Efficacy of anthelmintic treatment in captive-reared black stilts (<i>Himantopus novaezelandiae</i>) released to the wild

Robertson, LM; Alley,; Gartrell, Brett D.; Castro, Isabel; López‐Villalobos, N.; Sancha, Emily

doi:10.1080/00480169.2015.1073636

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Fortunately, praziquantel has very low toxicity for vertebrates, is metabolized quickly, and is tolerated well, hence its widespread and heavy use in the treatment of parasitic helminths in pets, fish farming, captive and free wildlife, livestock, and humans [70,71]. Praziquantel is often successful in treating helminth infections in birds without known side effects [72][73][74], including the treatment of schistosomes in waterfowl [26,27,69,75]. A few authors suggest continued research of derivatives/metabolites and their possible effects on invertebrates in the environment [71,76], but the small amounts needed and the diluting effect of large lakes should minimize this concern.…”

Section: Applications and Areas Of Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Swimmer’s itch control: Timely waterfowl brood relocation significantly reduces an avian schistosome population and human cases on recreational lakes

Blankespoor,

DeJong

2024

PLoS ONE

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Swimmer’s itch (SI) is a dermatitis in humans caused by cercariae of avian and mammalian schistosomes which emerge from infected snails on a daily basis. Mitigation methods for SI have long been sought with little success. Copper sulfate application to the water to kill the snail hosts is the historically employed method, but is localized, temporary, and harmful to many aquatic species. Here, we test an alternative method to control Trichobilharzia stagnicolae, a species well-known to cause SI in northern Michigan and elsewhere in North America. Summer relocation of broods of the only known vertebrate host, common merganser (Mergus merganser), greatly reduced snail infection prevalence the following year on two large, geographically separated lakes in northern Michigan. Subsequent years of host relocation achieved and maintained snail infection prevalence at ~0.05%, more than an order of magnitude lower than pre-intervention. A Before–After–Control–Intervention (BACI) study design using multiple-year snail infection data from two intervention lakes and three control lakes demonstrates that dramatic lake-wide reduction of an avian schistosome can be achieved and is not due to natural fluctuations in the parasite populations. The relevance of reducing snail infection prevalence is demonstrated by a large seven-year data set of SI incidence in swimmers at a high-use beach, which showed a substantial reduction in SI cases in two successive years after relocation began. In addition, data from another Michigan lake where vertebrate-host based intervention occurred in the 1980’s are analyzed statistically and show a remarkably similar pattern of reduction in snail infection prevalence. Together, these results demonstrate a highly effective SI mitigation strategy that avoids the use of environmentally suspect chemicals and removes incentive for lethal host removal. Biologically, the results strongly suggest that T. stagnicolae is reliant on the yearly hatch of ducklings to maintain populations at high levels on a lake and that the role of migratory hosts in the spring and fall is much less significant.

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Section: Applications and Areas Of Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Swimmer’s itch control: Timely waterfowl brood relocation significantly reduces an avian schistosome population and human cases on recreational lakes

Blankespoor,

DeJong

2024

PLoS ONE

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“…These parasites are characterized by being mostly monoxenous, which simplifies infection in wild birds and mammals because of their direct life cycles and environmental resistance ( Hoque et al ., 2014 ; Taylor et al , 2017 ). Effective management and control of these infections involves adopting measures, such as rigorous sanitation of facilities, administering anthelmintics in water or feed, and protecting feeders and water dispensers from bird fecal contamination ( Robertson et al ., 2016 ). Periodic elimination of the substrate surface layers, cleaning of cage feces, and implementation of quarantine practices for newly introduced birds are fundamental strategies for prevention and effective control ( Godoy, 2007 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gastrointestinal parasites in captive wild birds in Mineiros, Goiás, Brazil

Moraes,

Moreira,

Duarte

et al. 2024

Helminthologia

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Summary Studying parasites in captive wild birds is vital for their health, well-being, biodiversity preservation, species conservation, and safeguarding of both individual birds and ecosystems. It holds significance for public health by identifying potential zoonotic risks. We aimed to describe the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive wild birds from a Conservation Institute in Brazilian Cerrado biome. Fresh fecal samples were collected from 17 captive wild birds (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus, Ara ararauna, Ara chloropterus, Ara macao, Megascops choliba, Pteroglossus castanotis, Ramphastos dicolorus, Ramphastos tucanus and Strix huhula) at a Conservation Institution in Mineiros, state of Goiás. The samples were processed for Willis’ simple flotation and Hoffman’s spontaneous sedimentation examinations to identify parasitic forms of gastrointestinal endoparasites. Macaw aviary birds (Ar. ararauna, Ar. chloropterus and Ar. macao) showed higher positivity, with all six fecal samples positive for helminths or protozoa. In contrast, captive toucans showed only two positive results (P. castanotis and R. dicolorus). An. hyacinthinus showed Ascarididae, Capillarinae and Trematoda eggs; whereas S. huhula had Ascarididae eggs. Regular parasitological examinations are essential for the timely detection and treatment of gastrointestinal infections in captive birds, thereby enhancing overall bird management.

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“…Praziquantel is often successful in treating helminth infections in birds without known side effects [70][71][72], including the treatment of schistosomes in waterfowl [25,26,67,73]. A few authors suggest continued research of derivatives/metabolites and their possible effects on invertebrates in the environment [69,74], but the small amounts needed and the diluting effect of large lakes should minimize this concern.…”

Section: Applications and Areas Of Future Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

Swimmer’s itch control: timely waterfowl brood relocation significantly reduces an avian schistosome population and human cases on recreational lakes

DeJong

Blankespoor

Blankespoor³

2023

Preprint

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Swimmer’s itch (SI) is a dermatitis in humans caused by cercariae of avian and mammalian schistosomes which emerge from infected snails on a daily basis. Mitigation methods for SI have long been sought with little success. Copper sulfate application to the water to kill the snail hosts is the historically employed method, but is localized, temporary, and harmful to many aquatic species. Here, we test an alternative method to controlTrichobilharzia stagnicolae, a species well-known to cause SI in northern Michigan and elsewhere in North America. Summer relocation of broods of the only known vertebrate host, common merganser (Mergus merganser), greatly reduced snail infection prevalence the following year on two large, geographically separated lakes in northern Michigan. Subsequent years of host relocation achieved and maintained snail infection prevalence at ~0.05%, more than an order of magnitude lower than pre-intervention. A Before – After – Control – Intervention (BACI) study design using multiple-year snail infection data from two intervention lakes and three control lakes demonstrates that substantial lake-wide reduction of an avian schistosome can be achieved and is not due to natural fluctuations in the parasite populations. The relevance of reducing snail infection prevalence is demonstrated by a large seven-year data set of SI incidence in swimmers at a high-use beach, which showed a remarkable reduction in SI cases in two successive years after relocation began. In addition, data from another Michigan lake where vertebrate-host based intervention occurred in the 1980’s is analyzed statistically and shows a remarkably similar pattern of reduction in snail infection prevalence. Together, these results demonstrate a highly effective SI mitigation strategy that avoids the use of environmentally suspect chemicals and removes incentive for lethal host removal. Biologically, the results strongly suggest thatT. stagnicolaeis reliant on the yearly hatch of ducklings to maintain populations at high levels on a lake and that the role of migratory hosts in the spring and fall is much less significant.

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Efficacy of anthelmintic treatment in captive-reared black stilts (Himantopus novaezelandiae) released to the wild

Abstract: It is recommended that pre-release anthelmintic treatment of black stilts should be used only if indicated by health screening. Any treatment should incorporate annual efficacy testing to monitor the emergence of anthelmintic resistance.

Cited by 3 publications

References 28 publications

Swimmer’s itch control: Timely waterfowl brood relocation significantly reduces an avian schistosome population and human cases on recreational lakes

Swimmer’s itch control: Timely waterfowl brood relocation significantly reduces an avian schistosome population and human cases on recreational lakes

Gastrointestinal parasites in captive wild birds in Mineiros, Goiás, Brazil

Swimmer’s itch control: timely waterfowl brood relocation significantly reduces an avian schistosome population and human cases on recreational lakes

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