| ultrastructural observations on renal schizogony of leucocytozoon dubreuili in the american robin. | the schizogonic development of leucocytozoon dubreuili in the kidney proximal tubule cells of the american robin, turdus migratorius, was studied by electron microscopy. renal schizogony is initiated by the entry of certain hepatic merozoites into cells of the proximal tubules. development of the schizont consists of coordinated sequence of events including extensive mitotic nuclear division, multiplication of mitochondria, increase in endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomes, differentiation of me ... | 1978 | 102784 |
| survey of q-fever agglutinins in birds and small rodents in northern california, 1975-76. | serum samples from 15 species of rodents and 33 species of birds were tested for agglutinins against coxiella burnetii by the microagglutination test. of 759 rodents tested, 21 (3%) were seropositive. antibody positive rodents included muskrats, ondatra zebethica, (11%), rattus spp. (10%), beechey ground squirrels, otospermophilus beecheyi, (6%), wood rats, neotoma fuscipes, (5%), and peromyscus spp. (2%). of 583 birds tested, 118 (20%) were seropositive. this included white crowned sparrows, zo ... | 1979 | 522220 |
| community ecology of helminth parasitism in an insular passerine avifauna. | three hundred and thirty specimens of 7 species of passerine birds from south bass island, ottawa county, ohio, were examined for helminth parasites. the total number of helminth specimens collected was 4,333. forty-one helminth taxa were identified. ten species of helminths were identified as having foci of infection on the island. an index of association for these 10 species is presented. the low association revealed between helminth species utilizing common species of intermediate hosts indic ... | 1976 | 1255354 |
| digestive modulation in a seasonal frugivore, the american robin (turdus migratorius). | american robins (turdus migratorius) switch from eating fruits in the fall to insects in the spring. our objective was to determine the physiological and morphological changes associated with such a switch. three nonexclusive hypotheses addressed possible mechanisms operating on different levels. first, we hypothesized that birds on the two diets would differ in intestinal absorption rates of sugars and amino acids. we predicted that individuals on a high-protein low-carbohydrate insect diet wou ... | 1992 | 1566851 |
| syngamiasis in juvenile american robins (turdus migratorius), with a note on the prevalence of other fecal parasites. | of 105 juvenile american robins (turdus migratorius l.) examined for fecal parasites, 77.1% were infected with one or more species of endoparasite. syngamus sp. was the most commonly encountered parasite, found in 57.1% of the birds. there was a significant association between the presence of syngamus sp. eggs in feces and signs of respiratory-tract disease. a single oral dose of fenbendazole (100 mg/kg of body weight) eliminated syngamus sp. infection from all of 18 birds treated, yet 10 of 16 ... | 1986 | 2949729 |
| experimental studies of st. louis encephalitis virus in vertebrates. | serologically negative birds and mammals of species, known from other studies to be exposed naturally to st. louis encephalitis (sle) virus in memphis, tennessee, and other selected species were inoculated experimentally with strains of sle virus to determine their potential as natural hosts. mosquitoes (culex sp.) were allowed to feed on some of the inoculated vertebrate species, held for 14 days, and tested for sle infection. the cardinals (richmondena cardinalis), robins (turdus migratorius), ... | 1985 | 3999258 |
| avian and mammalian hosts for spirochete-infected ticks and insects in a lyme disease focus in connecticut. | spirochetes and their vectors and reservoirs were studied in a lyme disease focus in east haddam, connecticut, from mid-may through september 1983. ixodes dammini subadults were comparable in number on white-footed mice (peromyscus leucopus) (means = 2.9 +/- 3.6 sd) to those on 27 different species of birds (means = 2.3 +/- 4.2 sd) representing 11 families within the order passeriformes. less commonly found ticks on birds (means less than or equal to 0.1) were immature ixodes dentatus and haemap ... | 1984 | 6516460 |
| mortality in robins (turdus migratorius) due to avian malaria. | two juvenile robins (turdus migratorius) died shortly after being captured in baltimore, maryland. both had high erythrocytic parasitemias of mixed plasmodium infections. postmortem examination revealed large numbers of exo-erythrocytic malarial schizonts in the liver, spleen, lungs and brain of both cases. avian malaria was considered the primary cause of death. | 1981 | 7241710 |
| ticks (acari: ixodidae) infesting wild birds (aves) and white-footed mice in lyme, ct. | birds were captured and recaptured (20.8% of 5,297) with japanese mist nets, and white-footed mice, peromyscus leucopus (rafinesque), were caught and recaught (69.1% of 355) with sherman box traps during the late spring, summer, and early fall from july 1989 through october 1991 to study tick-host relationships in lyme, ct. ixodes scapularis say, a vector of lyme disease spirochetes, borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto johnson, schmid, hye, steigerwalt & brenner, infested 803 birds (15.2%) in 36 ... | 1995 | 7650706 |
| avian hosts of st. louis encephalitis virus in pine bluff, arkansas, 1991. | an investigation of the extent of st. louis encephalitis (sle) virus activity in the avian population in pine bluff, arkansas was conducted from august 30, 1991 through september 5, 1991, following an sle epidemic that resulted in 25 human cases. a total of 363 birds of 33 species were captured with ground-level mist nets at four sites along the northern edge of the city. no viruses were isolated from the serum of these birds, but 91 birds (25%) of 11 species had detectable neutralizing antibody ... | 1993 | 8352391 |
| relative importance of bird species as hosts for immature ixodes dammini (acari: ixodidae) in a suburban residential landscape of southern new york state. | abundance of birds and their tick parasites were estimated in a residential community located in westchester county, ny, where lyme disease is endemic. in total, 36 bird species (416 captures) were collected, of which 25 species (69%) were parasitized by ticks. ixodes dammini spielman, clifford, piesman & corwin composed 96.4% of the 1,067 ticks found on birds. the bird species most heavily parasitized was house wren, troglodytes aedon vieillot (11.1 ixodes dammini per bird). relative density es ... | 1993 | 8360897 |
| spring migratory birds (aves) extend the northern occurrence of blacklegged tick (acari:ixodidae). | birds that had migrated northward across lake superior were captured upon reaching landfall at thunder cape (48 degrees 18' n, 88 degrees 56' w) at the southwestern tip of the sibley peninsula, northwestern ontario, from 9 may to 9 june 1995. twenty-one of 530 birds examined (6 of 55 species) had a total of 34 ticks; 1 blue jay, cyanocitta cristata, had a northern fowl mite, ornithonyssus sylviarum (canestrini & fanzago). four blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say, larvae were found on an amer ... | 1996 | 8699451 |
| osteosarcoma in an american robin (turdus migratorius). | an osteosarcoma arising from the left hemimandible was diagnosed in an adult american robin (turdus migratorius). neoplastic spindle cells were observed extending away from foci of trabecular bone in dense sheets, occasionally within osteoid tissue. the variably pleomorphic spindle cells contained fibrillar, lightly basophilic cytoplasm, irregular, round to ovoid nuclei, and single or multiple small nucleoli. this is the first report of an osseous neoplasm in a wild passerine. | 1996 | 8980829 |
| brood division in birds in relation to offspring size: sibling rivalry and parental control | in some altricial birds with biparental care, it is the female, and in others the male, that provides more food to the smallest offspring within the brood. many hypotheses have been proposed to account for such puzzling patterns of parental care. a parsimonious explanation is that no difference exists between the parents in priority of care but that differences arise simply from sibling rivalry, with dominant chicks trying to position themselves closest to the parent that provides most care (the ... | 1997 | 9521793 |
| ecological and evolutionary implications of energy and protein requirements of avian frugivores eating sugary diets. | to assess how the high-sugar/low-protein content of fruit diets affects digestive function and nutrition of frugivorous birds, i compared intake, passage rate, sugar utilization, protein requirements, and mass changes of cedar waxwings (bombycilla cedrorum), american robins (turdus migratorius), and wood thrushes (hylocichla mustelina) fed synthetic diets simulating the range of sugar (6.6%, 12.4%, and 22.0% solutes) and protein (4.5%, 3.0%, and 1.5% of dry matter) content of bird-dispersed frui ... | 1998 | 9798248 |
| epizootic podoknemidokoptiasis in american robins. | epizootics of scaly leg disease caused by infection with the submacroscopic mite knemidokoptes jamaicensis (acari: knemidokoptidae) in migratory american robins (turdus migratorius) from a residential area of tulsa (oklahoma, usa) are documented during the winters (december through february) of 1993-94 and 1994-95. estimates of 60 to > 80% of the birds in several different flights arriving in the area had lesions consistent with knemidokoptic mange. epizootic occurrence of k. jamaicensis also is ... | 1999 | 10073340 |
| competence of american robins as reservoir hosts for lyme disease spirochetes. | to explore the competence of american robins as a reservoir for lyme disease spirochetes, we determined the susceptibility of these birds to tickborne spirochetes and their subsequent infectivity for larval vector ticks. robins acquired infection and became infectious to almost all xenodiagnostic ticks soon after exposure to infected nymphal ticks. although infectivity waned after 2 months, the robins remained susceptible to reinfection, became infectious again, and permitted repeated feeding by ... | 2000 | 10756146 |
| transfer of ddt and metabolites from fruit orchard soils to american robins (turdus migratorius) twenty years after agricultural use of ddt in canada. | wildlife contamination studies found high levels of ddt and associated metabolites in bird eggs from canadian orchard sites during the early 1990s. the present study investigated local dietary uptake of ddt and geographic variability in tissue concentrations in the same orchards. a soil-earthworm-robin food chain was chosen for study, as early surveys showed that robins contained the highest levels of ddt of several avian species and because published research indicated that earthworms were a pr ... | 2000 | 10871424 |
| curved flight paths and sideways vision in peregrine falcons (falco peregrinus). | when diving at prey straight ahead from great distances at high speeds, a peregrine has a conflict between vision and aerodynamics: it must turn its head approximately 40 degrees to one side to see the prey with maximum visual acuity at the deep fovea of one eye, but the head in this position increases aerodynamic drag and slows the falcon down. the falcon could resolve this conflict by holding its head straight and flying along a logarithmic spiral path that keeps the line of sight of the deep ... | 2000 | 11076739 |
| food chain aspects of chlordane poisoning in birds and bats. | we have observed recurring chlordane poisonings of large numbers of common grackles (quiscalus quiscula), european starlings (sturnus vulgaris), and american robins (turdus migratorius) at suburban roosts in new jersey during the month of july. this paper describes aspects of the food chain uptake of chlordane that account for the periodicity of these poisonings. chlordane concentrations ranged from < 0.02 to 20.3 microg/g wet weight in 11 soil samples collected from residential lawns and a golf ... | 2001 | 11243332 |
| interrupted blood-feeding by culiseta melanura (diptera: culicidae) on european starlings. | to determine whether culiseta melanura (coquillett) mosquitoes tend to take multiple blood meals when birds of certain species serve as hosts, we compared the frequencies with which such mosquitoes fed upon caged starlings and robins and determined whether similar volumes of blood were imbibed from each. the blood of robins (turdus migratorius) and european starlings (sturnus vulgaris) was marked contrastingly by injecting birds with rubidium or cesium salts. caged birds were placed together in ... | 2001 | 11268693 |
| mycoplasmosis in captive crows and robins from minnesota. | mycoplasma sturni is a recently described organism previously associated with conjunctivitis in european starlings (sturnus vulgaris), northern mockingbirds (mimus polyglottos) and blue jays (cyanocitta cristata). herein we describe the isolation of m. sturni from an american crow (corvus brachyrhynchos) presenting with conjunctivitis. a nested-pcr was designed for identification of m. sturni in clinical specimens and the sensitivity of the reaction was found to be 10 colony-changing units. the ... | 2001 | 11504228 |
| birds and their ticks in northwestern california: minimal contribution to borrelia burgdorferi enzootiology. | birds and their attendant ticks were surveyed for infection with the lyme disease spirochete borrelia burgdorferi, in chaparral and woodland-grass habitats in northwestern california from march to july, 1998 to 1999. in total, 234 birds were captured and recaptured (15%); nearly 2.5 times more birds were captured in chaparral than in woodland-grass. overall, 34 species representing 15 families were collected during this study; of these, 24 species were caught in chaparral, 19 in woodland-grass, ... | 2001 | 11534638 |
| host-feeding habits of culex and other mosquitoes (diptera: culicidae) in the borough of queens in new york city, with characters and techniques for identification of culex mosquitoes. | the host-feeding patterns of mosquitoes (n = 247) collected in the borough of queens in new york city in july and august 2000 were investigated using an indirect elisa and a polymerase chain reaction (pcr)-heteroduplex assay. culex pipiens l. and cx. restuans theobald fed primarily on birds, and their feeding habits support their implication as enzootic vectors of west nile virus. culex salinarius coquillett and coquillettidia perturbans (walker) fed mainly on mammals, with fewer blood meals tak ... | 2002 | 12349862 |
| an assessment of ddt and other chlorinated compounds and the reproductive success of american robins (turdus migratonrius) breeding in fruit orchards. | although ddt was banned in the 1970s, american robins (turdus migratorius) breeding in fruit orchards of the okanagan valley, british columbia, continue to be contaminated with ddt and its metabolites. the objectives of our study were (1) to assess organochlorine (oc) contamination in robins breeding in okanagan orchards (1993-1995, 1997-1998) and (2) to determine if exposure affected reproductive success when compared to robins from non-orchard habitat (lower mainland, british columbia). robins ... | 2003 | 12739861 |
| productivity of american robins exposed to polychlorinated biphenyls, housatonic river, massachusetts, usa. | american robins (turdus migratorius) breeding in the housatonic river (ma, usa) watershed were studied in the field in 2001 to determine whether productivity was adversely affected by exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (pcbs), as would be suggested by extrapolation from laboratory studies on other avian species. the study involved identifying nests within the housatonic river floodplain (target area) and in reference areas beyond foraging distance of the floodplain, monitoring clutch size and ... | 2003 | 14587922 |
| host feeding patterns of established and potential mosquito vectors of west nile virus in the eastern united states. | an important variable in determining the vectorial capacity of mosquito species for arthropod-borne infections is the degree of contact of the vector and the vertebrate reservoir. this parameter can be estimated by examining the host-feeding habits of vectors. serological and polymerase chain reaction based methods have been used to study the host-feedings patterns of 21 mosquito species from new york, new jersey, and tennessee, 19 of which previously have been found infected with west nile viru ... | 2004 | 15018775 |
| accumulation in and effects of lead and cadmium on waterfowl and passerines in northern idaho. | waterfowl and passerines in northern idaho in 1987 had high levels of lead in their blood and tissues that originated primarily from mining and smelting activities. four canada geese (branta canadensis) and one common goldeneye (bucephala clangula) found dead contained 8 to 38 microg/g (wet mass) of lead in their livers. these levels exceed the lower lethal limit of 5 microg/g in experimental birds. two of the canada geese (one each from the contaminated and reference areas) died with ingested l ... | 1995 | 15091521 |
| impact of insecticides on the american robin (turdus migratorius) in a suburban environment. | the purpose of this study was to examine the effects of diazinon and acephate applications to ornamental trees on the breeding behaviour and productivity of the american robin and to measure the effect of repeated chlorpyrifos spraying on robin productivity. no cases of adult or juvenile mortality were recorded, and nestling production was not affected. plasma cholinesterase (che) activity in females exposed to diazinon or acephate was significantly lower than that in controls. however, there we ... | 1993 | 15091842 |
| a dispersal model for the range expansion of blacklegged tick (acari: ixodidae). | the blacklegged tick, ixodes scapularis say, a vector for the agents of lyme borreliosis and other diseases, has expanded its range dramatically over the past 20 yr. however, the relative contributions of different vertebrate host species to this expansion have remained largely unexplored. to address this issue, we simulated the expansion of a theoretical tick population across a simple landscape by using a deterministic, spatially explicit, cellular automata model. the model incorporates the ec ... | 2004 | 15535611 |
| zinc and lead poisoning in wild birds in the tri-state mining district (oklahoma, kansas, and missouri). | the tri-state mining district (oklahoma, kansas, and missouri) is contaminated with pb, cd, and zn from mining, milling and smelting. metals have been dispersed heterogeneously throughout the district in the form of milled mine waste ("chat"), as flotation tailings and from smelters as aerial deposition or slag. this study was conducted to determine if the habitat has been contaminated to the extent that the assessment populations of wild birds are exposed to toxic concentrations of metals. amer ... | 2005 | 15657812 |
| vectest as diagnostic and surveillance tool for west nile virus in dead birds. | the vectest antigen-capture assay for west nile virus was performed on oral and tissue swabs from dead birds in new york state from april 2003 through july 2004. results were compared with those from real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of kidney or brain. oral vectest sensitivity is adequate for surveillance in american crows (corvus brachyrhynchos) (87%), blue jays (cyanocitta cristata) (80%), and house sparrows (passer domesticus) (76%). oral vectest performed well for sm ... | 2004 | 15663856 |
| a field validation of plasma metabolite profiling to assess refueling performance of migratory birds. | plasma metabolite profiling offers a potential means to assess stopover refueling performance of migratory birds from a single capture. however, this method has not previously been validated where site quality has been determined independently using analysis of capture data. we captured and blood sampled six passerine bird species refueling at known high-quality (base) and low-quality (tip) sites at long point, ontario, canada. plasma triglyceride, an indicator of fat deposition, was higher at t ... | 2005 | 15702470 |
| comparison of the retinal structure and function in four bird species as a function of the time they start singing in the morning. | we postulated that the retinas of bird species that are the earlier singers are more sensitive to low light conditions than species that sing closer to sunrise. the selected species were the american robin (turdus migratorius) and the hermit thrush (catharus guttatus) as early singers, the common grackle (quiscalus quiscula) and the mourning dove (zenaida macroura) which join the dawn chorus near sunrise. scotopic electroretinogram (ergs) intensity-response functions were obtained from anestheti ... | 2005 | 15703474 |
| reservoir competence of native north american birds for the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorfieri. | reservoir competence for the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, was tested for six species of native north american birds: american robin, gray catbird, brown thrasher, eastern towhee, song sparrow, and northern cardinal. wild birds collected by mist netting on fire island, ny, were held in a field laboratory in cages over water and locally collected larval ticks were placed on the birds, harvested from the water after engorgement, and tested for infection by direct fluorescentantibo ... | 2005 | 15962798 |
| variable effects of climate change on six species of north american birds. | many recent studies have shown that birds are advancing their laying date in response to long-term increases in spring temperatures. these studies have been conducted primarily in europe and at local scales. if climate change is a large-scale phenomenon, then we should see responses at larger scales and in other regions. we examined the effects of long-term temperature change on the laying dates and clutch sizes of six ecologically diverse species of north american birds using 50 years of nest r ... | 2005 | 16096849 |
| phylogenetic analysis of avian poxviruses among free-ranging birds of virginia. | polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify a portion of the avian poxvirus core 4b gene of infected free-ranging birds that presented at the wildlife center of virginia during the 2003 and early 2004 years. the species of bird infected were a great blue heron (ardea herodias), two american crows (corvus brachyrhyncos), two american robins (turdus migratorius), two mourning doves (zenaida macroura), a red-tailed hawk (buteo jamaicensis), a blue-gray gnatcatcher (polioptila caerulea), a norther ... | 2005 | 16405007 |
| west nile virus epidemics in north america are driven by shifts in mosquito feeding behavior. | west nile virus (wnv) has caused repeated large-scale human epidemics in north america since it was first detected in 1999 and is now the dominant vector-borne disease in this continent. understanding the factors that determine the intensity of the spillover of this zoonotic pathogen from birds to humans (via mosquitoes) is a prerequisite for predicting and preventing human epidemics. we integrated mosquito feeding behavior with data on the population dynamics and wnv epidemiology of mosquitoes, ... | 2006 | 16494532 |
| host feeding patterns of culex mosquitoes and west nile virus transmission, northeastern united states. | to evaluate the role of culex mosquitoes as enzootic and epidemic vectors for wnv, we identified the source of vertebrate blood by polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing portions of the cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial dna. all cx. restuans and 93% of cx. pipiens acquired blood from avian hosts; cx. salinarius fed frequently on both mammals (53%) and birds (36%). mixed-blood meals were detected in 11% and 4% of cx. salinarius and cx. pipiens, respectively. american robin was th ... | 2006 | 16704786 |
| the effects of environmental exposure to ddt on the brain of a songbird: changes in structures associated with mating and song. | dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ddt) is a persistent organochlorine compound found worldwide that causes significant anatomical, physiological and behavioural abnormalities in humans and wildlife. however, little is known about whether environmental exposure to ddt affects the brain. here, we show that environmental exposure to ddt alters the brains of american robins (turdus migratorius) in several ways. increasing levels of ddt resulted in: (i) smaller brain and relative forebrain volumes; (i ... | 2006 | 16828177 |
| host heterogeneity dominates west nile virus transmission. | heterogeneity in host populations and communities can have large effects on the transmission and control of a pathogen. in extreme cases, a few individuals give rise to the majority of secondary infections, which have been termed super spreading events. here, we show that transmission of west nile virus (wnv) is dominated by extreme heterogeneity in the host community, resulting in highly inflated reproductive ratios. a single relatively uncommon avian species, american robin (turdus migratorius ... | 2006 | 16928635 |
| identification of avian- and mammalian-derived bloodmeals in aedes vexans and culiseta melanura (diptera: culicidae) and its implication for west nile virus transmission in connecticut, u.s.a. | to evaluate the host-feeding patterns of aedes vexans (meigen) and culiseta melanura (coquillett) as secondary vectors of west nile virus (family flaviviridae, genus flavivirus, wnv) in northeastern united states, we identified the source of vertebrate bloodmeals by sequencing portions of the cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial dna. analysis of polymerase chain reaction products from a total of 119 ae. vexans revealed that 92.4% of individuals acquired blood solely from mammalian and 2.5% from av ... | 2006 | 17017250 |
| migratory songbirds disperse ticks across canada, and first isolation of the lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi, from the avian tick, ixodes auritulus. | during a 3-yr comprehensive study, 196 ixodid ticks (9 species) were collected from 89 passerine birds (32 species) from 25 localities across canada to determine the distribution of avian-associated tick species and endogenous lyme disease spirochetes, borrelia burgdorferi johnson, schmid, hyde, steigerwalt, and brenner. we report the following first records of tick parasitism on avian hosts: the rabbit-associated tick, ixodes dentatus marx, from manitoba and ontario; the mouse tick, ixodes muri ... | 2005 | 17089744 |
| molecular identification of blood-meal sources in culiseta melanura and culiseta morsitans from an endemic focus of eastern equine encephalitis virus in new york. | eastern equine encephalitis (eee) virus perpetuates in an enzootic cycle involving ornithophilic mosquito vectors, principally culiseta melanura (coquillett) and avian amplification hosts. to better understand the role of cs. melanura and culiseta morsitans (theobald) in the epizootiology of eee virus, we collected blood-fed mosquitoes between 31 may and 15 october 2004 at two sites associated with an eee virus focus in central new york and identified the source of vertebrate blood by nucleotide ... | 2006 | 17172382 |
| ecological risk assessment of lead contamination at rifle and pistol ranges using techniques to account for site characteristics. | spent ammunition at outdoor rifle and pistol (rp) firing ranges creates a characteristic pattern of contamination, whereby small areas surrounding backstop berms exhibit extremely high soil lead (pb) concentrations. we characterized sources, pathways and uncertainty in contaminant accumulation for receptors at two rp ranges in southeastern ontario. based on these results, we performed risk calculations using kriging to estimate risk across "worst-case" species foraging ranges. range-normalized h ... | 2007 | 17257653 |
| host feeding pattern of culex quinquefasciatus (diptera: culicidae) and its role in transmission of west nile virus in harris county, texas. | the vertebrate hosts of 672 blood-engorged culex quinquefasciatus say, collected in harris county, texas, during 2005, were identified by nucleotide sequencing pcr products of the cytochrome b gene. analysis revealed that 39.1% had acquired blood from birds, 52.5% from mammals, and 8.3% were mixed avian and mammalian blood meals. most frequent vertebrate hosts were dog (41.0%), mourning dove (18.3%), domestic cat (8.8%), white-winged dove (4.3%), house sparrow (3.2%), house finch (3.0%), gray ca ... | 2007 | 17620633 |
| host choice and west nile virus infection rates in blood-fed mosquitoes, including members of the culex pipiens complex, from memphis and shelby county, tennessee, 2002-2003. | the source of bloodmeals in 2,082 blood-fed mosquitoes collected from february 2002 through december 2003 in memphis and surrounding areas of shelby county, tennessee were determined. members of the genus culex and anopheles quadrimaculatus predominated in the collections. members of the cx. pipiens complex and cx. restuans were found to feed predominately upon avian hosts, though mammalian hosts made up a substantial proportion of the bloodmeals in these species. no significant difference was s ... | 2007 | 17767413 |
| mosquito landing rates on nesting american robins (turdus migratorius). | we measured mosquito landing rates on adult and nestling american robins at nests with infrared cameras in washington, d.c., and maryland, united states. mosquitoes landed on nesting robins almost exclusively between dusk and dawn. the mean number of mosquito landings per night was higher for adults (123.3 +/- se 32.8) than nestlings (37.26 +/- 14.8). the fraction of mosquitoes landing at a nest on nestlings increased with decreases in adult brooding. oral swabs from nestlings at these and 13 ot ... | 2007 | 17767414 |
| lead bioaccessibility in food web intermediates and the influence on ecological risk characterization. | models simulating gastric conditions of mammalian (eastern cottontail, sylvilagus floridanus; short-tailed shrew, blarina brevicauda) and avian (american robin, turdus migratorius) receptors were used to investigate the proportion of lead (pb) mobilized into the digestive juices (the bioaccessible fraction) from soil, earthworms, and vegetation collected at a rifle and pistol (rp) range in eastern ontario, canada. pb concentrations averaged 5044 mg kg(-1) in rp range surface soils, 727 mg kg(-1) ... | 2007 | 17874804 |
| culex pipiens (diptera: culicidae): a bridge vector of west nile virus to humans. | host-feeding patterns of culex pipiens l. collected in southwest suburban chicago in 2005 were studied using polymerase chain reaction (pcr) and dna sequencing techniques. culex spp. mosquitoes, most identified to cx. pipiens and the remainder to cx. restuans by pcr, had fed on 18 avian species, most commonly american robin (turdus migratorious), house sparrow (passer domesticus), and mourning dove (zenaida macroura). additional blood meals were derived from four mammal species, primarily humans ... | 2008 | 18283952 |
| explaining usutu virus dynamics in austria: model development and calibration. | usutu virus (usuv), a flavivirus of the japanese encephalitis virus complex, was for the first time detected outside africa in the region around vienna (austria) in 2001 by weissenböck et al. [weissenböck, h., kolodziejek, j., url, a., lussy, h., rebel-bauder, b., nowotny, n., 2002. emergence of usutu virus, an african mosquito-borne flavivirus of the japanese encephalitis virus group, central europe. emerg. infect. dis. 8, 652-656]. usuv is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) circulating betwe ... | 2008 | 18314208 |
| predator-mediated interactions between and within guilds of nesting songbirds: experimental and observational evidence. | apparent competition (i.e., a mutually negative indirect interaction between prey species through shared predation) arises when predator abundance or foraging effort increases with total prey availability. we review and formalize several patch-use models from which we derive predictions for how the degree of coupling (from the predators' perspective) between nesting guilds (defined as species nesting within a vegetation stratum) affects the outcome of shared predation. we then determine which mo ... | 1998 | 18811447 |
| host-feeding patterns of potential mosquito vectors in connecticut, u.s.a.: molecular analysis of bloodmeals from 23 species of aedes, anopheles, culex, coquillettidia, psorophora, and uranotaenia. | we evaluated the blood-feeding patterns in several mosquito species that may serve as vectors of disease agents in the northeastern united states. blood-fed mosquitoes were collected from 91 different sites throughout connecticut over a 6-yr period (june-october 2002-2007), and the host-feeding patterns of 23 mosquito species representing six genera were examined by using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay and sequencing portions of the cytochrome b gene of mitochondrial dna. this study was ... | 2008 | 19058640 |
| quill mites of the genus syringophilopsis kethley, 1970 (acari: syringophilidae) from north american birds. | seven mite species belonging to the genus syringophilopsis kethley, 1970 (acari: prostigmata: cheyletoidea) are recorded from 10 passeriform host species from the usa. three new species are described and illustrated: syringophilopsis polioptilus sp. n. from polioptila caerulea (linnaeus) (polioptilidae); s. empidonax sp. n. from empidonax hamrnmondii (vesey) and empidonax wrightii baird (tyrannidae); and s. sialiae sp. n. from sialia mexicana swainson (turdidae). in addition, records of new host ... | 2008 | 19175207 |
| host selection by culex pipiens mosquitoes and west nile virus amplification. | recent field studies have suggested that the dynamics of west nile virus (wnv) transmission are influenced strongly by a few key super spreader bird species that function both as primary blood hosts of the vector mosquitoes (in particular culex pipiens) and as reservoir-competent virus hosts. it has been hypothesized that human cases result from a shift in mosquito feeding from these key bird species to humans after abundance of the key birds species decreases. to test this paradigm, we performe ... | 2009 | 19190226 |
| assessment of radiolabeled d-glucose and the nonmetabolizable analog 3-o-methyl-d-glucose as tools for in vivo absorption studies. | 3-o-methyl-d-glucose has been extensively used as a proxy for d-glucose uptake. this nonmetabolizable analog has lower affinity for transporters, potentially leading to underestimates of glucose absorption rates as well as overestimates of the nutritional significance of passive uptake. here we sought to precisely quantify the bias, if any, incurred when using 3-o-methyl-d-glucose by comparing relative absorption rates with d-glucose in vivo in a seasonally frugivorous bird, the american robin. ... | 2010 | 19320596 |
| seasonal blood-feeding behavior of culex tarsalis (diptera: culicidae) in weld county, colorado, 2007. | studies on culex tarsalis coquillett in colorado have shown marked seasonal variation in the proportion of blood meals from birds and mammals. however, limitations in the specificity of antibodies used in the precipitin test and lack of vertebrate host availability data warrant revisiting cx. tarsalis blood feeding behavior in the context of west nile virus (wnv) transmission. we characterized the host preference of cx. tarsalis during peak wnv transmission season in eastern colorado and estimat ... | 2009 | 19351092 |
| quantifying the multi-scale response of avifauna to prescribed fire experiments in the southwest united states. | landscape-scale disturbance events, including ecological restoration and fuel reduction activities, can modify habitat and affect relationships between species and their environment. to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic stand-replacing fires in the southwestern united states, land managers are implementing restoration and fuels treatments (e.g., mechanical thinning, prescribed fire) in progressively larger stands of dry, lower elevation ponderosa pine (pinus ponderosa) forest. we used a before ... | 2009 | 19425425 |
| modeling the effects of environmental disturbance on wildlife communities: avian responses to prescribed fire. | prescribed fire is a management tool used to reduce fuel loads on public lands in forested areas in the western united states. identifying the impacts of prescribed fire on bird communities in ponderosa pine (pinus ponderosa) forests is necessary for providing land management agencies with information regarding the effects of fuel reduction on sensitive, threatened, and migratory bird species. recent developments in occupancy modeling have established a framework for quantifying the impacts of m ... | 2009 | 19688932 |
| dna vaccination of american robins (turdus migratorius) against west nile virus. | west nile virus (wnv) has caused at least 1150 cases of encephalitis, 100 deaths, and an estimated 30,000-80,000 illnesses in 6 of the last 7 years. recent evidence from several regions has implicated american robins (turdus migratorius) as an important host for feeding by culex mosquitoes, and, when integrated with their host competence for wnv, demonstrates that they are a key wnv amplification host. we evaluated the efficacy of a dna plasmid vaccine at reducing the viremia and infectiousness ... | 2010 | 19874192 |
| avian host-selection by culex pipiens in experimental trials. | evidence from field studies suggests that culex pipiens, the primary mosquito vector of west nile virus (wnv) in the northeastern and north central united states, feeds preferentially on american robins (turdus migratorius). to determine the contribution of innate preferences to observed preference patterns in the field, we conducted host preference trials with a known number of adult female c. pipiens in outdoor cages comparing the relative attractiveness of american robins with two common symp ... | 2009 | 19924251 |
| avian communal roosts as amplification foci for west nile virus in urban areas in northeastern united states. | west nile virus (wnv) perpetuates in an enzootic transmission cycle involving culex mosquitoes and virus-competent avian hosts. in the northeastern united states, the enzootic vectors, cx. pipiens and cx. restuans, feed preferentially on american robins (turdus migratorius), suggesting a key role for this bird species in the wnv transmission cycle. we examined the role of american robin communal roosts as virus amplification foci in greater new haven, connecticut. robin communal roosts were loca ... | 2010 | 20134014 |
| flavonoids have differential effects on glucose absorption in rats (rattus norvegicus) and american robins (turdis migratorius). | mounting evidence suggests that small birds rely largely on non-mediated intestinal absorption of glucose through the paracellular pathway, while non-flying mammals rely on mediated absorption across the enterocyte membranes by using glucose transporters sglt-1 and glut-2. relying on non-mediated transport of glucose may decrease its absorption rate at low glucose concentrations but may release small birds from the effects of glucose transport inhibitors. we evaluated transport by using flavonoi ... | 2010 | 20145981 |
| metal accumulation and performance of nestlings of passerine bird species at an urban brownfield site. | the use of passerine species as bioindicators of metal bioaccumulation is often underutilized when examining the wildlife habitat value of polluted sites. in this study we tested feathers of nestlings of two common bird species (house wren and american robin) for accumulation of pb, zn, as, cr, cu, fe in comparison of a polluted, urban brownfield with a rural, unpolluted site. house wren nestlings at the study site accumulated significantly greater concentrations of all target metals except zn. ... | 2010 | 20185215 |
| mapping the risk of avian influenza in wild birds in the us. | avian influenza virus (aiv) is an important public health issue because pandemic influenza viruses in people have contained genes from viruses that infect birds. the h5 and h7 aiv subtypes have periodically mutated from low pathogenicity to high pathogenicity form. analysis of the geographic distribution of aiv can identify areas where reassortment events might occur and how high pathogenicity influenza might travel if it enters wild bird populations in the us. modelling the number of aiv cases ... | 2010 | 20573228 |
| host-seeking activity and avian host preferences of mosquitoes associated with west nile virus transmission in the northeastern u.s.a. | mosquito host-seeking activity was studied using a custom-designed trap to explore: (1) at which time interval of the night adult mosquito abatement would be most effective, and (2) if there exists an avian-specific host-seeking preference. overnight trials using traps baited with dry ice showed that aedes taeniorhynchus (wiedemann) was most active at dusk and was then captured throughout the night. in contrast, culex spp. (cx. pipiens (linnaeus) and cx. restuans (theobald) delayed most activity ... | 2010 | 20618650 |
| detection of lyme disease spirochete, borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, including three novel genotypes in ticks (acari: ixodidae) collected from songbirds (passeriformes) across canada. | lyme disease is reported across canada, but pinpointing the source of infection has been problematic. in this three-year, bird-tick-pathogen study (2004-2006), 366 ticks representing 12 species were collected from 151 songbirds (31 passerine species/subspecies) at 16 locations canada-wide. of the 167 ticks/pools tested, 19 (11.4%) were infected with borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l.). sequencing of the rrf-rrl intergenic spacer gene revealed four borrelia genotypes: b. burgdorferi sensu stri ... | 2010 | 20618658 |
| models for estimating abundance from repeated counts of an open metapopulation. | summary. using only spatially and temporally replicated point counts, royle (2004b, biometrics 60, 108-115) developed an n-mixture model to estimate the abundance of an animal population when individual animal detection probability is unknown. one assumption inherent in this model is that the animal populations at each sampled location are closed with respect to migration, births, and deaths throughout the study. in the past this has been verified solely by biological arguments related to the st ... | 2010 | 20662829 |
| diplochory in western chokecherry: you can't judge a fruit by its mesocarp. | western chokecherry (prunus virginiana var. demissa, rosaceae) is dispersed by frugivorous birds and carnivores, but it has large seeds that are potentially attractive to rodents that could act as seed predators and dispersers. here, we quantify the benefits of primary dispersal by birds and secondary dispersal by scatter-hoarding rodents. in the fall, avian frugivores (mostly american robins, turdus migratorius, and cedar waxwings, bombycilla cedrorum) consumed 87% of the fruit crop and dispers ... | 2011 | 20842383 |
| 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 |
| bird community composition linked to human west nile virus cases along the colorado front range. | in the present study, we examined whether bird community composition can predict the annual number of human west nile virus (wnv) cases on a per county basis in the colorado front range, a region that experienced high numbers of human cases during the early part of the north american epidemic. we analyzed data sets pertaining to birds and human wnv cases from multiple existing databases between the years 2002 and 2008. based on previous studies that used amplification fractions to compare the re ... | 2010 | 21125307 |
| 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 |
| lead exposure and poisoning of songbirds using the coeur d'alene river basin, idaho. | previous studies have found widespread pb poisoning of waterfowl in the coeur d'alene river basin in northern idaho, usa, which has been contaminated by mining and smelting activities. we studied the exposure of ground-feeding songbirds to pb, sampling 204 american robins (turdus migratorius), song sparrows (melospiza melodia), and swainson's thrushes (catharus ustulatus) throughout the basin. these songbirds had mean blood pb concentrations (mg/kg, dry weight) of less than 0.19 at a reference a ... | 2011 | 21538831 |
| a multi-year study of mosquito feeding patterns on avian hosts in a southeastern focus of eastern equine encephalitis virus. | abstract. eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev) is a mosquito-borne pathogen that cycles in birds but also causes severe disease in humans and horses. we examined patterns of avian host use by vectors of eeev in alabama from 2001 to 2009 using blood-meal analysis of field-collected mosquitoes and avian abundance surveys. the northern cardinal (cardinalis cardinalis) was the only preferred host (fed on significantly more than expected based on abundance) of culiseta melanura, the enzootic vect ... | 2011 | 21540380 |
| 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 |
| assessment of risks to ground-feeding songbirds from lead in the coeur d'alene basin, idaho. | previous assessment of ecological risks within the coeur d'alene basin identified lead as a key risk driver for ground-feeding songbirds. as this conclusion was based almost exclusively on literature data, its strength was determined to range from low to moderate. with the support of the u.s. environmental protection agency (usepa), the u.s. fish and wildlife service collected site-specific data to address the uncertainty associated with lead risks to songbirds. these data, plus those from the p ... | 2011 | 21793201 |
| the impact of west nile virus on the abundance of selected north american birds. | abstract: | 2011 | 21831324 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| vector host-feeding preferences drive transmission of multi-host pathogens: west nile virus as a model system. | seasonal epizootics of vector-borne pathogens infecting multiple species are ecologically complex and difficult to forecast. pathogen transmission potential within the host community is determined by the relative abilities of host species to maintain and transmit the pathogen and by ecological factors influencing contact rates between hosts and vectors. increasing evidence of strong feeding preferences by a number of vectors suggests that the host community experienced by the pathogen may be ver ... | 2011 | 21849315 |
| 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 |
| theoretical potential of passerine filariasis to enhance the enzootic transmission of west nile virus. | vertebrate reservoirs of arboviruses are often infected with microfilariae (mf). laboratory studies have shown that mf can enhance the infectivity of arboviruses to mosquitoes. soon after being ingested, mf penetrate the mosquito midgut. if the host blood also contains virus (i.e., vertebrate is dually infected), penetrating mf may introduce virus into the hemocoel. this can transform otherwise virus-incompetent mosquito species into virus-competent species and simultaneously accelerate viral de ... | 2012 | 23270173 |
| vancomycin-resistant gram-positive cocci isolated from the saliva of wild songbirds. | we analyzed highly vancomycin-resistant gram-positive bacteria isolated from the saliva of migratory songbirds captured, sampled, and released from a bird-banding station in western kansas. individual bacterial isolates were identified by partial 16s rrna sequencing. most of the bacteria in this study were shown to be staphylococcus succinus with the majority being isolated from the american robin. some of these bacteria were shown to carry vana, vanb, and vanc vancomycin-resistance genes and ha ... | 2012 | 23224296 |
| vector-host interactions of culiseta melanura in a focus of eastern equine encephalitis virus activity in southeastern virginia. | eastern equine encephalitis virus (eeev) causes a highly pathogenic mosquito-borne zoonosis that is responsible for sporadic outbreaks of severe illness in humans and equines in the eastern usa. culiseta (cs.) melanura is the primary vector of eeev in most geographic regions but its feeding patterns on specific avian and mammalian hosts are largely unknown in the mid-atlantic region. the objectives of our study were to: 1) identify avian hosts of cs. melanura and evaluate their potential role in ... | 2015 | 26327226 |
| 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 |
| west nile virus infection in american robins: new insights on dose response. | west nile virus (wnv) is a vector-borne pathogen that was first detected in the united states in 1999. the natural transmission cycle of wnv involves mosquito vectors and avian hosts, which vary in their competency to transmit the virus. american robins are an abundant backyard species in the united states and appear to have an important role in the amplification and dissemination of wnv. in this study we examine the response of american robins to infection with various wnv doses within the rang ... | 2013 | 23844218 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| diverse host feeding on nesting birds may limit early-season west nile virus amplification. | arboviral activity tracks vector availability, which in temperate regions means that transmission ceases during the winter and must be restarted each spring. in the northeastern united states, culex restuans theobald resumes its activity earlier than culex pipiens l. and is thought to be important in restarting west nile virus (wnv) transmission. its role in wnv amplification, however, is unclear, because viral levels commonly remain low until the rise of cx. pipiens later in the season. because ... | 2014 | 24745370 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| avian roosting behavior influences vector-host interactions for west nile virus hosts. | extensive work has shown that vectors almost never feed at random. often, a subset of individual hosts and host species are fed on much more frequently than expected from their abundance and this can amplify pathogen transmission. however, the drivers of variation in contact patterns between vectors and their hosts are not well understood, even in relatively well-studied systems such as west nile virus (wnv). | 2014 | 25167979 |
| use of observed wild bird activity on poultry farms and a literature review to target species as high priority for avian influenza testing in 2 regions of canada. | the risk of avian influenza outbreaks in poultry is partially dependent on the probability of contact between domestic poultry and wild birds shedding avian influenza (ai) virus. the major objective of this study was to document wild bird activity on poultry farms to determine which wild bird species should be targeted for ai surveillance in canada. we collected data in 2 major poultry producing regions of canada, southwestern ontario and the fraser valley of british columbia, on the relative ab ... | 0 | 22851777 |
| dynamics of vector-host interactions in avian communities in four eastern equine encephalitis virus foci in the northeastern u.s. | eastern equine encephalitis (eee) virus (togaviridae, alphavirus) is a highly pathogenic mosquito-borne zoonosis that is responsible for occasional outbreaks of severe disease in humans and equines, resulting in high mortality and neurological impairment in most survivors. in the past, human disease outbreaks in the northeastern u.s. have occurred intermittently with no apparent pattern; however, during the last decade we have witnessed recurring annual emergence where eee virus activity had bee ... | 2016 | 26751704 |
| anaplasma phagocytophilum infection in american robins and gray catbirds: an assessment of reservoir competence and disease in captive wildlife. | anaplasma phagocytophilum (dumler et al.) is the bacterial agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging infectious disease. the main vector of a. phagocytophilum in the united states is the blacklegged tick (ixodes scapularis (say)) and various small and medium-sized mammals are reservoirs. previous studies indicate that birds are exposed to a. phagocytophilum; however, because no studies have directly investigated avian susceptibility, reservoir competence, and morbidity for a. phagocy ... | 2013 | 23427666 |
| new records of ixodes affinis (acari: ixodidae) parasitizing avian hosts in southeastern virginia. | ixodes affinis neumann (acari: ixodidae) is a hard-bodied tick species distributed throughout much of the southeastern united states. although i. affinis does not parasitize humans, it is a competent vector of borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative-agent of lyme disease, and thus contributes to the enzootic maintenance of this pathogen. this study presents evidence of i. affinis parasitizing five new host passerine species. during 2012-2014, 1,888 birds were captured and examined for ... | 2016 | 26586535 |
| vector-host interactions and epizootiology of eastern equine encephalitis virus in massachusetts. | eastern equine encephalitis (eee) virus is a highly pathogenic mosquito-borne zoonosis that is responsible for outbreaks of severe disease in humans and equines, resulting in high mortality or severe neurological impairment in most survivors. in the northeastern united states, eee virus is maintained in an enzootic cycle involving the ornithophilic mosquito, culiseta melanura (coquillett) and passerine birds in freshwater swamp habitats. to evaluate the role of cs. melanura and culiseta morsitan ... | 2013 | 23473221 |
| extended-spectrum β-lactamase producing escherichia coli isolated from wild birds in saskatoon, canada. | the epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance is extremely complex and involves humans, domestic animals (companion and agricultural) and wildlife. in north america there have been very few investigations targeting antimicrobial-resistant organisms in wildlife. in this study, we characterized the susceptibility of escherichia coli isolated from 75 birds including great horned owls, crows and american robins from the region of saskatoon, canada. the recovery rate of e. coli varied significantly be ... | 2016 | 27214496 |