title: Epidemiology and pathology of avian malaria in penguins undergoing rehabilitation in Brazil.
abstract: Seabird rehabilitation is a valuable strategy to mitigate the impacts of oil pollution and other anthropogenic factors, and can significantly contribute to the conservation of penguins. However, infectious diseases such as avian malaria (Plasmodium spp.) can hamper the success of rehabilitation efforts. We combined morphological and molecular diagnostic methods to investigate the epidemiology and pathology of Plasmodium in Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) at rehabilitation centers along 2500 km of the coastline of Brazil. True prevalence of malarial parasites was estimated between 6.6% and 13.5%. We identified five species, three of which had not been described infecting penguins (P. cathemerium, P. nucleophilum, P. unalis); an additional five distinct Plasmodium lineages were also distinguished, and albeit unidentified these clearly correspond to species that also have not yet been reported in penguins. Our results indicate that the diversity of plasmodia that may infect these birds is greater than previously recognised. Considering the well-defined seasonality observed in this study, it is clear that rehabilitation centers could benefit by narrowing their preventative efforts on penguins maintained or admitted during the Austral spring-summer, particularly by preventing mosquitoes from coming into contact with penguins.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05088-000, Brazil. ralph_vanstreels@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Ralph Eric Thijl
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Vanstreels
authors.affiliation: Centro de Recuperação de Animais Marinhos, Museu Oceanográfico Professor Eliézer de Carvalho Rios, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rua Capitão Heitor Perdigão 10, Rio Grande, RS, 92200-580, Brazil. rpscram@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Rodolfo Pinho
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: da Silva-Filho
authors.affiliation: Associação R3 Animal. Rodovia João Gualberto Soares, Entrada do Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho, Barra da Lagoa, Florianópolis, SC, 88061-500, Brazil. criskolesnikovas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristiane Kiyomi Miyaji
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kolesnikovas
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisa e Reabilitação de Animais Marinhos. Rodovia BR 262, Instituto Estadual de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos, Jardim América, Cariacica, ES, 29140-130, Brazil. renata.bhering.bio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Renata Cristina Campos
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Bhering
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05088-000, Brazil. vruoppolo@ifaw.org.|International Fund for Animal Welfare, 290 Summer Street, Yarmouth Port, MA, 02675, USA. vruoppolo@ifaw.org.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ruoppolo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Análises Clínicas e Toxicológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes 580, Butantã, São Paulo, SP, 05508-000, Brazil. sabrina.epiphanio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Epiphanio
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Laboratório de Epidemiologia e Bioestatística, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05088-000, Brazil. amaku@vps.fmvz.usp.br.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amaku
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Caixa Postal 486, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil. franciscocarlosfj@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Francisco Carlos
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Ferreira Junior
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Caixa Postal 486, Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, MG, 31270-901, Brazil. embraga@icb.ufmg.br.
authors.forename: Érika Martins
authors.initials: ÉM
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Orlando Marques de Paiva 87, São Paulo, SP, 05088-000, Brazil. zecatao@usp.br.
authors.forename: José Luiz
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Catão-Dias
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008289:Malaria, Avian / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012621:Seasons; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D046429:Spheniscidae
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D045303:Cytochromes b