title: The protozoan parasite Trichomonas gallinae causes adult and nestling mortality in a declining population of European Turtle Doves, Streptopelia turtur.
abstract: Studies incorporating the ecology of clinical and sub-clinical disease in wild populations of conservation concern are rare. Here we examine sub-clinical infection by Trichomonas gallinae in a declining population of free-living European Turtle Doves and suggest caseous lesions cause mortality in adults and nestlings through subsequent starvation and/or suffocation. We found a 100% infection rate by T. gallinae in adult and nestling Turtle Doves (n = 25) and observed clinical signs in three adults and four nestlings (28%). Adults with clinical signs displayed no differences in any skeletal measures of size but had a mean 3.7% reduction in wing length, with no overlap compared to those without clinical signs. We also identified T. gallinae as the suggested cause of mortality in one Red-legged Partridge although disease presentation was different. A minimum of four strains of T. gallinae, characterized at the ITS/5.8S/ITS2 ribosomal region, were isolated from Turtle Doves. However, all birds with clinical signs (Turtle Doves and the Red-legged Partridge) carried a single strain of T. gallinae, suggesting that parasite spill over between Columbidae and Galliformes is a possibility that should be further investigated. Overall, we highlight the importance of monitoring populations for sub-clinical infection rather than just clinical disease.
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Leeds,Irene Manton Building, Leeds LS2 9JT,UK.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Stockdale
authors.affiliation: RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL,UK.
authors.forename: Jenny C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dunn
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Leeds,Irene Manton Building, Leeds LS2 9JT,UK.
authors.forename: Simon J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL,UK.
authors.forename: Antony J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds,The Lodge, Potton Road, Sandy, Bedfordshire SG19 2DL,UK.
authors.forename: Danaë K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.affiliation: Natural England,Suite D, Unex House, Bourges Boulevard, Peterborough PE1 1NG,UK.
authors.forename: Philip V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Grice
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of Leeds,Irene Manton Building, Leeds LS2 9JT,UK.
authors.forename: Keith C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hamer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001237:Asphyxia / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000401:mortality* / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D046094:Galliformes / Q000469:parasitology; D008297:Male; D013217:Starvation / Q000401:mortality / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary; D014244:Trichomonas / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014245:Trichomonas Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000473:pathology
keywords: PCR