Borrelia garinii and Francisella tularensis subsp. holarctica detected in migratory shorebirds in Portugal
Migratory shorebirds use, among many, the East Atlantic Flyway that links breeding areas as north as Tundra habitats to aquatic wintering grounds in West Africa. As a consequence, they are potentially important in the spread of global zoonotic diseases transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme borreliosis...
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Published in | European journal of wildlife research Vol. 58; no. 5; pp. 857 - 861 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Berlin/Heidelberg
Springer-Verlag
01.10.2012
Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Migratory shorebirds use, among many, the East Atlantic Flyway that links breeding areas as north as Tundra habitats to aquatic wintering grounds in West Africa. As a consequence, they are potentially important in the spread of global zoonotic diseases transmitted by ticks, such as Lyme borreliosis and tularemia—two diseases previously detected in Portugal. In this study, we looked at the infection status of seven populations of shorebirds during their migration, breeding, or wintering in the Portuguese wetlands to access if they carry these pathogens and to discuss their potential risk in the Portuguese wetlands. A total of 212 migratory shorebirds captured in the Tagus and Sado estuaries; key staging and wintering sites in this flyway and important breeding areas for some species were analyzed for the presence of
Borrelia burgdorferi
sensu lato and
Francisella tularensis
. In the present study,
B. garinii
was identified in seven (3%) specimens (five black-tailed godwits
Limosa limosa
, one common redshank
Tringa totanus
, and one little stint
Calidris minuta)
, whereas
F. tularensis
subsp.
holarctica
was identified in one (0.4%) little stint. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that shorebirds that migrate through or winter in Portugal transport these pathogens, potentially contributing for their introduction along the flyway, including the Mediterranean region. |
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ISSN: | 1612-4642 1439-0574 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10344-012-0617-3 |