title: Prevalence of Leucocytozoon spp, in the endangered yellow-eyed penguin Megadyptes antipodes.
abstract: Yellow-eyed penguins on Stewart Island were identified with a Leucocytozoon spp. of a novel lineage in association with a high regional incidence of chick mortality (n=32, 100% mortality) during the November 2006 to January 2007 breeding season. Fourteen chicks from Stewart Island were examined post-mortem and histologically for Leucocytozoon infection. In addition, a survey of blood to detect Leucocytozoon spp. infections using PCR was performed on 107 yellow-eyed penguins from 4 distinct nesting areas on the South Island (Oamaru, Otago Peninsula, and Catlins) (n=95), and Stewart Island (n=12). The results of the study revealed that 2 of the 14 (14%) chicks necropsied showed severe, disseminated megaloschizont formation in the liver, spleen, lung, kidney and other tissues characteristic of leucocytozoonosis. Eighty-three percent (83%) of blood samples collected from Stewart Island penguins contained Leucocytozoon DNA, whereas samples from the 3 other nesting areas were negative for the blood parasite. Leucocytozoon spp. DNA sequences isolated from blood and tissues of adults (n=10) and chicks (n=7) were similar and grouped with other published Leucocytozoon spp. sequences but in a distinct cluster together with closely related isolates from a Western march harrier (Circus aerginosus) and common loon (Gavia immer). These findings suggest that yellow-eyed penguins on Stewart Island are infected with a regionally isolated, host-specific Leucocytozoon spp. which may contribute to the high chick mortality observed during this period.
authors.affiliation: New Zealand Wildlife Health Centre, Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Gartrell
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Alley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D056727:Endangered Species; D016787:Haemosporida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology; D012621:Seasons; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D046429:Spheniscidae / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan