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Hemosporidian parasites of free-living birds in the São Paulo Zoo, Brazil

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Abstract

Numerous studies addressed the diversity of bird Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites. However, a few have been carried out in continental avian hotspot regions such as Brazil, a country with markedly different biomes, including Amazon, Brazilian Savanna, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, Pantanal, and Pampas. We present the first study on hemosporidian (Haemosporida) parasites in free-living birds from an Atlantic Forest fragment where more than 80 avian species have been reported. Within this area, the São Paulo Zoo locates, and it is the fourth largest zoo in the world and the largest in Latin America. A total of 133 free-living bird samples representing 12 species were collected in the zoo, with the overall hemosporidian prevalence of 18 % by PCR-based diagnostics. Twenty-four positive PCR signals were reported from four different bird species, including migratory ones. Columba livia, an urban species, considered nowadays a pest in big cities, showed 100 % prevalence of Haemoproteus spp., mainly Haemoproteus columbae. We discuss the epidemiological importance of new parasites introduced by migratory birds in the São Paulo Zoo area and the risk it poses to the captive species, which are natives or exotics. We also warn about the influence these parasites can have on the biodiversity and the structure of host populations by altering the competitive interaction between the free-living and the captive birds.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Dr. Claudio Marinho for kindly providing the use of Zeiss Axio Imager M2 light microscope equipped with a Zeiss Axio Cam HRc in which the photographs of this paper were produced. We thank the São Paulo Zoological Park Foundation (Fundação Parque Zoológico de São Paulo) for the support provided to this research. This research was funded by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 2012/51427-1). All procedures were approved by the Ethical Principles in Animal Research, of the Ethics Committee of Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo (CPE-IMT/193), and were in full compliance with federal permits issued by the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment (SISBIO 35166-2, 41010-1, and 34605-2).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. São Paulo Zoological Park Foundation, Av. Miguel Estéfano 4241, São Paulo, SP, 04301-905, Brazil

    Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas & Fernanda Junqueira Vaz Guida

  2. Malaria Research Center, Superintendence for Endemic Disease Control, São Paulo Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar 470, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil

    Lilian de Oliveira Guimarães, Eliana Ferreira Monteiro, Roseli França Simões & Karin Kirchgatter

  3. Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius, 08412, Lithuania

    Gediminas Valkiūnas

  4. Post-Graduate Program of Ecology and Natural Resources, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Federal University of São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luis km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil

    Michele Viana Katayama

  5. Post-Graduate Program of Infectology, Federal University of São Paulo, Rua Sena Madureira 1500, São Paulo, SP, 04021-001, Brazil

    Stéfanie Vanessa Santos

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  1. Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas
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Chagas, C.R.F., Guimarães, L.d.O., Monteiro, E.F. et al. Hemosporidian parasites of free-living birds in the São Paulo Zoo, Brazil. Parasitol Res 115, 1443–1452 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4878-0

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