Wild birds of declining European species are dying from a thiamine deficiency syndrome.
Wild birds of several species are dying in large numbers from an idiopathic paralytic disease in the Baltic Sea area. Here, we demonstrate strong relationships between this disease, breeding failure, and thiamine (vitamin B(1)) deficiency in eggs, pulli, and full-grown individuals. Thiamine is essential for vertebrates, and its diphosphorylated form functions as a cofactor for several life sustaining enzymes, whereas the triphosphorylated form is necessary for the functioning of neuronal membranes. Paralyzed individuals were remedied by thiamine treatment. Moreover, thiamine deficiency and detrimental effects on thiamine-dependent enzymes were demonstrated in the yolk, liver, and brain. We propose that the mortality and breeding failure are part of a thiamine deficiency syndrome, which may have contributed significantly to declines in many bird populations during the last decades.
Balk
Lennart
L
Department of Applied Environmental Science, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden. lennart.balk@itm.su.se
Hägerroth
Per-Ake
PA
Akerman
Gun
G
Hanson
Marsha
M
Tjärnlund
Ulla
U
Hansson
Tomas
T
Hallgrimsson
Gunnar Thor
GT
Zebühr
Yngve
Y
Broman
Dag
D
Mörner
Torsten
T
Sundberg
Henrik
H
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology; D001717:Birds; D046091:Charadriiformes; D005060:Europe; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D005843:Geography; D010243:Paralysis / Q000473:pathology; D013045:Species Specificity; D046749:Starlings; D013577:Syndrome; D013832:Thiamine Deficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*