| retinal ganglion cell topography of five species of ground-foraging birds. | birds that forage on the ground have been studied extensively in relation to behavioral trade-offs between foraging and scanning for predators; however, we know little about the topography of their retinas, which can influence how they gather visual information. we characterized the density of retinal ganglion cells across the retina and estimated visual acuity of four passeriformes (european starling sturnus vulgaris, brown-headed cowbird molothrus ater, house sparrow passer domesticus, house f ... | 2010 | 20516656 |
| evaluating the use of house sparrow nestlings as sentinels for west nile virus in saskatchewan. | this study evaluated the use of house sparrow (passer domesticus) nestlings as sentinels of west nile virus (wnv) in the prairie grasslands of saskatchewan. in the summer of 2006, 600 house sparrow nestlings were collected and pooled tissues tested by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. all tested negative for wnv. during the same period, no wnv was detected by mosquito surveillance in the study area and 15 wnv-infected pools were collected from the nearby city of estevan. six perce ... | 2011 | 20518643 |
| an enzootic vector-borne virus is amplified at epizootic levels by an invasive avian host. | determining the effect of an invasive species on enzootic pathogen dynamics is critical for understanding both human epidemics and wildlife epizootics. theoretical models suggest that when a naive species enters an established host-parasite system, the new host may either reduce ('dilute') or increase ('spillback') pathogen transmission to native hosts. there are few empirical data to evaluate these possibilities, especially for animal pathogens. buggy creek virus (bcrv) is an arthropod-borne al ... | 2011 | 20685711 |
| cotton rats and house sparrows as hosts for north and south american strains of eastern equine encephalitis virus. | eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev; family togaviridae, genus alphavirus) is an arbovirus that causes severe disease in humans in north america and in equids throughout the americas. the enzootic transmission cycle of eeev in north america involves passerine birds and the ornithophilic mosquito vector, culiseta melanura, in freshwater swamp habitats. however, the ecology of eeev in south america is not well understood. culex (melanoconion) spp. mosquitoes are considered the principal vector ... | 2010 | 20735920 |
| plasmodium relictum infection and mhc diversity in the house sparrow (passer domesticus). | antagonistic coevolution between hosts and parasites has been proposed as a mechanism maintaining genetic diversity in both host and parasite populations. in particular, the high level of genetic diversity usually observed at the major histocompatibility complex (mhc) is generally thought to be maintained by parasite-driven selection. among the possible ways through which parasites can maintain mhc diversity, diversifying selection has received relatively less attention. this hypothesis is based ... | 2010 | 20943698 |
| epidemiology of salmonellosis in garden birds in england and wales, 1993 to 2003. | salmonellosis has been reported as an important cause of mortality of garden birds in several countries, including norway and scotland. we investigated the frequency of the disease in garden birds submitted for postmortem examination by members of the public in england and wales between 1993 and 2003, inclusive. we found salmonellosis to be the most frequent cause of death due to infectious disease in the garden birds submitted. this disease was confirmed in 7 of the 45 bird species that were ex ... | 2010 | 20945078 |
| shedding and serologic responses following primary and secondary inoculation of house sparrows (passer domesticus) and european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) with low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus. | waterfowl and shorebirds are well-recognized natural reservoirs of low-pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (lpaiv); however, little is known about the role of passerines in avian influenza virus ecology. passerines are abundant, widespread, and commonly come into contact with free-ranging birds as well as captive game birds and poultry. we inoculated and subsequently challenged house sparrows (passer domesticus) and european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) with wild-bird origin lpaiv h3n8 to eval ... | 2010 | 20954019 |
| epidemiology of west nile virus: a silent epiornitic in northern delaware in 2007 without associated human cases. | abstract. we performed a 2-year longitudinal study (2006-2007) of west nile virus (wnv) infections in wild birds, mosquitoes, and sentinel chickens at 6 wnv-endemic sites in northern delaware. we determined virus infection rates of culex pipiens and other mosquito vectors as well as seroprevalence and antibody titers of amplifying hosts. endemicity status varied widely among the 6 sites based on 3 criteria-mosquito infections, sentinel chicken seropositivity, and wild bird seropositivity. a high ... | 2010 | 21033054 |
| avifauna in the panipat region, haryana (india). | avifaunal study was carried out in the panipat region, haryana (india) at 56 locations. 91 birds species were observed during the study, of which, 39 species were aquatic. house sparrow was found to be dominant followed by bank myna, house crow and indian myna. among the aquatic birds, cattle egret was dominant followed by common pochard, pintail and blackwinged stilt. encounter rates of the birds were related to the dominant indices of each species. species diversity index was found to be 10.25 ... | 2010 | 21114110 |
| characterization of the host response in systemic isosporosis (atoxoplasmosis) in a colony of captive american goldfinches (spinus tristis) and house sparrows (passer domesticus). | systemic isosporosis, also known as atoxoplasmosis, is a common parasitic disease of passerines. infection is thought to be endemic in wild birds with fulminant, fatal disease occurring under the influence of stress, concurrent infections, or immunosuppression. here, we describe the histologic and immunohistochemical characteristics of the cellular infiltrate occurring in captive colonies of american goldfinches and house sparrows. necropsies were performed on 9 birds, and histologic examination ... | 2011 | 21311069 |
| variation in western equine encephalomyelitis viral strain growth in mammalian, avian, and mosquito cells fails to explain temporal changes in enzootic and epidemic activity in california. | the decrease in western equine encephalomyelitis virus (weev; togaviridae, alphavirus) activity in north america over the past 20-30 years has prompted research to determine if there have been concurrent declines in virulence. six (weev) strains isolated from culex tarsalis mosquitoes from california during each of the six preceding decades failed to show a consistent declining temporal trend in virus titer using mosquito (c6/36), avian (duck embryo fibroblast), or mammalian (vero) cells, result ... | 2011 | 21395409 |
| blood-feeding patterns of the culex pipiens complex in sacramento and yolo counties, california. | mosquitoes in the culex pipiens complex are competent vectors of west nile virus (wnv; family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus) in the laboratory, and field-collected mosquitoes have tested positive for the virus in california and elsewhere. a better understanding of cx. pipiens complex blood-feeding patterns will help define the threat that these mosquitoes pose to human health and their role in wnv amplification in northern california. we collected blood-engorged cx. pipiens complex mosquitoes f ... | 2011 | 21485380 |
| comparison of argentinean saint louis encephalitis virus non-epidemic and epidemic strain infections in an avian model. | st. louis encephalitis virus (slev, flavivirus, flaviviridae) is an emerging mosquito-borne pathogen in south america, with human slev encephalitis cases reported in argentina and brazil. genotype iii strains of slev were isolated from culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes in cordoba, argentina in 2005, during the largest slev outbreak ever reported in south america. the present study tested the hypothesis that the recent, epidemic slev strain exhibits greater virulence in birds as compared with a n ... | 2011 | 21629729 |
| digestive physiology: a view from molecules to ecosystem. | digestive physiology links physiology to applications valued by society, such as understanding ecology and ecological toxicology and managing and conserving species. here i illustrate this applied and integrative perspective with several avian case studies. the match between digestive features and diet provides evidence of tradeoffs that preclude doing well on all possible substrates with a single digestive design, and this influences ecological niche partitioning. but some birds, such as wild h ... | 2011 | 21653878 |
| comparison of adrenocortical responses to acute stress in lowland and highland eurasian tree sparrows (passer montanus): similar patterns during the breeding, but different during the prebasic molt. | previous studies indicate most free-living avian species in both extreme and temperate environments seasonally modulate the adrenocortical responses to acute stress, and those breeding in harsh environments always express reduced adrenocortical responses, which may allow them to obtain maximal reproductive success. however, recent investigations showing a human commensal species, house sparrows (passer domesticus), expressed similar corticosterone (cort) responses in both benign and harsh enviro ... | 2011 | 21815272 |
| comparative tissue distribution of heavy metals in house sparrow (passer domesticus, aves) in polluted and reference sites in turkey. | bioindicators are useful for environmental monitoring in ecosystems with pollution loads. we compared concentrations of selected 10 metals in 42 samples of house sparrow in a polluted by thermal power plant and reference sites. we found mean tissue concentrations of some metals to be significantly higher in sparrows from the polluted area when compared to tissues from the reference site. in liver mean concentrations of cu (35.85 ± 17.22 mg kg(-1)) and zn (101.76 ± 26.38 mg kg(-1)) were significa ... | 2011 | 21785879 |
| diversity, loss, and gain of malaria parasites in a globally invasive bird. | invasive species can displace natives, and thus identifying the traits that make aliens successful is crucial for predicting and preventing biodiversity loss. pathogens may play an important role in the invasive process, facilitating colonization of their hosts in new continents and islands. according to the novel weapon hypothesis, colonizers may out-compete local native species by bringing with them novel pathogens to which native species are not adapted. in contrast, the enemy release hypothe ... | 2011 | 21779353 |
| the impact of west nile virus on the abundance of selected north american birds. | abstract: | 2011 | 21831324 |
| presence of toxoplasma gondii and neospora caninum dna in the brain of wild birds. | toxoplasma gondii infections are prevalent in many avian species and can cause mortality in some bird hosts. although t. gondii has been isolated from various species of birds, the role of many different species of wild birds in the epidemiology of t. gondii remains unknown. neospora caninum, a closely related parasite to t. gondii, has been recently confirmed to infect domestic chickens and wild birds such as house sparrows (passer domesticus). the present study reports the presence of t. gondi ... | 2011 | 21831525 |
| Field investigation of innate immunity in passerine birds in suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA. | The innate immune system is the first line of defense against pathogens, and it plays a fundamental role in coordinating a protective immune response in birds. Although many studies have evaluated avian immune responses in the laboratory, many fewer studies to date have done so in a field setting. To gain insight into interspecific differences in immune function in wild birds, we used a field-deployed in vitro microbicidal assay to measure constitutive innate immunity of whole blood collected fr ... | 2011 | 21719824 |
| Group size and nest spacing affect Buggy Creek virus (Togaviridae: Alphavirus) infection in nestling house sparrows. | The transmission of parasites and pathogens among vertebrates often depends on host population size, host species diversity, and the extent of crowding among potential hosts, but little is known about how these variables apply to most vector-borne pathogens such as the arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses). Buggy Creek virus (BCRV; Togaviridae: Alphavirus) is an RNA arbovirus transmitted by the swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarius) to the cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and the introduced hou ... | 2011 | 21966539 |
| West nile virus infection of birds, Mexico. | West Nile virus (WNV) has caused disease in humans, equids, and birds at lower frequency in Mexico than in the United States. We hypothesized that the seemingly reduced virulence in Mexico was caused by attenuation of the Tabasco strain from southeastern Mexico, resulting in lower viremia than that caused by the Tecate strain from the more northern location of Baja California. During 2006-2008, we tested this hypothesis in candidate avian amplifying hosts: domestic chickens, rock pigeons, house ... | 2011 | 22172633 |
| prevalence of buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) in insect vectors increases over time in the presence of an invasive avian host. | abstract invasive species can disrupt natural disease dynamics by altering pathogen transmission among native hosts and vectors. the relatively recent occupancy of cliff swallow (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) nesting colonies in western nebraska by introduced european house sparrows (passer domesticus) has led to yearly increases in the prevalence of an endemic arbovirus, buggy creek virus (bcrv), in its native swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius) vector at sites containing both the invasive sparrow ho ... | 2011 | 21923265 |
| Mosquito host selection varies seasonally with host availability and mosquito density. | Host selection by vector mosquitoes is a critical component of virus proliferation, particularly for viruses such as West Nile (WNV) that are transmitted enzootically to a variety of avian hosts, and tangentially to dead-end hosts such as humans. Culex tarsalis is a principal vector of WNV in rural areas of western North America. Based on previous work, Cx. tarsalis utilizes a variety of avian and mammalian hosts and tends to feed more frequently on mammals in the late summer than during the res ... | 2011 | 22206038 |
| Reduced avian virulence and viremia of West Nile virus isolates from Mexico and Texas. | A West Nile virus (WNV) isolate from Mexico (TM171-03) and BIRD1153, a unique genotype from Texas, have exhibited reduced murine neuroinvasive phenotypes. To determine if murine neuroinvasive capacity equates to avian virulence potential, American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and house sparrows (Passer domesticus) were experimentally inoculated with representative murine neuroinvasive/non-neuroinvasive strains. In both avian species, a plaque variant from Mexico that was E-glycosylation competen ... | 2011 | 21976584 |
| avian hosts of west nile virus in puerto rico. | abstract west nile virus (wnv) ecology in neotropical ecosystems is poorly understood, and vertebrate hosts responsible for infecting mosquitoes remain unidentified throughout the caribbean basin. after a period of intense wnv transmission among sentinel chickens near ceiba, puerto rico, we measured abundance of resident birds and species-specific prevalence of wnv infection. taking the product of these measures indicates the relative number of wnv infections by species. greater antillean grac ... | 2011 | 21923260 |
| fine-scale variation in vector host use and force of infection drive localized patterns of west nile virus transmission. | the influence of host diversity on multi-host pathogen transmission and persistence can be confounded by the large number of species and biological interactions that can characterize many transmission systems. for vector-borne pathogens, the composition of host communities has been hypothesized to affect transmission; however, the specific characteristics of host communities that affect transmission remain largely unknown. we tested the hypothesis that vector host use and force of infection (i.e ... | 2011 | 21886821 |
| envelope and pre-membrane protein structural amino acid mutations mediate diminished avian growth and virulence of a mexican west nile virus isolate. | the hallmark attribute of north american west nile virus (wnv) strains has been high pathogenicity in certain bird species. surprisingly, this avian virulent wnv phenotype has not been observed during its geographical expansion into the caribbean, central america and south america. one wnv variant (tm171-03-pp1) isolated in mexico has demonstrated an attenuated phenotype in two widely distributed north american bird species, american crows (amcrs) and house sparrows (hosps). in order to identify ... | 2011 | 21865445 |
| first report of genotyping of toxoplasma gondii isolates from wild birds in china. | abstract toxoplasma gondii is an important cosmopolitan opportunistic protozoan parasite, which threatens the health of human beings and animals. genetic characterization of isolates from south america has revealed high genetic diversity. in contrast, isolates from north america and europe were highly clonal with 3 major lineages known as the types i, ii, and iii. however, limited information on t. gondii genotypes has been reported in the people's republic of china. in this study, we conducte ... | 2012 | 22263675 |
| seasonal variation and age-related correlates of buggy creek virus (togaviridae) infection in nestling house sparrows. | wild birds are rarely found with active arbovirus infections, and relatively little is known about the patterns of viremia they exhibit under field conditions or how infection varies with date, bird age, or other factors that potentially affect transmission dynamics. buggy creek virus (bcrv; togaviridae, alphavirus) is an arbovirus associated with colonially nesting cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and transmitted by its vector, the hematophagous swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius), an ecto ... | 2012 | 22247382 |
| occurrence and molecular analysis of campylobacter in wildlife on livestock farms. | wildlife harbor a variety of campylobacter spp. and may play a significant role in the transmission of campylobacter to livestock. although studies have been conducted on wildlife-associated campylobacter isolates from farms in other countries, there are little data available for livestock farms in the united states. in addition, the critical questions of whether wildlife harbor campylobacter that is pathogenic to ruminants and/or antibiotic-resistant campylobacter have yet to be addressed. we c ... | 2011 | 22266157 |
| vector-host interactions of culex pipiens complex in northeastern and southwestern usa. | studies on the vector-host interactions of culex pipiens complex mosquitoes by sequencing portions of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene indicate that cx. p. pipiens f. pipiens predominantly feed on avian hosts (93.1%), and focus feeding activity on several key bird species, in particular the american robin, the gray catbird, and the house sparrow in connecticut. however, cx. p. quinquefasciatus indiscriminately feed on both birds and mammals. culex p. quinquefasciatus in harris county - texas and ... | 2012 | 23401953 |
| the culex pipiens complex in the mississippi river basin: identification, distribution, and bloodmeal hosts. | members of the culex pipiens complex are the primary vectors of st. louis encephalitis virus and west nile virus in the mississippi river basin (mrb). the cx. pipiens complex in the mrb is composed of 4 taxa: cx. p. pipiens form pipiens, cx. p. quinquefasciatus, hybrids between cx. p. pipiens f. pipiens and cx. p. quinquefasciatus, and cx. p. pipiens form molestus. three studies on bloodmeal hosts with large sample sizes have been conducted on members of the cx. pipiens complex in the mrb includ ... | 2012 | 23401948 |
| the pineal gland: a pacemaker within the circadian system of the house sparrow. | transplantation of pineal tissue into the anterior chamber of the eye rapidly reestablishes rhythmicity in arhythmic pinealectomized sparrows and also transfers the phase of the donor bird's rhythm to the host. thus, the transplanted pineal does not merely permit rhythmicity to be expressed but rather transfers an oscillation that controls the remainder of the circadian system and restores the capacity for self-sustained rhythmicity. long-term recordings, during which sparrosw were exposed to va ... | 1994 | 284425 |
| retinohypothalamic projection and suprachiasmatic nucleus of the house sparrow, passer domesticus. | the distribution of retinohypothalamic projections and the organization of the suprachiasmatic region of the hypothalamus was investigated in the house sparrow (passer domesticus). retinohypothalamic projections (rht) were studied by two anterograde tracing methods, and hypothalamic organization was investigated immunohistochemically with antisera against a number of substances known to be present in the mammalian suprachiasmatic nucleus (scn): bombesin (bbs), glutamic acid decarboxylase (gad), ... | 1999 | 3437073 |
| campylobacter jejuni and campylobacter coli in wild birds on danish livestock farms. | reducing the occurrence of campylobacteriosis is a food safety issue of high priority, as in recent years it has been the most commonly reported zoonosis in the eu. livestock farms are of particular interest, since cattle, swine and poultry are common reservoirs of campylobacter spp. the farm environment provides attractive foraging and breeding habitats for some bird species reported to carry thermophilic campylobacter spp. we investigated the campylobacter spp. carriage rates in 52 wild bird s ... | 2016 | 26842400 |
| bagaza virus is pathogenic and transmitted by direct contact in experimentally infected partridges, but is not infectious in house sparrows and adult mice. | bagaza virus (bagv) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus belonging to the ntaya serocomplex. in 2010, a disease outbreak was reported in cádiz (southern spain) affecting game birds (red-legged partridges and common pheasants). in this work, red-legged partridges were inoculated experimentally with infectious bagv isolated from this outbreak in order to make a complete clinical and analytical assessment of the disease caused by the pathogen in this species. viral load (by real-time rt-pcr) in blood, or ... | 2015 | 26338714 |
| mosquitoes used to draw blood for arbovirus viremia determinations in small vertebrates. | serial samples from the same individuals may be required for certain virological studies, however, some small animals cannot easily be blood-sampled. therefore, we evaluated the use of culex quinquefasciatus say and aedes albopictus skuse mosquitoes as "biological syringes" to draw blood for virus titer determinations in small vertebrates. groups of chicks (gallus gallus), hamsters (mesocricetus auratus), and house sparrows (passer domesticus) were experimentally infected with west nile virus (w ... | 2014 | 24901448 |
| buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) upregulates expression of pattern recognition receptors and interferons in house sparrows (passer domesticus). | birds serve as reservoirs for at least 10 arthropod-borne viruses, yet specific immune responses of birds to arboviral infections are relatively unknown. here, adult house sparrows were inoculated with an arboviral alphavirus, buggy creek virus (bcrv), or saline, and euthanized between 1 and 3 days postinoculation. virological dynamics and gene expression dynamics were investigated. birds did not develop viremia postinoculation, but cytopathic virus was found in the skeletal muscle and spleen of ... | 2014 | 24866749 |
| immune responses of a native and an invasive bird to buggy creek virus (togaviridae: alphavirus) and its arthropod vector, the swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius). | invasive species often display different patterns of parasite burden and virulence compared to their native counterparts. these differences may be the result of variability in host-parasite co-evolutionary relationships, the occurrence of novel host-parasite encounters, or possibly innate differences in physiological responses to infection between invasive and native hosts. here we examine the adaptive, humoral immune responses of a resistant, native bird and a susceptible, invasive bird to an a ... | 2013 | 23460922 |
| replication of west nile virus, rabensburg lineage in mammalian cells is restricted by temperature. | the genus flavivirus currently consists of approximately 80 single-strand positive-sense rna viruses. these replicate in a range of hosts including myriad vertebrate, insect, and tick species. as a consequence of this broad host range, the majority of flaviviruses can be propagated in most vertebrate and insect cell cultures. this ability to infect arthropods and vertebrates usually is essential for maintenance of these viruses in nature. but recently, there has been the discovery of a number of ... | 2012 | 23241081 |
| understanding west nile virus ecology in europe: culex pipiens host feeding preference in a hotspot of virus emergence. | understanding wildlife disease ecology is becoming an urgent need due to the continuous emergence and spread of several wildlife zoonotic diseases. west nile virus (wnv) is the most widespread arthropod-borne virus in the world, and in recent decades there has been an increase both in geographic range, and in the frequency of symptomatic infections in humans and wildlife. the principal vector for wnv in europe is the common house culex pipiens mosquito, which feeds on a wide variety of vertebrat ... | 2015 | 25888754 |
| programmed ribosomal frameshift alters expression of west nile virus genes and facilitates virus replication in birds and mosquitoes. | west nile virus (wnv) is a human pathogen of significant medical importance with close to 40,000 cases of encephalitis and more than 1,600 deaths reported in the us alone since its first emergence in new york in 1999. previous studies identified a motif in the beginning of non-structural gene ns2a of encephalitic flaviviruses including wnv which induces programmed -1 ribosomal frameshift (prf) resulting in production of an additional ns protein ns1'. we have previously demonstrated that mutant w ... | 2014 | 25375107 |
| detection of persistent west nile virus rna in experimentally and naturally infected avian hosts. | to determine whether west nile virus (wnv) persistent infection in avian hosts may potentially serve as an overwintering mechanism, house sparrows and house finches, experimentally and naturally infected with several strains of wnv, and two naturally infected western scrub-jays were held in mosquito-proof outdoor aviaries from 2007-march 2008. overall, 94% (n = 36) of house sparrows, 100% (n = 14) of house finches and 2 western scrub-jays remained wnv antibody positive. when combined by species, ... | 2012 | 22826479 |
| the roles of mosquito and bird communities on the prevalence of west nile virus in urban wetland and residential habitats. | this study investigated the impacts of urban wetlands and their adjacent residential environments on the transmission dynamics of west nile virus (wnv) within the state of new jersey (usa). a working hypothesis was that urban wetlands decrease the local prevalence of wnv through the dilution effect from increased bird diversity, and through relative reductions in the numbers of competent avian host and mosquito species commonly associated with wnv. surveys of mosquito and bird communities were u ... | 0 | 25484570 |
| feeding patterns of molestus and pipiens forms of culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae) in a region of high hybridization. | two biological forms of the mosquito culex pipiens s.s., denoted pipiens and molestus, display behavioural differences that may affect their role as vectors of arboviruses. in this study, the feeding patterns of molestus and pipiens forms were investigated in comporta (portugal), where high levels of inter-form admixture have been recorded. | 2013 | 23578139 |
| surveillance potential of non-native hawaiian birds for detection of west nile virus. | west nile virus (wnv) was first detected in north america in 1999. alaska and hawaii (hi) remain the only u.s. states in which transmission of wnv has not been detected. dead bird surveillance has played an important role in the detection of the virus geographically, as well as temporally. in north america, corvids have played a major role in wnv surveillance; however, the only corvid in hi is the endangered hawaiian crow that exists only in captivity, thus precluding the use of this species for ... | 2015 | 26304918 |
| comprehensive mapping of common immunodominant epitopes in the west nile virus nonstructural protein 1 recognized by avian antibody responses. | west nile virus (wnv) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that primarily infects birds but occasionally infects humans and horses. certain species of birds, including crows, house sparrows, geese, blue jays and ravens, are considered highly susceptible hosts to wnv. the nonstructural protein 1 (ns1) of wnv can elicit protective immune responses, including ns1-reactive antibodies, during infection of animals. the antigenicity of ns1 suggests that ns1-reactive antibodies could provide a basis for serol ... | 2012 | 22347477 |
| host competence and helicase activity differences exhibited by west nile viral variants expressing ns3-249 amino acid polymorphisms. | a single helicase amino acid substitution, ns3-t249p, has been shown to increase viremia magnitude/mortality in american crows (amcrs) following west nile virus (wnv) infection. lineage/intra-lineage geographic variants exhibit consistent amino acid polymorphisms at this locus; however, the majority of wnv isolates associated with recent outbreaks reported worldwide have a proline at the ns3-249 residue. in order to evaluate the impact of ns3-249 variants on avian and mammalian virulence, multip ... | 2014 | 24971589 |
| do mosquitoes transmit the avian malaria-like parasite haemoproteus? an experimental test of vector competence using mosquito saliva. | the life-cycle of many vector-borne pathogens includes an asexual replication phase in the vertebrate host and sexual reproduction in the insect vector. however, as only a small array of parasites can successfully develop infective phases inside an insect, few insect species are competent vectors for these pathogens. molecular approaches have identified the potential insect vectors of blood parasites under natural conditions. however, the effectiveness of this methodology for verifying mosquito ... | 2016 | 27894354 |
| experimental evolution of an rna virus in wild birds: evidence for host-dependent impacts on population structure and competitive fitness. | within hosts, rna viruses form populations that are genetically and phenotypically complex. heterogeneity in rna virus genomes arises due to error-prone replication and is reduced by stochastic and selective mechanisms that are incompletely understood. defining how natural selection shapes rna virus populations is critical because it can inform treatment paradigms and enhance control efforts. we allowed west nile virus (wnv) to replicate in wild-caught american crows, house sparrows and american ... | 2015 | 25993022 |
| spatial variation in host feeding patterns of culex tarsalis and the culex pipiens complex (diptera: culicidae) in california. | west nile virus (family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus, wnv) is now endemic in california across a variety of ecological regions that support a wide diversity of potential avian and mammalian host species. because different avian hosts have varying competence for wnv, determining the blood-feeding patterns of culex (diptera: culicidae) vectors is a key component in understanding the maintenance and amplification of the virus as well as tangential transmission to humans and horses. we investigate ... | 0 | 22897051 |
| prevalence of filarioid nematodes and trypanosomes in american robins and house sparrows, chicago usa. | hosts are commonly infected with a suite of parasites, and interactions among these parasites can affect the size, structure, and behavior of host-parasite communities. as an important step to understanding the significance of co-circulating parasites, we describe prevalence of co-circulating hemoparasites in two important avian amplification hosts for west nile virus (wnv), the american robin (turdus migratorius) and house sparrow (passer domesticus), during the 2010-2011 in chicago, illinois, ... | 2012 | 24533314 |
| avian hosts of west nile virus in arizona. | west nile virus (wnv) causes sporadic outbreaks of human encephalitis in phoenix, arizona. to identify amplifying hosts of wnv in the phoenix area, we blood-sampled resident birds and measured antibody prevalence following an outbreak in the east valley of metropolitan phoenix during summer, 2010. house sparrow (passer domesticus), house finch (haemorhous mexicanus), great-tailed grackle (quiscalus mexicanus), and mourning dove (zenaida macroura) accounted for most wnv infections among locally r ... | 2013 | 23857022 |
| host group formation decreases exposure to vector-borne disease: a field experiment in a 'hotspot' of west nile virus transmission. | animals can decrease their individual risk of predation by forming groups. the encounter-dilution hypothesis extends the potential benefits of gregariousness to biting insects and vector-borne disease by predicting that the per capita number of insect bites should decrease within larger host groups. although vector-borne diseases are common and can exert strong selective pressures on hosts, there have been few tests of the encounter-dilution effect in natural systems. we conducted an experimenta ... | 0 | 25339722 |
| reduced west nile virus transmission around communal roosts of great-tailed grackle (quiscalus mexicanus). | west nile virus has caused several outbreaks among humans in the phoenix metropolitan area (arizona, southwest usa) within the last decade. recent ecologic studies have implicated culex quinquefasciatus and culex tarsalis as the mosquito vectors and identified three abundant passerine birds-great-tailed grackle (quiscalus mexicanus), house sparrow (passer domesticus), and house finch (haemorhous mexicanus)-as key amplifiers among vertebrates. nocturnal congregations of certain species have been ... | 2014 | 25480320 |
| evidence for co-evolution of west nile virus and house sparrows in north america. | west nile virus (wnv) has been maintained in north america in enzootic cycles between mosquitoes and birds since it was first described in north america in 1999. house sparrows (hosps; passer domesticus) are a highly competent host for wnv that have contributed to the rapid spread of wnv across the u.s.; however, their competence has been evaluated primarily using an early wnv strain (ny99) that is no longer circulating. herein, we report that the competence of wild hosps for the ny99 strain has ... | 2014 | 25357248 |
| west nile virus prevalence across landscapes is mediated by local effects of agriculture on vector and host communities. | arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) threaten the health of humans, livestock, and wildlife. west nile virus (wnv), the world's most widespread arbovirus, invaded the united states in 1999 and rapidly spread across the county. although the ecology of vectors and hosts are key determinants of wnv prevalence across landscapes, the factors shaping local vector and host populations remain unclear. here, we used spatially-explicit models to evaluate how three land-use types (orchards, vegetable/fora ... | 2013 | 23383032 |
| antecedent avian immunity limits tangential transmission of west nile virus to humans. | west nile virus (wnv) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus maintained and amplified among birds and tangentially transmitted to humans and horses which may develop terminal neuroinvasive disease. outbreaks typically have a three-year pattern of silent introduction, rapid amplification and subsidence, followed by intermittent recrudescence. our hypothesis that amplification to outbreak levels is contingent upon antecedent seroprevalence within maintenance host populations was tested by tracking wnv tra ... | 2012 | 22457819 |
| experimental infection of house sparrows (passer domesticus) with west nile virus isolates of euro-mediterranean and north american origins. | west nile virus (wnv) is a zoonotic arboviral pathogen transmitted by mosquitoes in a cycle involving wild birds as reservoir hosts. the virus has recently emerged in north america and re-emerged in europe. north american wnv outbreaks are often accompanied by high mortality in wild birds, a feature that is uncommon in europe. the reason for this difference is unknown, but the intrinsic virulence of the viruses circulating in each continent and/or the susceptibility to the disease of palearctic ... | 2014 | 24641615 |
| dynamics of west nile virus persistence in house sparrows (passer domesticus). | west nile virus (wnv) is now endemic throughout north america, with annual recurrence dependent upon successful overwintering when cold temperatures drive mosquito vectors into inactivity and halt transmission. to investigate whether avian hosts may serve as an overwintering mechanism, groups of eight to ten house sparrows were experimentally infected with a wn02 genotype of wnv and then held until necropsy at 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, or 18 weeks post-infection (pi) when they were assessed for the pr ... | 2012 | 23056663 |
| predictions of avian plasmodium expansion under climate change. | vector-borne diseases are particularly responsive to changing environmental conditions. diurnal temperature variation has been identified as a particularly important factor for the development of malaria parasites within vectors. here, we conducted a survey across france, screening populations of the house sparrow (passer domesticus) for malaria (plasmodium relictum). we investigated whether variation in remotely-sensed environmental variables accounted for the spatial variation observed in prev ... | 2013 | 23350033 |
| rickettsiae of spotted fever group, borrelia valaisiana, and coxiella burnetii in ticks on passerine birds and mammals from the camargue in the south of france. | ticks are obligate hematophagous arthropods that have a limited mobility, but can be transported over large geographical distances by wild and domestic mammals and birds. in this study, we analyze the presence of emerging zoonotic bacteria in ticks collected from passerine birds and mammals present in the camargue, in the south of france, which is a major rallying point for birds migrating from eurasia and africa. the presence of coxiella burnetii, rickettsia, borrelia, and bartonella was examin ... | 2012 | 23141104 |
| predation by ants controls swallow bug (hemiptera: cimicidae: oeciacus vicarius) infestations. | the swallow bug (oeciacus vicarius) is the only known vector for buggy creek virus (bcrv), an alphavirus that circulates in cliff swallows (petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and house sparrows (passer domesticus) in north america. we discovered ants (crematogaster lineolata and formica spp.) preying on swallow bugs at cliff swallow colonies in western nebraska, u.s.a. ants reduced the numbers of visible bugs on active swallow nests by 74-90%, relative to nests in the same colony without ants. ant predat ... | 2015 | 26047195 |
| prevalence and genetic diversity of avipoxvirus in house sparrows in spain. | avipoxvirus (apv) is a fairly common virus affecting birds that causes morbidity and mortality in wild and captive birds. we studied the prevalence of pox-like lesions and genetic diversity of apv in house sparrows (passer domesticus) in natural, agricultural and urban areas in southern spain in 2013 and 2014 and in central spain for 8 months (2012-2013). overall, 3.2% of 2,341 house sparrows visually examined in southern spain had cutaneous lesions consistent with avian pox. a similar prevalenc ... | 2016 | 28005936 |
| vermin on pig farms are vectors for clostridium difficile pcr ribotypes 078 and 045. | clostridium difficile is a gram positive, spore forming, toxin producing, anaerobic bacteria and an opportunistic pathogen for man and many animal species, causing diarrhea in young piglets. piglets probably become colonized from the environment. to investigate the possible spread and transmission of c. difficile by vermin, vermin samples were collected on a pig farm in the netherlands and investigated for the presence of c. difficile. samples of house mice (n=53), drain flies (n=39), lesser hou ... | 2012 | 22682200 |
| virulence genes, antibiotic resistance and integrons in escherichia coli strains isolated from synanthropic birds from spain. | the aim of this study was to determine the presence of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance profiles in 164 escherichia coli strains isolated from birds (feral pigeons, hybrid ducks, house sparrows and spotless starlings) inhabiting urban and rural environments. a total of eight atypical enteropathogenic e. coli strains were identified: one in a house sparrow, four in feral pigeons and three in spotless starlings. antibiotic resistance was present in 32.9% (54) of e. coli strains. the domin ... | 2014 | 24689431 |
| does immune suppression during stress occur to promote physical performance? | two adaptationist hypotheses have been proposed to explain why stress, particularly elevation of stress hormones (i.e. glucocorticoids), tends to suppress immune functions. one is that immune suppression represents efforts to minimize autoimmune responses to self-antigens released as organisms cope with stressors (i.e. the autoimmune-avoidance hypothesis). the other is that immune suppression occurs to promote a shunting of resources to life processes more conducive to survival of the stressor ( ... | 2012 | 22933612 |
| a field study on the effects of fort morgan virus, an arbovirus transmitted by swallow bugs, on the reproductive success of cliff swallows and symbiotic house sparrows in morgan county, colorado, 1976. | we studied the transmission of fort morgan (fm) virus within colonies of nesting cliff swallows and house sparrows under three bridges in morgan county, colorado during 1976. nests were examined, and blood or brain specimens were collected from nestlings once or twice a week. flying birds and small mammals were also studied. we analyzed nesting activity, virus isolations from nestlings of both species, fledging success, multiple infections within a brood of nestlings, infection frequency by age ... | 1984 | 6091471 |
| experimental infection of european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) and house sparrows (passer domesticus) with pandemic 2009 h1n1 and swine h1n1 and h3n2 triple reassortant influenza viruses. | european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) and house sparrows (passer domesticus) are common peridomestic passerine birds that are often associated with domestic animal production facilities. this association provides a potential means for pathogen transmission between facilities. we inoculated european starlings and house sparrows with three non-avian influenza virus strains: two swine isolates (h1n1 and h3n2) and one human isolate representing the h1n1 pandemic strain that originated from swine. no ... | 2013 | 23568924 |
| prevalence of mycoplasma gallisepticum and mycoplasma synoviae in commercial poultry, racing pigeons and wild birds in belgium. | mycoplasma gallisepticum is the most important pathogenic avian mycoplasma species and causes chronic respiratory disease in poultry. in addition, the prevalence of mycoplasma synoviae is of increasing concern in several eu member states. we investigated the prevalence of m. gallisepticum in commercial poultry (5220 layers, 1224 broilers and 1020 meat turkeys), 56 racing pigeons and 890 wild birds (order anseriformes, galliformes, pelecaniformes, accipitriformes, gruiformes, charadriiformes, col ... | 2016 | 26814376 |
| detection of neospora caninum-dna in brain tissues from pigeons in changchun, jilin (china). | neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan infecting many domestic and wild animals. the domestic chicken (gallus domesticus) and the sparrow (passer domesticus) are known as natural intermediate hosts of n. caninum, whereas the role of other birds such as pigeons is still unclear. in the present study, pigeon brain tissues collected in jilin of china were screened by n. caninum specific-nested pcr to determine whether pigeons functioned as the natural intermediate hosts of n. caninum. the p ... | 2015 | 26385650 |
| molecular detection of neospora caninum in house sparrows (passer domesticus) in iran. | neospora caninum is an intracellular protozoan parasite with a wide range of intermediate bird hosts. there is little information describing the prevalence and genetic characterization of n. caninum in bird hosts worldwide and in iran. in this study, a total of 217 brain samples of house sparrow (passer domesticus) were examined for n. caninum presence by nested polymerase chain reaction targeting the nc-5 gene. n. caninum dna was detected in 3.68% (8/217) of sparrows. sequencing of the nc5 geno ... | 2015 | 25971651 |
| plasmodium relictum (lineages psgs1 and pgrw11): complete synchronous sporogony in mosquitoes culex pipiens pipiens. | plasmodium relictum is a widespread invasive agent of avian malaria, responsible for acute, chronic and debilitating diseases in many species of birds. recent pcr-based studies revealed astonishing genetic diversity of avian malaria parasites (genus plasmodium), with numerous genetic lineages deposited in genbank. many studies addressed distribution and evolutionary relationships of avian plasmodium lineages, but information about patterns of development of different lineages in mosquito vectors ... | 2013 | 23337824 |
| integrative taxonomy of central european parasitic flatworms of the family prosthogonimidae lühe, 1909 (trematoda: plagiorchiida). | species of the family prosthogonimidae are considered the most pathogenic poultry trematodes worldwide, affecting particularly low intensity farming in rural areas. adults of prosthogonimus occur mainly in the bursa of fabricius, oviduct and cloaca of ducks, geese, fowl and other birds feeding at least occasionally on dragonflies or damselflies (odonata). we analyzed the central european species of the prosthogonimidae, namely prosthogonimus cuneatus, prosthogonimus ovatus, prosthogonimus pelluc ... | 2015 | 25724855 |
| surveys for antibodies against mosquitoborne encephalitis viruses in california birds, 1996-2013. | from 1996 through 2013, 54,546 individual birds comprising 152 species and 7 orders were banded, bled, and released at four study areas within california, from which 28,388 additional serum samples were collected at one or more recapture encounters. of these, 142, 99, and 1929 birds from 41 species were positive for neutralizing antibodies against western equine encephalomyelitis virus (weev), st. louis encephalitis virus (slev), or west nile virus (wnv) at initial capture or recapture, respecti ... | 2016 | 26974395 |
| blood meal analysis, flavivirus screening, and influence of meteorological variables on the dynamics of potential mosquito vectors of west nile virus in northern italy. | an extended area of northern italy has experienced several west nile virus (wnv) outbreaks and the emergence of usutu virus (usuv) during previous years. our aim was to study some of the factors that could explain disease patterns in the trentino region, where circulation was detected in human sera and sentinel chickens, but no human or equine cases were reported. we collected culex species (diptera: culicidae) in peridomestic environments. the collected specimens were analyzed for feeding behav ... | 2012 | 22548533 |
| west nile virus-related trends in avian mortality in california, usa, 2003-12. | west nile virus (wnv) is an arbovirus transmitted enzootically by culex mosquitoes among avian hosts. since 2000, the california dead bird surveillance program (dbsp) has tracked avian mortality reported by the public on a telephone hotline and website and measured the prevalence of wnv infection in dead birds. we summarize herein wnv prevalence in dead birds tested and variation of wnv transmission over time and space with the use of dbsp data from 2003 to 2012. prevalence among dead birds was ... | 2015 | 25919466 |
| host (avian) biting preference of southern california culex mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae). | the host preference of a vector mosquito species plays a significant role in determining human and animal risk of infection with mosquito-transmitted pathogens. host preferences of common southern california culex species for four bird species, american crow (corvus brachyrhynchos), house sparrow (passer domesticus), house finch (carpodacus mexicanus), and mourning dove (zenaida macroura), were examined by determining the proportion of each mosquito species that successfully engorged on each of ... | 2012 | 22679878 |
| surveillance for highly pathogenic h5 avian influenza virus in synanthropic wildlife associated with poultry farms during an acute outbreak. | in november 2014, a eurasian strain h5n8 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus was detected in poultry in canada. introduced viruses were soon detected in the united states and within six months had spread to 21 states with more than 48 million poultry affected. in an effort to study potential mechanisms of spread of the eurasian h5 virus, the united states department of agriculture coordinated several epidemiologic investigations at poultry farms. as part of those efforts, we sampled synanthr ... | 2016 | 27812044 |
| limited transmission of emergent h7n9 influenza a virus in a simulated live animal market: do chickens pose the principal transmission threat? | emergent h7n9 influenza a virus has caused multiple public health and financial hardships. while some epidemiological studies have recognized infected chickens as an important bridge for human infections, the generality of this observation, the minimum infectious dose, and the shedding potential of chickens have received conflicting results. we experimentally tested the ability of domestic chickens (gallus gallus domesticus) to transmit h7n9 to co-housed chickens and to several other animal spec ... | 2016 | 27236304 |
| transgenerational effects enhance specific immune response in a wild passerine. | vertebrate mothers transfer diverse compounds to developing embryos that can affect their development and final phenotype (i.e., maternal effects). however, the way such effects modulate offspring phenotype, in particular their immunity, remains unclear. to test the impact of maternal effects on offspring development, we treated wild breeding house sparrows (passer domesticus) in sevilla, se spain with newcastle disease virus (ndv) vaccine. female parents were vaccinated when caring for first br ... | 2016 | 27069782 |
| immune response to newcastle disease virus vaccination in a wild passerine. | we studied the immune response of wild house sparrows (passer domesticus) experimentally challenged with different doses of inactivated newcastle disease virus (ndv) vaccine. we evaluated within-individual cell-mediated and humoral responses in birds kept in outdoor aviaries, over a 6-wk period. nonbreeding adult house sparrows developed a significant humoral response to ndv experimental vaccination within 1 wk postchallenge, as measured by hemagglutination inhibition assay; values increased unt ... | 2013 | 24502730 |
| do malaria parasites manipulate the escape behaviour of their avian hosts? an experimental study. | escape behaviour is the behaviour that birds and other animals display when already caught by a predator. an individual exhibiting higher intensity of such anti-predator behaviour could have greater probabilities of escape from predators. parasites are known to affect different aspects of host behaviour to increase their own fitness. vector-transmitted parasites such as malaria parasites should gain by manipulating their hosts to enhance the probability of transmission. several studies have show ... | 2015 | 26337268 |
| epidemiology of plasmodium relictum infection in the house sparrow. | in vertebrates, multiple host characteristics and environmental factors are known to influence infectious disease dynamics. here, we investigated variability in prevalence and parasitemia of plasmodium relictum in the house sparrow ( passer domesticus ) across a large number of rural and urban populations (n = 16). we found that prevalence was not predicted by any of the host traits investigated (age, sex, body mass, or wing length). however, parasitemia was significantly higher in females when ... | 2014 | 23987473 |
| urbanization, trace metal pollution, and malaria prevalence in the house sparrow. | anthropogenic pollution poses a threat for the environment and wildlife. trace metals (tms) are known to have negative effects on haematological status, oxidative balance, and reproductive success in birds. these pollutants particularly increase in concentration in industrialized, urbanized and intensive agricultural areas. pollutants can also interfere with the normal functioning of the immune system and, as such, alter the dynamics of host-parasite interactions. nevertheless, the impact of pol ... | 2013 | 23342022 |
| house sparrows do not constitute a significant salmonella typhimurium reservoir across urban gradients in flanders, belgium. | in recent decades major declines in urban house sparrow (passer domesticus) populations have been observed in north-western european cities, whereas suburban and rural house sparrow populations have remained relatively stable or are recovering from previous declines. differential exposure to avian pathogens known to cause epidemics in house sparrows may in part explain this spatial pattern of declines. here we investigate the potential effect of urbanization on the development of a bacterial pat ... | 2016 | 27168186 |
| endoparasite infection has both short- and long-term negative effects on reproductive success of female house sparrows, as revealed by faecal parasitic egg counts. | parasites have the potential to severely reduce host reproductive success. however, the effects of endoparasites on reproductive success have not received the same amount of attention as the effects of parasites on host survival. we investigated the relationship between an avian endoparasite (gapeworm, syngamus trachea) and both current and future reproductive success of female house sparrows (passer domesticus) in a population on the coast of helgeland, northern norway. we found that the propor ... | 2015 | 25933371 |
| temporal and spatial variation in prevalence of the parasite syngamus trachea in a metapopulation of house sparrows (passer domesticus). | when investigating parasite-host dynamics in wild populations, a fundamental parameter to investigate is prevalence. this quantifies the percentage of individuals infected in the population. investigating how prevalence changes over time and space can reveal interesting aspects in the parasite-host relationship in natural populations. we investigated the dynamic between a common avian parasite (syngamus trachea) in a host metapopulation of house sparrows (passer domesticus) on the coast of helge ... | 2013 | 23790222 |
| tembusu virus in human, china. | tembusu virus (tmuv) infection in ducks, geese and house sparrows was reported in china. to confirm the emergence of tmuv in humans, we investigated tmuv as a possible infection in duck industry workers in shandong, china. of 132 serum samples tested, 95 (71.9%) had tmuv antibodies. in oral swabs detection, 63 (47.7%) samples were positive for tmuv rna. nucleotide sequences of 277 bp coding the partial ns3 protein showed more than 99.5% identity with other duck tmuv strains, which can cause seve ... | 2013 | 23551969 |
| characterization of a tembusu virus isolated from naturally infected house sparrows (passer domesticus) in northern china. | the house sparrow (passer domesticus) is one of the most widely distributed wild birds in china. tembusu virus (tmuv) strain, tmuv-sdhs, was isolated from house sparrows living around the poultry farms in shandong province, northern china. genetic analysis of e and ns5 genes showed that it had a close relationship with that of the yy5 strain, which can cause severe egg drop in ducks. pathogenicity studies showed that the virus is highly virulent when experimentally inoculated into the ducks. the ... | 2013 | 22515847 |
| molecular detection of toxoplasma gondii in house sparrow (passer domesticus) by lamp and pcr methods in tehran, iran. | toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common zoonotic parasitic diseases in human and warm-blooded animals worldwide. birds are one of important intermediate hosts of t. gondii. the aim of this study is molecular detection of t. gondii in the house sparrow by lamp and pcr methods in tehran, iran. a total 200 sparrows were captured in different regions of tehran. dna was extracted from tissue samples of each sparrow. lamp and conventional pcr assays were carried out with a set of primers to detect ... | 2016 | 27876939 |
| prevalence and genetic characterization of toxoplasma gondii in house sparrows (passer domesticus) in lanzhou, china. | the prevalence of toxoplasma gondii infection in birds has epidemiological significance because birds are indeed considered as a good indicator of environmental contamination by t. gondii oocysts. in this study, the prevalence of t. gondii in 313 house sparrows in lanzhou, northwestern china was assayed by the modified agglutination test (mat). antibodies to t. gondii were positive in 39 (12.46%) of 313 samples (mat titer ≥ 1:5). tissues of heart, brain, and lung from the 39 seropositive house s ... | 2013 | 23864750 |
| detection and genotyping of toxoplasma gondii strains isolated from birds in the southwest of iran. | 1. the aim of this work was to determine the frequency of occurrence of toxoplasma gondii and genetically analyse isolates from a number of avian hosts in the southwest of iran (khuzestan province). the frequency of t. gondii was determined in free-range chickens (gallus domesticus), sparrows (passer domesticus), pigeons (columba livia) and starlings (sturnus vulgaris). 2. isolates obtained from toxoplasma-infected birds were subjected to molecular typing by pcr-restriction fragment length polym ... | 2013 | 23444856 |
| experimental toxoplasmosis in house sparrows (passer domesticus). | a total of 31 house sparrows (passer domesticus) were divided into five groups of six to seven birds. birds were infected per os with 1, 10, 102, 103 and 104 oocysts of toxoplasma gondii of the k1 strain, respectively. when the general health, production of antibodies against t. gondii and isolation positivity of the sparrows were examined in weeks 3, 7 and 12 post-infection (p.i.), no clinical signs of toxoplasmosis were observed. seroprevalences ascertained in weeks 3, 7, and 12 p.i. were 64% ... | 1999 | 26905493 |
| molecular and morphological evidence for the holarctic distribution of urogonimus macrostomus (rudolphi, 1803) monticelli, 1888 (digenea: leucochloridiidae). | species of urogonimus monticelli, 1888 (leucochloridiidae poche, 1907) are difficult to distinguish using adult morphology, and their taxonomy has been repeatedly subjected to revision. some nearctic species have been regarded as synonymous with the palearctic type species urogonimus macrostomus (rudolphi, 1803) monticelli, 1888. this implies that u. macrostomus is present in the nearctic, but there is no additional evidence for this putative distribution. we collected trematodes morphologically ... | 2012 | 22360608 |
| susceptibility and antibody response of the laboratory model zebra finch (taeniopygia guttata) to west nile virus. | since the introduction of west nile virus (wnv) into north america in 1999 a number of passerine bird species have been found to play a role in the amplification of the virus. arbovirus surveillance, observational studies and experimental studies have implicated passerine birds (songbirds, e.g., crows, american robins, house sparrows, and house finches) as significant reservoirs of wnv in north america, yet we lack a tractable passerine animal model for controlled studies of the virus. the zebra ... | 2017 | 28045891 |
| exposure of resident sparrows to west nile virus evidenced in south tunisia. | during the last few years, several cases of west nile virus (wnv) infection in humans have been reported in tunisia. however, detailed information on wnv infection in wild birds, the primary amplifying host of wnv, are lacking. in this work, we investigated the exposure of wild sparrows (hybrid passer domesticus × hispaniolensis) living in two oases in southern tunisia (gabès and kébili oases) to wnv, through the detection of wnv-specific antibodies by using elisa and microneutralization tests. ... | 2015 | 25994421 |
| experimental infection of house sparrows (passer domesticus) with west nile virus strains of lineages 1 and 2. | west nile virus (wnv) is a zoonotic pathogen which is maintained in an enzootic cycle between mosquitoes and birds; humans, equines, other mammals and some bird species are dead-end hosts. lineage 1 wnv strains have predominated in europe since the 1960s. however, in 2004 lineage 2 strains emerged in hungary and russia, respectively, spreading since then to a number of neighbouring countries (e.g., austria, greece, italy, serbia and romania). wild bird mortality is a hallmark of north american w ... | 2014 | 24984945 |
| west nile virus infection rates and avian serology in east-central illinois. | understanding the geographic role of different species of mosquito vectors and vertebrate hosts in west nile virus (wnv) transmission cycles can facilitate the development and implementation of targeted surveillance and control measures. this study examined the relationship between wnv-antibody rates in birds and mosquito infection rates and bloodfeeding patterns in east-central illinois. the earliest detection of wnv-rna by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction taqman was from culex r ... | 2013 | 23923325 |