Causes of mortality of kiwi (<i>Apteryx</i> spp.) in New Zealand: a retrospective analysis of post-mortem records, 2010–2020

Gulliver, Emma; Hunter, Stuart; Castillo-Alcala, Fernanda; Vallée, Emilie

doi:10.1080/00480169.2022.2154716

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 22 publications

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“…Ongoing conservation efforts have led to improvements in the conservation status of the North Island brown kiwi ( A. mantelli ; NIBK) and little spotted kiwi ( A. owenii ), although the rowi ( A. rowii ), great spotted kiwi ( A. haastii ), and tokoeka ( A. australis ) continue to be threatened and have either stable or declining populations [ 27 ]. Mortality reports in kiwi have highlighted the major impact of predation in wild populations [ 28 , 29 , 30 ] but detailed studies on naturally occurring infectious disease are often limited to case reports. As a result, the relevance of avian malaria to the ongoing survival of kiwi is yet to be fully established and there are few reports in the literature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Pathology of Fatal Avian Malaria Due to Plasmodium elongatum (GRW6) and Plasmodium matutinum (LINN1) Infection in New Zealand Kiwi (Apteryx spp.)

Gulliver

Hunter

Howe

et al. 2022

Animals

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Avian malaria caused by Plasmodium species is a known cause of mortality in avifauna worldwide, however reports within New Zealand kiwi (Apteryx spp.) are scant. Postmortem reports from kiwi were obtained from the Massey University/Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa School of Veterinary Science Pathology Register from August 2010–August 2020. Gross lesions were described from postmortem reports, and archived H.E.-stained slides used for histological assessment. Nested PCR testing was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples to assess the presence of Plasmodium spp. and Toxoplasma gondii DNA and cases with a PCR-positive result were sequenced to determine the lineage involved. Of 1005 postmortem reports, 23 cases of confirmed or suspected avian malaria were included in this study. The most consistent gross lesions included splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and interstitial pneumonia with oedema. Histological lesions were characterised by severe interstitial pneumonia, pulmonary oedema, interstitial myocarditis, hepatic sinusoidal congestion and hypercellularity, and splenic macrophage hyperplasia and hyperaemia/congestion with numerous haemosiderophages. Cytoplasmic meronts were consistently found within endothelial cells of a variety of tissues, and within tissue macrophages of the liver, lung and spleen. A diagnosis of avian malaria was confirmed via PCR testing in 13 cases, with sequencing revealing P. matutinum (LINN1) and P. elongatum (GRW6) as the species involved. This is the largest case series describing the pathology of avian malaria as a cause of mortality in endemic New Zealand avifauna.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Pathology of Fatal Avian Malaria Due to Plasmodium elongatum (GRW6) and Plasmodium matutinum (LINN1) Infection in New Zealand Kiwi (Apteryx spp.)

Gulliver

Hunter

Howe

et al. 2022

Animals

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A retrospective analysis of post-mortem findings in New Zealand weka ( Gallirallus australis ), 1995–2022

Wichtel,

Vallée,

McInnes

et al. 2024

New Zealand Veterinary Journal

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Polymelia and concurrent intestinal duplication and cloacal atresia in a broiler chick: case report and literature review

Oliveira Filho,

Duarte,

Paranhos

et al. 2024

J VET Diagn Invest

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Congenital malformations are a highly diverse group of conditions reported in both humans and animals, characterized by defects in morphogenesis observed at birth. Although most cases are idiopathic, genetic and environmental factors may be involved. The frequency of such conditions varies with species, geographic regions, and the specific malformation involved. In polymelia, supernumerary limbs are attached to different parts of the body. Gastrointestinal duplications are described less frequently and can be associated with polymelia. Cloacal atresia is among the least-reported malformations in avian species, described only once in a kiwi. Here we describe a case with these 3 malformations in a single broiler chick ( Gallus gallus domesticus) and provide a literature review about the occurrence of these malformations in birds. The 3-d-old chick also had an unidentified structure projecting from the pygostyle region. We performed clinical, radiographic, and postmortem examinations. The intestinal duplication was identified only during the postmortem evaluation. Detailed descriptions of avian congenital malformations are scarce. Although similar cases have been reported, we retrieved no cases of concurrent polymelia, intestinal duplication, and cloacal atresia in broiler chickens in our literature search, suggesting that the simultaneous occurrence of these conditions has not been reported previously in this species.

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Causes of mortality of kiwi (Apteryx spp.) in New Zealand: a retrospective analysis of post-mortem records, 2010–2020

Cited by 3 publications

References 22 publications

The Pathology of Fatal Avian Malaria Due to Plasmodium elongatum (GRW6) and Plasmodium matutinum (LINN1) Infection in New Zealand Kiwi (Apteryx spp.)

The Pathology of Fatal Avian Malaria Due to Plasmodium elongatum (GRW6) and Plasmodium matutinum (LINN1) Infection in New Zealand Kiwi (Apteryx spp.)

A retrospective analysis of post-mortem findings in New Zealand weka ( Gallirallus australis ), 1995–2022

Polymelia and concurrent intestinal duplication and cloacal atresia in a broiler chick: case report and literature review

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