Molecular and epidemiological surveillance of Plasmodium spp. during a mortality event affecting Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) at a zoo in the UK.

ABSTRACT: In 2017, a mortality event affected Humboldt penguins at Chester Zoo (UK), which coincided with the diagnosis of avian malaria (AM) in some birds. AM is found worldwide wherever a competent mosquito vector is present, but the disease is particularly severe in penguins and other species that originate from non-endemic regions. To better understand the role of AM and manage its threat to penguin collections, Plasmodium was surveyed through PCR at Chester Zoo in mosquitoes, penguins, and dead free-living wild birds during and around the mortality event. Additional sequences were obtained from penguin fatalities from four other UK zoological collections. All sequences were integrated into phylogenetic analyses to determine parasite species and lineages. In total, 753/6459 positive mosqu

SUBMITTER: Gonzalez-Olvera M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9403903 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature