Novel Rickettsia spp. in two common overwintering North American songbirds

• Published in: Emerging microbes & infections Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 2746 - 2748
• Main Authors: Becker, Daniel J., Byrd, Allison, Smiley, Tara M., Marques, Mariana Fernandes, Nunez, Julissa Villegas, Talbott, Katherine M., Atwell, Jonathan W., Volokhov, Dmitriy V., Ketterson, Ellen D., Jahn, Alex E., Clark, Kerry L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.12.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: American robin; Animals; arthropod-borne disease; bartonella; borrelia; dark-eyed junco; hemoplasmas; Letter; migration; North America; Rickettsia - genetics; rickettsiae; Seasons; Songbirds; stable isotopes; North America; stable isotopes; dark-eyed junco; bartonella; hemoplasmas; migration; American robin; borrelia; arthropod-borne disease; rickettsiae
• ISSN: 2222-1751; 2222-1751
• DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2140610

American robins and dark-eyed juncos migrate across North America and have been found to be competent hosts for some bacterial and viral pathogens, but their contributions to arthropod-borne diseases more broadly remain poorly characterized. Here, we sampled robins and juncos in multiple sites across North America for arthropod-borne bacterial pathogens of public health significance. We identified two novel Rickettsia spp. in one wintering migrant per bird species related to bellii, transitional, and spotted rickettsiae fever groups. Stable isotope analyses of feathers suggested spring migration of these common songbirds could disperse these novel rickettsiae hundreds-to-thousands of kilometers to host breeding grounds. Further work is needed to characterize zoonotic potential of these rickettsiae and host reservoir competence.