Investigation of blood parasites of pygoscelid penguins at the King George and Elephant Islands, South Shetlands Archipelago, Antarctica

• Published in: Polar Biology
• Main Authors: Thijl Vanstreels, Ralph Eric, Miranda, Flavia R., Ruoppolo, Valeria, Almeida Reis, Ana Olivia de, Costa, Erli Schneider, Lira Pessoa, Adriana Rodrigues de, Machado Torres, Joao Paulo, Teixeira da Cunha, Larissa Schmauder, Piuco, Roberta da Cruz, Valiati, Victor Hugo, Gonzalez-Acuna, Daniel, Labruna, Marcelo B., Petry, Maria Virginia, Epiphanio, Sabrina, Catao-Dias, Jose Luiz
• Other Authors: Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Wildlife Conservat Soc, Int Fund Anim Welf, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Univ Vale Rio dos Sinos, Univ Concepcion, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Springer 2014
• Subjects: Antarctic Peninsula; Hematology; Health; Sphenisciformes; Vector-borne pathogen; Antarctic; King George Island; Antarc*; Antarctica; antarcticus; Polar Biology; Pygoscelis adeliae; Pygoscelis papua
• Online Access: http://repositorio.unifesp.br/handle/11600/37224; https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-013-1401-x

Parasites may adversely affect the breeding success and survival of penguins, potentially hampering the viability of their populations. We examined 161 pygoscelid penguins (3 Pygoscelis adeliae, 98 Pygoscelis antarcticus, and 60 Pygoscelis papua) at the South Shetlands Archipelago during the 2010-2011 summer; blood smears were examined for 64 penguins (2 P. adeliae, 18 P. antarcticus, and 44 P. papua), and a PCR test targeting Haemoproteus sp. and Plasmodium sp. was applied for 37 penguins (2 P. adeliae, 17 P. antarcticus, 19 P. papua). No blood parasites were observed, and all PCR tests were negative, leukocyte profiles were similar to those reported in other studies for wild pygoscelid penguins, and all penguins were in good body condition and had no external signs of disease. One specimen of chewing lice (Austrogoniodes sp.) was recorded in one P. antarcticus at King George Island. Ticks (Ixodes uriae) were not observed on the penguins, but were found on the ground near P. antarcticus nests at King George Island. the absence of avian blood parasites in Antarctic penguins is thought to result from the absence of competent invertebrate hosts in the climatic conditions. Predicted climate changes may redefine the geographic distribution of vector-borne pathogens, and therefore, the occurrence of blood parasites and their invertebrate hosts should be monitored regularly in Antarctic birds, particularly in the northernmost Antarctic Peninsula. Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) INCT-APA Mount Sinai School of Medicine (Fogarty International Center) UNISINOS UFRJ ICB-USP PROANTAR MMA MCTI CIRM Marinha do Brasil Univ São Paulo, Lab Patol Comparada Anim Selvagens, Dept Patol, Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, BR-05508270 São Paulo, SP, Brazil Wildlife Conservat Soc, São Paulo, Brazil Int Fund Anim Welf, São Paulo, Brazil Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Lab Ecol Aves, Inst Biol Roberto Alcantara Gomes, BR-20550011 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Lab Radioisotopos Eduardo Penna Franca, Inst Biofis Carlos Chagas Filho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Univ Vale Rio dos Sinos, Lab Ornitol Anim Marinhos, Sao Leopoldo, Brazil Univ Vale Rio dos Sinos, Mol Biol Lab, Sao Leopoldo, Brazil Univ Concepcion, Fac Ciencias Vet, Concepcion, Chile Univ São Paulo, Parasitol Lab, Dept Med Vet Prevent & Saude Anim, Fac Med Vet & Zootecnia, São Paulo, Brazil Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, São Paulo, Brazil Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, São Paulo, Brazil FAPESP: 2009/53956-9 FAPESP: 2010/51801-5 CNPq: 557049/2009-1 INCT-APA: CNPq 574018/2008-5 INCT-APA: FAPERJ E-26/170.023/2008 Mount Sinai School of Medicine (Fogarty International Center): 1D43TW00640 Web of Science