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Spatially different annual cycles but similar haemosporidian infections in distant populations of collared sand martins

Hahn, Steffen ; Briedis, Martins ; Barboutis, Christos ; Schmid, Raffaella ; Schulze, Martin ; Seifert, Nina ; Szép, Tibor and Emmenegger, Tamara LU orcid (2021) In BMC Zoology 6.
Abstract
Background
Populations of long-distance migratory birds experience different environments and are consequently exposed to different parasites throughout their annual cycles. Though, specific whereabouts and accompanied host-parasite interactions remain unknown for most migratory passerines. Collared sand martins (Riparia riparia) breeding in the western Palaearctic spend the nonbreeding period in Africa, but it is not yet clear whether specific populations differ in overwintering locations and whether these also result in varying infections with vector-transmitted endoparasites.

Results
Geolocator tracking revealed that collared sand martins from northern-central and central-eastern Europe migrate to distant nonbreeding... (More)
Background
Populations of long-distance migratory birds experience different environments and are consequently exposed to different parasites throughout their annual cycles. Though, specific whereabouts and accompanied host-parasite interactions remain unknown for most migratory passerines. Collared sand martins (Riparia riparia) breeding in the western Palaearctic spend the nonbreeding period in Africa, but it is not yet clear whether specific populations differ in overwintering locations and whether these also result in varying infections with vector-transmitted endoparasites.

Results
Geolocator tracking revealed that collared sand martins from northern-central and central-eastern Europe migrate to distant nonbreeding sites in West Africa and the Lake Chad basin in central Africa, respectively. While the ranges of these populations were clearly separated throughout the year, they consistently spent up to 60% of the annual cycle in Africa. Ambient light recorded by geolocators further indicated unsheltered roosting during the nonbreeding season in Africa compared to the breeding season in Europe.

We found 5–26% prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in three breeding populations and one migratory passage population that was only sampled but not tracked. In total, we identified seven Plasmodium and nine Haemoproteus lineages (incl. two and seven new lineages, respectively), the latter presumably typical for swallows (Hirundinae) hosts. 99.5% of infections had a low intensity, typical for chronic infection stages, whereas three individuals (0.5%) showed high parasitaemia typical for acute infections during spring migration and breeding.

Conclusions
Our study shows that blood parasite infections are common in several western Palaearctic breeding populations of collared sand martins who spent the nonbreeding season in West Africa and the lake Chad region. Due to long residency at the nonbreeding grounds blood parasite transmissions may mainly occur at host population-specific residences sites in Europe and Africa; the latter being likely facilitated by unsheltered roosting and thus high vulnerability to hematophagous insects. The rare cases of high parasitaemia during spring migration and breeding further indicates either relapses of chronic infection or primary infections which occurred shortly before migration and during breeding. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Migration, Blood parasites, Parasitaemia, Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Geolocation
in
BMC Zoology
volume
6
article number
6
pages
11 pages
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85104645189
ISSN
2056-3132
DOI
10.1186/s40850-021-00071-z
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
19d5d40d-f5db-472c-960a-5d35d49e7767
date added to LUP
2021-04-30 10:20:15
date last changed
2022-04-27 01:46:41
@article{19d5d40d-f5db-472c-960a-5d35d49e7767,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>Populations of long-distance migratory birds experience different environments and are consequently exposed to different parasites throughout their annual cycles. Though, specific whereabouts and accompanied host-parasite interactions remain unknown for most migratory passerines. Collared sand martins (Riparia riparia) breeding in the western Palaearctic spend the nonbreeding period in Africa, but it is not yet clear whether specific populations differ in overwintering locations and whether these also result in varying infections with vector-transmitted endoparasites.<br/><br/>Results<br/>Geolocator tracking revealed that collared sand martins from northern-central and central-eastern Europe migrate to distant nonbreeding sites in West Africa and the Lake Chad basin in central Africa, respectively. While the ranges of these populations were clearly separated throughout the year, they consistently spent up to 60% of the annual cycle in Africa. Ambient light recorded by geolocators further indicated unsheltered roosting during the nonbreeding season in Africa compared to the breeding season in Europe.<br/><br/>We found 5–26% prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in three breeding populations and one migratory passage population that was only sampled but not tracked. In total, we identified seven Plasmodium and nine Haemoproteus lineages (incl. two and seven new lineages, respectively), the latter presumably typical for swallows (Hirundinae) hosts. 99.5% of infections had a low intensity, typical for chronic infection stages, whereas three individuals (0.5%) showed high parasitaemia typical for acute infections during spring migration and breeding.<br/><br/>Conclusions<br/>Our study shows that blood parasite infections are common in several western Palaearctic breeding populations of collared sand martins who spent the nonbreeding season in West Africa and the lake Chad region. Due to long residency at the nonbreeding grounds blood parasite transmissions may mainly occur at host population-specific residences sites in Europe and Africa; the latter being likely facilitated by unsheltered roosting and thus high vulnerability to hematophagous insects. The rare cases of high parasitaemia during spring migration and breeding further indicates either relapses of chronic infection or primary infections which occurred shortly before migration and during breeding.}},
  author       = {{Hahn, Steffen and Briedis, Martins and Barboutis, Christos and Schmid, Raffaella and Schulze, Martin and Seifert, Nina and Szép, Tibor and Emmenegger, Tamara}},
  issn         = {{2056-3132}},
  keywords     = {{Migration; Blood parasites; Parasitaemia; Plasmodium; Haemoproteus; Geolocation}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{BMC Zoology}},
  title        = {{Spatially different annual cycles but similar haemosporidian infections in distant populations of collared sand martins}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40850-021-00071-z}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s40850-021-00071-z}},
  volume       = {{6}},
  year         = {{2021}},
}