Journal Articles

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Author: search.filters.author.Jolly MSubject: search.filters.subject.Avian

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    Health impacts of poor water quality on an endangered shorebird breeding programme in Aotearoa New Zealand.
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-02-04) Gartrell BD; Hunter S; Collen R; Jolly M; McInnes K; Richardson A; Reed C; Ward R; Pita A
    CASE HISTORY: Two clusters of mortality among endangered tūturuatu/tchūriwat'/shore plover (Thinornis novaeseelandiae) have occurred at captive breeding facilities around New Zealand in recent years. In the first, four chicks died at Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre (Mount Bruce, NZ) in February 2016, and in the second five adult birds at the Cape Sanctuary (Cape Kidnappers, NZ) died in 2022. CLINICAL FINDINGS: In 2016, four chicks were noted to become weak, have increased vocalisations and closed eyes prior to death. The remaining chicks were treated for 5 days with amoxycillin/clavulanate orally twice daily. Water containers and brooders were cleaned and disinfected with chlorhexidine. No further mortality was seen.In the 2022 cluster, three adult breeding birds died acutely and five others showed inappetence, weight loss and diarrhoea approximately 10 days after heavy rains flooded the local river. The five birds were treated with amoxycillin/clavulanate orally twice daily and oral fluids for 5 days. Two birds died and three survived. No breeding occurred in the aviaries in the following season. PATHOLOGICAL FINDINGS: In 2016, the chicks showed pulmonary changes ranging from congestion and oedema to heterophilic inflammation consistent with septicaemia.In 2022, the adult birds showed proliferation of bacteria in the distal small intestine associated with mucosal ulceration and heterophilic infiltration. Acid-fast staining of the caecal contents in one bird showed organisms consistent with Cryptosporidium spp. LABORATORY FINDINGS: Aerobic bacterial cultures of the lung and liver of two affected chicks carried out in 2016 showed heavy growth of Plesiomonas shigelloides. The same organism was cultured from water trays and holding tanks containing water boatmen (Sigara arguta) on which the chicks were fed.In 2022, cultures from the livers of three dead birds each showed a mixed bacterial growth with differing dominant organisms (Aeromonas sobria, Hafnia alvei, Citrobacter freundii and an Enterococcus sp.). PCR and sequencing confirmed Cryptosporidium parvum in the caecum of one bird. Fresh faeces from 24 breeding birds from the captive breeding facilities were negative by PCR for Cryptosporidium spp.The captive breeding facilities obtain water for the aviaries and aquatic invertebrates to feed to the chicks from local freshwater sources. Water quality testing at the Cape Sanctuary revealed concentrations of faecal indicator bacteria in excess of safe drinking water guidelines, with peaks following heavy rainfall. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Fluctuations in water quality associated with mammalian faecal bacteria can adversely affect bird health and impact on captive rearing of endangered wildlife.
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    Gut microbiota of the threatened takahē: biogeographic patterns and conservation implications
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2022-12) West AG; DeLaunay A; Marsh P; Perry EK; Jolly M; Gartrell BD; Pas A; Digby A; Taylor MW
    BACKGROUND: The Aotearoa New Zealand takahē (Porphyrio hochstetteri), once thought to be extinct, is a nationally threatened flightless rail under intensive conservation management. While there has been previous research into disease-related microbes in takahē, little is known about the microbes present in the gastrointestinal tract. Given the importance of gut-associated microbes to herbivore nutrition and immunity, knowledge of these communities is likely to be of considerable conservation value. Here we examined the gut microbiotas of 57 takahē at eight separate locations across Aotearoa New Zealand. RESULTS: Faecal samples, taken as a proxy for the hindgut bacterial community, were subjected to 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing using Illumina MiSeq. Phylogenetic analysis of > 2200 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) revealed nine main bacterial phyla (Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, Bacteroidota, Campilobacterota, Firmicutes, Fusobacteriota, Planctomycetota, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobiota) that accounted for the majority of sequence reads. Location was a significant effect (p value < 0.001, 9999 permutations) that accounted for 32% of the observed microbiota variation. One ASV, classified as Lactobacillus aviarius, was present in all samples at an average relative abundance of 17% (SD = 23.20). There was strong evidence (p = 0.002) for a difference in the abundance of the genus Lactobacillus between locations. A common commensal bacterium previously described in takahē, Campylobacter spp., was also detected in most faecal samples. CONCLUSIONS: Location plays a pivotal role in the observed variation among takahē gut bacterial communities and is potentially due to factors such as supplemental feeding and medical treatment experienced by birds housed in captivity at one of the eight sampled sites. These data present a first glimpse of the previously unexplored takahē gut microbiota and provide a baseline for future microbiological studies and conservation efforts.