Browsing by Subject "Wild birds"

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    First report of a hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) parasitized by Harpirhynchus nidulans in the Iberian Peninsula
    (Elsevier, 2022-01-31) Muñoz Hernández, Clara; Buendía Marín, Antonio Julián; Lara, L.; Escribano, F.; Martínez-Carrasco Pleite, Carlos; Gonzálvez Juan, Moisés; Sanidad Animal; Facultades de la UMU::Facultad de Veterinaria
    Some avian Harpirhynchidae mites live under the skin and develop cutaneous cysts. Despite the obvious lesions that these parasites can produce, little is currently known about the behavioural disturbances that cyst-forming mites may cause in infected wild birds. We report an infection by Harpirhynchidae mites in a hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) in southeast Spain. The bird was easily captured due to its inability to fly. During clinical examination it was found to have multiple severe traumatic injuries, possibly due to a blow or a fall, as result of which the bird was euthanized. At necropsy, the hawfinch was found to be in good body condition. Two yellowish and friable mite-filled cysts were detected in the subalar region of both wings. Mites were morphologically identified as Harpirhynchus nidulans, and histological analysis of the cystic lesions was also performed. This is the first time that the occurrence of a hawfinch infected by H. nidulans in the Iberian Peninsula has been reported.
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    High exposure of West Nile virus in equid and wild bird populations in Spain following the epidemic outbreak in 2020
    (Wiley, 2022-10-12) García Bocanegra, Ignacio; Franco, Juan J.; León, Clara I.; García Miña, María V.; Barbero Moyano, Jesús; Fernández Molera, Vicente; Gómez, María B.; Cano Terriza, David; Gonzálvez Juan, Moisés; Sanidad Animal; Facultades de la UMU::Facultad de Veterinaria
    A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the circulation and risk factors associated with West Nile virus (WNV) exposure in equine and wild bird populations following the largest epidemic outbreak ever reported in Spain. A total of 305 equids and 171 wild birds were sampled between November 2020 and June 2021. IgG antibodies against flaviviruses were detected by blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (bELISA) in 44.9% (109/243) and 87.1% (54/62) of unvaccinated and vaccinated equids, respectively. The individual seroprevalence in unvaccinated individuals (calculated on animals seropositive by both bELISA and virus microneutralization test [VNT]) was 38.3% (95%CI: 33.1–43.4). No IgM antibodies were detected in animals tested (0/243; 0.0%; 95%CI: 0.0–1.5) by capture-ELISA. The main risk factors associated with WNV exposure in equids were age (adult and geriatric), breed (crossbred) and the absence of a disinsection programme on the facilities. In wild birds, IgG antibodies against flaviviruses were found in 32.7% (56/171; 95%CI: 26.8–38.6) using bELISA, giving an individual WNV seroprevalence of 19.3% (95%CI: 14.3–24.3) after VNT. Seropositivity was found in 37.8% of the 37 species analysed. Species group (raptors), age (>1-year old) and size (large) were the main risk factors related to WNV seropositivity in wild birds. Our results indicate high exposure and widespread distribution of WNV in equid and wild bird populations in Spain after the epidemic outbreak in 2020. The present study highlights the need to continue and improve active surveillance programmes for the detection of WNV in Spain, particularly in those areas at greatest risk of virus circulation.