RESUMO
We describe an investigation of an outbreak of conjunctivitis in juvenile House Finches ( Haemorhous mexicanus) and California Scrub-jays ( Aphelocoma californica) at a central California, US wildlife rehabilitation facility. In late May 2015, the facility began admitting juvenile finches, the majority with normal eyes at intake. In June, with juvenile finches already present, the facility admitted juvenile scrub-jays, all with normal eyes at intake. In July, after conjunctivitis was observed in increasing numbers of juvenile finches and scrub-jays, carcasses were submitted for postmortem examination. Histopathology of five finches and three scrub-jays identified lymphocytic infiltrates in the ocular tissues. Conjunctival swabs from 87% (13/15) finches and 33% (4/12) scrub-jays were PCR-positive for Mycoplasma gallisepticum. One finch and two scrub-jays were PCR-positive for Mycoplasma synoviae. Additionally, gene sequencing (16S ribosomal RNA and 16S-23S intergenic spacer region) identified Mycoplasma sturni from 33% (3/9) scrub-jays. This outbreak of conjunctivitis suggested that M. gallisepticum-infected juvenile finches admitted to and maintained in a multispecies nursery likely resulted in transmission within the facility to healthy juvenile finches and scrub-jays. Evidence of other Mycoplasma spp. in finches and scrub-jays indicates that these species are susceptible to infection and may act as carriers. This outbreak highlighted the need for effective triage and biosecurity measures within wildlife rehabilitation facilities.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves/microbiologia , Doenças das Aves/transmissão , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/veterinária , Infecções por Mycoplasma/veterinária , Aves Canoras , Animais , California/epidemiologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/epidemiologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/microbiologia , Conservação dos Recursos Naturais , Infecção Hospitalar , Surtos de Doenças/veterinária , Hospitais Veterinários , Infecções por Mycoplasma/epidemiologia , Infecções por Mycoplasma/microbiologiaRESUMO
: In 1994 Mycoplasma gallisepticum was found to be the etiologic agent of House Finch ( Haemorhous mexicanus) conjunctivitis, a rapidly expanding epidemic caused by a genetically discrete, House Finch-associated strain of M. gallisepticum (HFMG). While most prominent in House Finches, HFMG has been reported in other members of the family Fringillidae, including American Goldfinches ( Spinus tristis), Purple Finches ( Haemorhous purpureus), Pine Grosbeaks ( Pinicola enucleator), and Evening Grosbeaks ( Coccothraustes vespertinus). Herein we report two new potential host species of HFMG strain, the Lesser Goldfinch ( Spinus psaltria), belonging to the Fringillidae family, and the Western (California) Scrub Jay ( Aphelocoma californica), belonging to the Corvidae family. The latter is one of only two reports of HFMG being found outside the Fringillidae family, and of these is the only one reported outside of captivity. Furthermore, non-HFMG M. gallisepticum was identified in an American Crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos), indicating presence of additional strains in wild birds. Strain typing of M. gallisepticum isolates was done via HFMG-specific quantitative PCR analysis and validated using random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Our results suggested an expanded host range of HFMG strain, and further suggested that the host range of HFMG was not limited to members of the family Fringillidae.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves/microbiologia , Infecções por Mycoplasma/veterinária , Mycoplasma gallisepticum/isolamento & purificação , Passeriformes , Reação em Cadeia da Polimerase/métodos , Animais , DNA Bacteriano/genética , Infecções por Mycoplasma/microbiologia , Mycoplasma gallisepticum/genéticaRESUMO
Sampling wild birds for mycoplasma culture has been key to the study of House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) conjunctivitis, yielding isolates of Mycoplasma gallisepticum spanning the temporal and geographic ranges of disease from emergence to endemicity. Faced with the challenges and costs of sample collection over time and from remote locations for submission to our laboratory for mycoplasma culture, protocols evolved to achieve a practical optimum. Herein we report making M. gallisepticum isolates from House Finches almost every year since the disease emerged in 1994, and we now have 227 isolates from 17 states. Our wild bird host range for M. gallisepticum isolates includes Blue Jay ( Cyanocitta cristata ), American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis), Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria), Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus), Evening Grosbeak ( Coccothraustes vespertinus ), and herein first reports for Western Scrub-jay ( Aphelocoma californica ), and American Crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ). By collecting and identifying isolates from birds with clinical signs similar to those of House Finch conjunctivitis, we also expanded the known host range of Mycoplasma sturni and obtained isolates from additional wild bird species. Accumulating evidence shows that a diverse range of wild bird species may carry or have been exposed to M. gallisepticum in the US, as in Europe and Asia. Therefore, the emergence of a pathogenic M. gallisepticum strain in House Finches may actually be the exception that has allowed us to identify the broader epidemiologic picture.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves/microbiologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/veterinária , Tentilhões , Infecções por Mycoplasma/veterinária , Mycoplasma/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Animais Selvagens , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/epidemiologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/microbiologia , Mycoplasma/classificação , Infecções por Mycoplasma/epidemiologia , Infecções por Mycoplasma/microbiologia , América do Norte/epidemiologia , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) has become a common cause of conjunctivitis in free-living house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) since its emergence in the early 1990s. To date, temporal and spatial genotypic variation in MG has been documented, but phenotypic variation in pathogenicity and immunogenicity has not been examined. House finches were inoculated with MG isolates Virginia (VA)1994, California (CA)2006, or North Carolina (NC)2006, which were cultured from free-living house finches with conjunctivitis in 1994, 2006, and 2006, respectively. Infection with NC2006 resulted in the most severe eye lesions, highest pathogen loads, and highest levels of pathogen-specific lachrymal and serum antibodies. Infection with CA2006 caused the least severe eye lesions, lowest pathogen load, and lowest levels of antibodies. A small number of birds in each group developed protracted, severe disease in spite of robust antibody responses, suggesting that immunopathology may contribute to the lesions. Immunoblot analyses indicated that isolates are antigenically similar; thus, there may be partial cross-protection if a house finch encounters two or more strains of MG throughout the course of its lifetime. This study provides evidence that MG strains or strain variants circulating in house finch populations vary in their ability to cause disease, induce antibody responses, and persist in the host.
Assuntos
Doenças das Aves/imunologia , Doenças das Aves/microbiologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/veterinária , Tentilhões/microbiologia , Infecções por Mycoplasma/veterinária , Mycoplasma gallisepticum/imunologia , Mycoplasma gallisepticum/patogenicidade , Animais , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/análise , Anticorpos Antibacterianos/sangue , Carga Bacteriana , Doenças das Aves/patologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/imunologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/microbiologia , Conjuntivite Bacteriana/patologia , Genótipo , Infecções por Mycoplasma/imunologia , Infecções por Mycoplasma/microbiologia , Infecções por Mycoplasma/patologia , Fatores de TempoRESUMO
We conducted a health survey of house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) without evidence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum infection in order to establish baseline population health measures and estimate prevalence of potential pathogens likely to influence host susceptibility to mycoplasmosis. Seasonal changes in several physiologic parameters were observed. Weights were greater in winter compared with the breeding season (P < 0.01), fat scores were greater in winter than during fall migration (P < 0.01) or the breeding season (P < 0.01), and packed cell volume and total plasma protein measures during fall migration (P < 0.05) and winter (P < 0.01) were greater than during the breeding season. Culture of voided fecal material yielded 13 bacterial isolates likely representative of normal gastrointestinal flora. Avian pox lesions and blood and gastrointestinal parasite infections were at low prevalence (< or = 4%) compared with Proctophyllodes spp. feather mite infestations (32%) in the population. All parasites occurred at generally low levels in individual hosts. A logistic regression analysis of our data suggests that greater fat scores, tarsal length, and being male are potential risk factors for mite infestation in house finches.