Bacterial Diversity in Feces of Wild Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures and Common Ravens from the Pacific Northwest Coast, U.S.A

Crespo, Rocio; Dowd, Scot E.; Varland, Daniel E.; Ford, Scott; Hamer, Thomas E.

doi:10.1101/511147

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Proteobacteria and Firmicutes have also been identified as abundant bacteria in other microbiome studies of avian tick ectoparasites [46], carrion beetles [47], as well as other birds [44,48]. Similarly, 80% of the bacterial sequences detected from cloacal swabs of Bald Eagles captured from the coastal beaches of Washington and Oregon, were Firmicutes and Proteobacteria [49], suggesting these prominent phyla can be found across a range of host species (e.g., from insects to birds).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Characterizing the microbiome of ectoparasitic louse flies feeding on migratory raptors

et al. 2020

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Louse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae) are obligate ectoparasites that often cause behavioral, pathogenic, and evolutionary effects on their hosts. Interactions between ectoparasites and avian hosts, especially migrating taxa, may influence avian pathogen spread in tropical and temperate ecosystems and affect long-term survival, fitness and reproductive success. The purpose of this study was to characterize the vector-associated microbiome of ectoparasitic louse flies feeding on migrating raptors over the fall migration period. Surveys for louse flies occurred during fall migration (2015-2016) at a banding station in Pennsylvania, United States; flies were collected from seven species of migrating raptors, and we sequenced their microbial (bacteria and archaea) composition using high-throughput targeted amplicon sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V4 region). All louse flies collected belonged to the same species, Icosta americana. Our analysis revealed no difference in bacterial communities of louse flies retrieved from different avian host species. The louse fly microbiome was dominated by a primary endosymbiont, suggesting that louse flies maintain a core microbial structure despite receiving blood meals from different host species. Thus, our findings highlight the importance of characterizing both beneficial and potentially pathogenic endosymbionts when interpreting how vector-associated microbiomes may impact insect vectors and their avian hosts.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Characterizing the microbiome of ectoparasitic louse flies feeding on migratory raptors

et al. 2020

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“…2018, Crespo et al . 2019). These studies showed that the skin microbiome was in general more diverse and had a different microbial composition compared with the intestinal microbiome, which is more specialized and less diverse (Roggenbuck et al .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms in vultures for wildlife conservation, ecosystem services and public health

Plaza

Blanco

Lambertucci

2020

Ibis

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The effects that microorganisms (bacteria, viruses and fungi) have on their hosts remain unexplored for most vulture species. This is especially relevant for vultures, as their diet consists of carcasses in various stages of decomposition, which are breeding grounds for potentially pathogenic microorganisms. Here we review current knowledge of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms present in wild vultures. We consider their potential to cause disease in vultures and whether this poses any population‐level threats. Furthermore, we address the question of whether vultures may act as disease spreaders or mitigators. We found 76 articles concerning bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms present in 13 vulture species, 57 evaluating bacteria, 13 evaluating viruses and six evaluating mycotic microorganisms. These studies come from all continents where vultures are present, but mainly from Europe and North America, and the most studied species was the Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus. We found that vultures are colonized by zoonotic pathogens, and even host‐specific human pathogens. Some recorded bacteria showed multi‐antibiotic resistance, especially those that can be associated with anthropogenic food subsides such as supplementary feeding stations. We found evidence that vulture health can be affected by some microorganisms, producing a wide array of clinical alterations that have the potential to influence mortality risk and fitness. We did not find clear scientific evidence that vultures play an epidemiological role spreading microorganisms to humans and other species. However, there is evidence that vultures could prevent the spread of infectious diseases through their removal of decomposing organic material. The evaluation of vulture exposure to microorganisms is of fundamental importance to design better conservation policies for this threatened group, which may serve a key role as ecosystem cleaners.

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Bacterial Diversity in Feces of Wild Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures and Common Ravens from the Pacific Northwest Coast, U.S.A

Cited by 2 publications

References 42 publications

Characterizing the microbiome of ectoparasitic louse flies feeding on migratory raptors

Characterizing the microbiome of ectoparasitic louse flies feeding on migratory raptors

Implications of bacterial, viral and mycotic microorganisms in vultures for wildlife conservation, ecosystem services and public health

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