Survey on the Presence of Bacterial and Parasitic Zoonotic Agents in the Feces of Wild Birds

Wild avifauna may act as fecal source of bacterial and parasitic pathogens for other birds and mammals. Most of these pathogens have a relevant impact on human and livestock health which may cause severe disease and economic loss. In the present study, the fecal samples collected from 121 wild birds belonging to 15 species of the genera Anas, Tadorna, Fulica, Arddea, Larus, Falco, Athene, Accipiter, and Columba were submitted to bacteriological and molecular analyses to detect Brucella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Mycobacterium spp., Salmonella spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and microsporidia. Four (3.3%) animals were positive for one pathogen: one Anas penelope for C. burnetii, one Larus michahellis for S. enterica serovar Coeln, and two Columba livia for Encephalitozoon hellem. Although the prevalence rates found in the present survey were quite low, the obtained results confirm that wild birds would be the a potential fecal source of bacterial and parasitic zoonotic pathogens which sometimes can also represent a severe threat for farm animals.

Seasonal nutrition variability and trophic differentiation of ducks on Baikal

The analysis of the food ration of 7 species of ducks from Lake Baikal helped to reveal the features of the seasonal dynamics of ducks feeding. The degree of trophic differentiation was determined for all species and for systematically related forms. All species of ducks in general are polyphages of different ranges, there are no highly specialized species. According to the ratio of plant and animal feed, three trophic groups were identified among ducks: phytophages, mainly phytophages and zoo-phytophages. Ducks plant feed is represented by seeds, vegetative parts and tubers. At the same time, a significant proportion are seeds, especially sedge, which in some species of ducks (Anas platyrhynchos, Anas penelopе, Anas acuta) in some seasons exceed 1520% by volume in the stomach and esophagus. Anas querquedula and Anas clypeata ignore vegetative parts of plants, while mallard consumes them only in summer. Anas penelope selects vegetatic parts of plants and seeds, in spring they are selected by Anas acuta. Animal feed is actively consumed by Anas crecca, Anas querquedula, Anas clypeata, Aythya ferina. It is noted that Anas clypeata consumes mollusks in large numbers, while Aythya fuligula consumes them to a slightly lesser extent. Anas querquedula and Anas clypeata prefer insect larvae. Gammarids are quite common for most species of ducks and in volume they occupy a worthy place. Seasonal nutrition dynamics are well traced for all types of ducks. Ducks prefer to use accessible objects, while showing species selectivity in the choice of feed components and feed biotopes. As a result, we see a low overlap of trophic niches of various types of ducks, including systematically close forms.

Chromosomal evolution and molecular genetic analysis of four species of genus Anas (Aves: Anatidae)

Birds are considered one of the least karyotypically examined animal groups due to their karyotype specificity, i.e. small chromosomes, a large diploid chromosome number and the separation of chromosomes into macro- and microchromosomes. The present work was aimed to investigate the number of chromosomes and their karyological and molecular genetic relationships of four species of genus Anas (Anas crecca, Anas penelope, Anas acuta and Anas clypeata (Family: Anatidae). All four species have the same diploid chromosome number of 2n=80. The four investigated species have shown five pairs of macrochromosomes and the remaining 35 pairs were of microchromosomes. Ten RAPD primers were used for molecular discrimination by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The (PCR) showed polymorphic bands, which were used for the construction of the dendrogram and a similarity matrix. A total of 133 bands were obtained; 37 of them were polymorphic and 27 unique bands. Similarity values among the species under study ranged from 79% to 85%. The highest similarity was between A. Penelope and A. acuta (85%) while the lowest similarity was between A. acuta and A. clypeata (79 %). RAPD analysis confirmed that the four Anas species under study are genetically different from each other and a genetic variation was found between and within the three species tested in this study. The karyotypic features are also suitable as cytotaxonomic markers of Anatidae.

Draft Genome Sequence of Extended-Spectrum Beta-Lactamase-Producing Serratia fonticola BWK15 Isolated from Feces of Anas penelope

ABSTRACT Migratory birds have been postulated as potential vehicles of antibiotic resistance. Here we isolated the extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Serratia fonticola strain BWK15 from the feces of Anas penelope. The strain’s draft genome sequence indicated that it harbors class A ESBL, class C beta-lactamase, and many multidrug efflux pumps.

Wintering Behaviour and Spatial Ecology of Eurasian Wigeon Anas Penelope in a Coastal Mediterranean Wetland Complex (Guerbes-Sanhadja) of Northeastern Algeria

As rare and threatened species, ecological information about common waterbirds is needed to assess priorities for wetland management. In this study, we attempt to provide information about the spatial ecology and wintering behaviour of one of the most common species of the coastal Mediterranean wetland complex of northeastern Algeria, the Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope. Over the three winters of the study the maximum number of recorded Eurasian Wigeon across all sites rose from 1,096 in 2010/11 to 1,397 in 2012/13. This represents a 27% increase over three years in the Guerbes-Sanhadja region. Among these wetland complex sites abundance varied markedly during the three wintering periods of study, being highest in Garaet Hadj-Tahar and Garaet Beni Mhamed (ranging from 300–700 individuals), and lowest in the remaining sites, which never exceeded 150 individuals. Bird abundance often peaked in January of each year and decreased as winter progressed. Wigeon have similar patterns of migration phenology among years at Garaet Hadj-Tahar and Garaet Beni Mhamed. At the remaining sites, they exhibited a different pattern. The multiple regression analysis for all seasons showed a marginally significant correlation between Wigeon abundance changes and three environmental variables of the wetland complex exclusively in the spring seasons (depth, vegetation and temporariness). A roosting area is identified as a functional role of the Guerbes-Sanhadja wetland complex for this anatid, since they spent all of the daytime sleeping, swimming (ranged from 30 to 40%), and resting (from 15 to 25%) in all winters. Despite their semi-permanent and unprotected status (apart from only three sites), these patched wetlands provide suitable conditions for this sensitive species, and therefore should receive the attention of wetland management.