Field Investigation of Innate Immunity in Passerine Birds in Suburban Chicago, Illinois, Usa

Girard, Jessica; Goldberg, Tony L.; Hamer, Gabriel L.

doi:10.7589/0090-3558-47.3.603

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…We think it is possible, therefore, that bactericidal activity varies with adult and nestling condition and health state, as do other measures of immune function. This caution seems further justified because of the considerable differences in bactericidal activity observed not only interspecifically (e.g., Millet et al 2007;Girard et al 2011;Horrocks et al 2012) but also intraspecifically under different environmental conditions (e.g., Buehler et al 2008Buehler et al , 2009Rubenstein et al 2008;Pap et al 2010) and among broods in the study population (Forsman et al 2008). In addition, comparisons among studies are complicated by whether whole blood (plasma plus cellular components) or plasma only is used for the assay (e.g., Millet et al 2007;Morrison et al 2009, respectively).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Condition-dependent sex difference in nestling House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) response to phytohaemagglutinin injection

et al. 2014

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Adult male and female birds typically respond differently to immunological challenges, but whether this difference is present in altricial nestlings is not well-documented. Furthermore, the timing of the development of different axes of the immune system might vary in nestlings and also be affected by differences in condition and health state. We tested for sex-related differences in the immune response of nestling House Wrens (Troglodytes aedon Vieillot, 1809) to the injection of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and in the bacteria-killing capacity of their plasma. Based on prior work, we predicted that if there were sex-related differences in immune responsiveness, they would most likely occur when the sexes differed in some measure of condition or health state. Female nestlings had a stronger response to the injection of PHA than males in the one of three breeding seasons in which the condition of nestling females exceeded that of males, suggesting that the response to PHA injection is condition-dependent rather than sex-dependent. The sexes, however, did not differ in bactericidal activity, suggesting that different axes of the immune system may not be affected to the same degree by differences in sex or in condition. Résumé :Si les oiseaux adultes mâles et femelles réagissent généralement différemment à des stimuli immunologiques, cette différence n'est pas bien documentée chez les oisillons nidicoles. En outre, le moment du développement de différents axes du système immunitaire pourrait varier chez les oisillons et être influencé par des différences sur le plan de l'embonpoint et de l'état de santé. Nous avons vérifié la présence de différences associées au sexe en ce qui concerne la réaction immunitaire d'oisillons de troglodyte familier (Troglodytes aedon Vieillot, 1809) à l'injection de phytohémagglutinine (PHA) et la capacité bactéricide de leur plasma. À la lumière de travaux antérieurs, nous avions prédit que d'éventuelles différences immunitaires associées au sexe seraient plus susceptibles de se produire en cas de différences entre les sexes sur le plan de l'embonpoint ou de l'état de santé. Les oisillons femelles présentaient une réaction plus forte à l'injection de PHA que les mâles pour celle des trois périodes de reproduction durant laquelle l'embonpoint des oisillons femelles était supérieur à celui des mâles, ce qui indiquerait que la réaction à l'injection de PHA dépend de l'embonpoint plutôt que du sexe. L'activité bactéricide ne variait pas selon le sexe, ce qui porte à croire que différents axes du système immunitaire pourraient ne pas être influencés dans la même mesure par des différences associées au sexe ou à l'embonpoint. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : troglodyte familier, Troglodytes aedon, réaction immunitaire dépendant du sexe et de l'embonpoint, essai à la PHA, épreuve du pouvoir bactéricide du plasma.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Condition-dependent sex difference in nestling House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) response to phytohaemagglutinin injection

et al. 2014

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“…Sex could influence susceptibility to infection if differential parental investment affects condition, immune investment, or alters habitat usage and subsequent exposure (Monaghan et al ., ; Martin, Weil & Nelson, ; Girard, Goldberg & Hamer, ). We tested the impact of sex on Salmonella spp.…”

Section: Conceptual Framework For Understanding Spillover Of Enteric mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Girard et al . () found variation in bacteria‐killing ability against E. coli between American robins, house sparrows, and gray catbirds ( Dumetella carolinensis ), suggesting that species could vary in susceptibility to infection due to innate differences in ability to defend against infection, leading to differences in risk of causing enteric pathogen outbreaks. Further, physiological differences among species such as full versus rudimentary caeca may affect susceptibility to pathogen colonization (Albuquerque et al ., ).…”

Section: Conceptual Framework For Understanding Spillover Of Enteric mentioning

confidence: 99%

Are we overestimating risk of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans?

2020

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Enteric illnesses remain the second largest source of communicable diseases worldwide, and wild birds are suspected sources for human infection. This has led to efforts to reduce pathogen spillover through deterrence of wildlife and removal of wildlife habitat, particularly within farming systems, which can compromise conservation efforts and the ecosystem services wild birds provide. Further, Salmonella spp. are a significant cause of avian mortality, leading to additional conservation concerns. Despite numerous studies of enteric bacteria in wild birds and policies to discourage birds from food systems, we lack a comprehensive understanding of wild bird involvement in transmission of enteric bacteria to humans. Here, we propose a framework for understanding spillover of enteric pathogens from wild birds to humans, which includes pathogen acquisition, reservoir competence and bacterial shedding, contact with people and food, and pathogen survival in the environment. We place the literature into this framework to identify important knowledge gaps. Second, we conduct a meta-analysis of prevalence data for three human enteric pathogens, Campylobacter spp., E. coli, and Salmonella spp., in 431 North American breeding bird species. Our literature review revealed that only 3% of studies addressed the complete system of pathogen transmission. In our meta-analysis, we found a Campylobacter spp. prevalence of 27% across wild birds, while prevalence estimates of pathogenic E. coli (20%) and Salmonella spp. (6.4%) were lower. There was significant bias in which bird species have been tested, with most studies focusing on a small number of taxa that are common near people (e.g. European starlings Sturnus vulgaris and rock pigeons Columba livia) or commonly in contact with human waste (e.g. gulls). No pathogen prevalence data were available for 65% of North American breeding bird species, including many commonly in contact with humans (e.g. black-billed magpie Pica hudsonia and great blue heron Ardea herodias), and our metadata suggest that some under-studied species, taxonomic groups, and guilds may represent equivalent or greater risk to human infection than heavily studied species. We conclude that current data do not provide sufficient information to determine the likelihood of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans and thus preclude management solutions. The primary focus in the literature on pathogen prevalence likely overestimates the probability of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans because a pathogen must survive long enough at an infectious dose and be a strain that is able to colonize humans to cause infection. We propose that future research should focus on the large number of under-studied species commonly in contact with people and food production and demonstrate shedding of bacterial strains pathogenic to humans into the environment where people may contact them. Finally, studies assessing the duration and intensity of bacterial shedding and survival of bacteria in the environme...

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“…Similarly the immune system may be maturing in juvenile migrants, as indicated by their large and active bursa of Fabricius (Warner and Szenberg, 1964;Glick, 2000;Ratcliffe, 2006). However, adult and juvenile passerines had similar levels of constitutive (Owen and Moore, 2006;Palacios et al, 2009;Girard et al, 2011) and induced (Palacios et al, 2009) immune function prior to or during fall migration. Juvenile migrants may have higher rates of total body protein turnover than adults.…”

Section: Basal Metabolic Ratesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migration Takes Extra Guts for Juvenile Songbirds: Energetics and Digestive Physiology During the First Journey

McCabe

Guglielmo

2019

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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Many birds undertake long migrations when they are only a few months of age. Although they are typically of adult body size, their performance, and survival are often poor compared to adults. This differential performance could be due to lack of experience, selection against poor-performing cohort members, or inherent constraints of continuing physiological and morphological maturation of juveniles. Limited evidence suggests that digestive and muscle physiology of juveniles during their first migration may differ from that of adults. We compared body composition, metabolic rate, and digestive physiology between juvenile and adult passerines during fall migration. First, we measured fat and lean masses by quantitative magnetic resonance, and organ and muscle masses of salvaged carcasses of fall migrants from four passerine species. In general, juveniles had more lean mass and heavier digestive organs (especially liver) than adults in hermit thrushes (Catharus guttatus), Swainson's thrushes (Catharus ustulatus), ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapilla), and white-throated sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis). Principal components analysis of all organs and muscles revealed that juveniles for three of four species had overall larger digestive components and smaller flight muscles than adults. We then used open-flow respirometry to measure basal metabolic rates (BMRs) of juvenile and adult Swainson's thrushes and white-throated sparrows captured in fall at a migratory stopover site. Controlling for a significant effect of body mass, juveniles had 6% higher BMRs than adults in both species. We then conducted total collection mass balance feeding trials with fall migratory Swainson's thrushes and white-throated sparrows. Juvenile thrushes had greater metabolizable energy intake than adults, which was achieved through higher food intake rather than greater utilization efficiency. Age classes of white-throated sparrows did not differ in these measures of digestive performance, although juveniles had greater food intake capacity at low lean body masses. We propose that age-related differences in foraging ecology, diet composition, and energy requirements may be responsible for larger digestive organs of juvenile migrants. Larger guts may allow juveniles to consume more food or a more dilute diet, but may contribute to higher BMRs.

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Field Investigation of Innate Immunity in Passerine Birds in Suburban Chicago, Illinois, Usa

Cited by 12 publications

References 53 publications

Condition-dependent sex difference in nestling House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) response to phytohaemagglutinin injection

Condition-dependent sex difference in nestling House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) response to phytohaemagglutinin injection

Are we overestimating risk of enteric pathogen spillover from wild birds to humans?

Migration Takes Extra Guts for Juvenile Songbirds: Energetics and Digestive Physiology During the First Journey

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