyzed blood films stained with Giemsa from six different bird species and individuals and used PCR-based methods for parasite lineage identification. The DNA sequences obtained were applied for phylogenetic analysis. Leucocytozoon parasite from the song thrush Turdus philomelos (cytochrome b lineage STUR1), the blackbird Turdus merula (undetermined lineage), the garden warbler Sylvia borin (unknown lineage) inhabited erythrocytes, a parasite from the blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus (PARUS4) infects lymphocytes, while in the wood warbler Phylloscopus sibilatrix (WW6) and the common chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita (AFR205) they were found inhabiting thrombocytes. Parasites infecting thrombocytes were closely related, while the parasites infecting erythrocytes were placed in three different clades, and the one found in lymphocytes was placed in a separate clade. This shows that the determination of host cells inhabited by Leucocytozoon parasites can be phylogenetically important and should be considered in future species descriptions. Noteworthy, phylogenetic analysis might be used for the prediction of which host cells parasite lineages might inhabit. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Pathogens of Wild Birds: Prevalence, Molecular and Morphological Characterization)
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