Case Series: Virulent hemosporidiosis infections in juvenile great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) from Louisiana and California, USA

Kevin D Niedringhaus; Heather M A Fenton; Christopher A Cleveland; A Nikki Anderson; Diana Schwartz; Charles E Alex; Krysta H Rogers; Aslι Mete; Michael J Yabsley

doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.01.008

Case Series: Virulent hemosporidiosis infections in juvenile great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) from Louisiana and California, USA

Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2018 May:12:49-54. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.01.008. Epub 2018 Jan 16.

Authors

Kevin D Niedringhaus¹, Heather M A Fenton², Christopher A Cleveland³, A Nikki Anderson⁴, Diana Schwartz⁵, Charles E Alex⁶, Krysta H Rogers⁷, Aslι Mete⁸, Michael J Yabsley⁹

Affiliations

¹ Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Wildlife Health Building, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Electronic address: kevindn@uga.edu.
² Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Wildlife Health Building, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Electronic address: heather_fenton@gov.nt.ca.
³ Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Wildlife Health Building, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Electronic address: ccleve@uga.edu.
⁴ Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, 2000 Quail Dr., Baton Rouge, LA 70808, USA. Electronic address: NAnderson@wlf.la.gov.
⁵ Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: dischwart@vet.k-state.edu.
⁶ Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA. Electronic address: cealex@ucdavis.edu.
⁷ Wildlife Investigations Laboratory, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, 1701 Nimbus Road, Suite D, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670, USA. Electronic address: krysta.rogers@wildlife.ca.gov.
⁸ California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, University of California - Davis, 620 W. Health Sciences Drive, Davis, CA 95616-5270, USA. Electronic address: amete@ucdavis.edu.
⁹ Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, 589 D.W. Brooks Drive, Wildlife Health Building, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, 180 E Green Street, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA. Electronic address: myabsley@uga.edu.

PMID: 31014809
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.01.008

Abstract

A total of eight juvenile great horned owls (Bubo virginianus) were found lethargic and on the ground in spring 2015, 2016, and 2017, including one fledgling from Louisiana, USA and seven nestlings from California, USA. One bird survived to release after rehabilitation; seven birds died or were euthanized due to poor prognosis and were necropsied. Necropsy findings were similar and included general pallor of all tissues, particularly the subcutis and lungs, and enlarged liver and spleen. Histopathology revealed multi-organ necrosis, abundant meronts containing merozoites, and intracytoplasmic pigmented haemosporidian parasites in blood cells in one bird. Leucocytozoon lineages lSTOCC16 and BUVIR06 were identified by polymerase chain reaction and genetic sequencing. The systemic Leucocytozoon infections were likely associated with morbidity and mortality in these owls. A second parasite, Haemoproteus lineage hSTVAR01, was also identified in an owl from Louisiana. This is the first identification of Leucocytozoon lineages that have been associated with mortality in young great horned owls.

Keywords: Bubo virginianus; California; Haemoproteus; Leucocytozoon; Louisiana; great horned owl.

Publication types

Case Reports
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Age Factors
Animals
Bird Diseases / diagnosis
Bird Diseases / mortality
Bird Diseases / parasitology*
California
Female
Haemosporida / isolation & purification
Haemosporida / pathogenicity*
Liver / parasitology
Liver / pathology
Louisiana
Male
Necrosis / parasitology
Protozoan Infections, Animal / diagnosis*
Protozoan Infections, Animal / mortality
Spleen / pathology
Strigiformes / parasitology*