Search Results (22)

The host’s physiological well-being is intricately associated with the gut microbiota. However, previous studies regarding the intestinal microbiota have focused on domesticated or captive birds. This study used high-throughput sequencing technology to identify the gut bacterial communities of sympatric bean geese, hooded cranes, and domestic geese. The results indicated that the gut bacterial diversity in domestic geese and hooded cranes showed considerably higher diversity than bean geese. The gut bacterial community compositions varied significantly among the three hosts (p < 0.05). Compared to the hooded crane, the bean goose and domestic goose were more similar in their genotype and evolutionary history, with less difference in the bacterial community composition and assembly processes between the two species. Thus, the results might support the crucial role of host genotypes on their gut microbiota. The gut bacteria of wild hooded cranes and bean geese had a greater capacity for energy metabolism compared to domestic geese, suggesting that wild birds may rely more on their gut microbiota to survive in cold conditions. Moreover, the intestines of the three hosts were identified as harboring potential pathogens. The relative abundance of pathogens was higher in the hooded crane compared to the other two species. The hooded crane gut bacterial community assemblage revealed the least deterministic process with the lowest filtering/selection on the gut microbiota, which might have been a reason for the highest number of pathogens result. Compared to the hooded crane, the sympatric bean goose showed the least diversity and relative abundance of pathogens. The intestinal bacterial co-occurrence network showed the highest stability in the bean goose, potentially enhancing host resistance to adverse environments and reducing the susceptibility to pathogen invasion. In this study, the pathogens were also discovered to overlap among the three hosts, reminding us to monitor the potential for pathogen transmission between poultry and wild birds. Overall, the current findings have the potential to enhance the understanding of gut bacterial and pathogenic community structures in poultry and wild birds. Full article

Avian paramyxoviruses (APMVs) are often carried by wild waterfowl, and the wild waterfowl may play an important role in the maintenance and spread of these viruses. In this study, we investigated APMVs in the population of migratory wild waterfowl from 2015 to 2021 in Korea and analyzed their genetic characteristics. Fourteen viruses were isolated and subsequently identified as APMV-1 (n = 13) and APMV-13 (n = 1). Phylogenetic analysis of the full fusion gene of 13 APMV-1 isolates showed that 10 APMV-1 isolates belonged to the class II sub-genotype I.2, which was epidemiologically linked to viruses from the Eurasian continent, and 3 viruses belonged to class I, which linked to viruses from the USA. The APMV-13 isolates from wild geese in this study were highly homology to the virus isolated from China. Sequence analysis of 14 isolates showed that all isolates had a typical lentogenic motif at the cleavage site. In summary, we identified the wild species likely to be infected with APMV and our data suggest possible intercontinental transmission of APMV by wild waterfowl. Our current study also provides the first evidence for the presence of class I of APMV-1 and APMV-13 in wild waterfowl surveyed in Korea. Full article

The United Kingdom (UK) and Europe have seen successive outbreaks of H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b high-pathogenicity avian influenza virus (HPAIV) since 2020 peaking in the autumn/winter periods. During the 2021/22 season, a mass die-off event of Svalbard Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis) was observed on the Solway Firth, a body of water on the west coast border between England and Scotland. This area is used annually by Barnacle Geese to over-winter, before returning to Svalbard to breed. Following initial identification of HPAIV in a Barnacle Goose on 8 November 2021, up to 32% of the total Barnacle Goose population may have succumbed to disease by the end of March 2022, along with other wild bird species in the area. Potential adaptation of the HPAIV to the Barnacle Goose population within this event was evaluated. Whole-genome sequencing of thirty-three HPAIV isolates from wild bird species demonstrated that there had been two distinct incursions of the virus, but the two viruses had remained genetically stable within the population, whilst viruses from infected wild birds were closely related to those from poultry cases occurring in the same region. Analysis of sera from the following year demonstrated that a high percentage (76%) of returning birds had developed antibodies to H5 AIV. This study demonstrates genetic stability of this strain of HPAIV in wild Anseriformes, and that, at the population scale, whilst there is a significant impact on survival, a high proportion of birds recover following infection. Full article

In the fall of 2022, high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (HPAIVs) were detected from raptors and geese in Japan, a month earlier than in past years, indicating a shift in detection patterns. In this study, we conducted a phylogenetic analysis on H5N1 HPAIVs detected from six wild birds during the 2022/2023 season to determine their genetic origins. Our findings revealed that these HPAIVs belong to the G2 group within clade 2.3.4.4b, with all isolates classified into three subgroups: G2b, G2d, and G2c. The genetic background of the G2b virus (a peregrine falcon-derived strain) and G2d viruses (two raptors and two geese-derived strains) were the same as those detected in Japan in the 2021/2022 season. Since no HPAI cases were reported in Japan during the summer of 2022, it is probable that migratory birds reintroduced the G2b and G2d viruses. Conversely, the G2c virus (a raptor-derived strain) was first recognized in Japan in the fall of 2022. This strain might share a common ancestor with HPAIVs from Asia and West Siberia observed in the 2021/2022 season. The early migration of waterfowl to Japan in the fall of 2022 could have facilitated the early invasion of HPAIVs. Full article

This article begins with the assumption that the specificity of metaphors used to discuss narration and mediation matter for understanding them. For instance, arguing for a paradigm shift in literature concomitant with the visual revolution of Meiji, critic Maeda Ai saw Mori Ōgai’s famed early work of realism “Dancing Girl” (Maihime) as translating the effects of the panorama hall into literature. By the end of his career, Mori Ōgai’s narrator of Wild Geese (Gan) compares his own storytelling to stereoscopy. These two different visual medial affordances suggest two different techniques. However, I argue that it is in a third visual medium (one that draws on the marketing of panorama and the visual techniques of stereography) that we may find a metaphor suggesting a continuity between these two modes of realism, between Ōgai’s early career and his later opus, between Maeda’s medial understanding and Ōgai’s own. This third metaphor for understanding Ōgai’s narration implies his mode of narration is never flat, always polyphonous, and advertising one aesthetic on the surface while providing another within. In the end, this view suggests a modernist realism that understood and expressed its own limitations and was, therefore, all the more realistic. Full article

Hystrichis tricolor is a neglected avian enoplid nematode (superfamiliy Dioctophymatoidea) and known to parasitize various species of the Anatidae (Anas spp. and Mergus spp.) from the northern hemisphere, inducing mainly proventriculitis in domestic and wild waterfowl. Here, we focus on the pathological findings of naturally H. tricholor-infected Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) and a neozoan shelduck (Tandorninae) of Germany. Nowadays, this species is considered the fastest-spreading alien waterfowl species within Western Europe. Additionally, molecular sequencing coupled with phylogenetic characterization of H. tricolor is reported. Post mortem analyses unveiled patent gastric H. tricolor infections in eight of twelve infected birds (8/12; 66.7%), inducing proventriculitis resulting in large visible nodular lesions. Histopathological findings point to chronic host pro-inflammatory immune reactions. These results demonstrate the potential role of Egyptian geese as natural reservoir hosts of H. tricholor and highlight their possible role in parasite transmission (i.e., spillback) into endemic waterfowl species. Due to avian health concerns, the occurrence of hystrichiosis should be monitored in native waterfowl in the future, introducing appropriate management practices in conservation strategies of endemic wild birds not only in Germany but elsewhere in Europe. Full article

The goose is an economically important poultry species and was one of the first to be domesticated. However, studies on population genetic structures and domestication in goose are very limited. Here, we performed whole genome resequencing of geese from two wild ancestral populations, five Chinese domestic breeds, and four European domestic breeds. We found that Chinese domestic geese except Yili geese originated from a common ancestor and exhibited strong geographical distribution patterns and trait differentiation patterns, while the origin of European domestic geese was more complex, with two modern breeds having Chinese admixture. In both Chinese and European domestic geese, the identified selection signatures during domestication primarily involved the nervous system, immunity, and metabolism. Interestingly, genes related to vision, skeleton, and blood-O2 transport were also found to be under selection, indicating genetic adaptation to the captive environment. A forehead knob characterized by thickened skin and protruding bone is a unique trait of Chinese domestic geese. Interestingly, our population differentiation analysis followed by an extended genotype analysis in an additional population suggested that two intronic SNPs in EXT1, an osteochondroma-related gene, may plausibly be sites responsible for knob. Moreover, CSMD1 and LHCGR genes were found to be significantly associated with broodiness in Chinese domestic geese and European domestic geese, respectively. Our results have important implications for understanding the population structure and domestication of geese, and the selection signatures and variants identified in this study might be useful in genetic breeding for forehead knob and reproduction traits. Full article

Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora, and microsporidia are gastrointestinal pathogens that can cause various disease symptoms in both animals and humans. Numerous studies worldwide have confirmed the presence of these eukaryotic pathogens in nesting and migrating wild geese, ducks, and swans. Migration spreads these zoonotic enteric pathogens to distant locations, which could have public health implications. Soils and water bodies (lakes, ponds, rivers and wetlands) in urban and suburban areas have been shown to be vulnerable to contamination by waterfowl droppings. This review addresses the epidemiology of these enteric pathogens in wild migratory bird species (Anatidae) and some consequences of their spread in the environment. To date, both zoonotic pathogens and genotypes restricted to avian hosts have been found in faecal samples from 21 anatid species worldwide. One of the routes of infection for these zoonotic gastrointestinal micropathogens is the indirect route. For example, shared water bodies (e.g., for drinking or recreational purposes) previously contaminated by birds during the migratory season may facilitate infections of humans through water. However, it is unclear how much wild waterfowl contribute to the transmission of giardiasis, cryptosporidiosis, cyclosporosis, and microsporidiosis in many regions through contaminated environmental sources. Comprehensive epidemiological surveillance based on molecular data on gastrointestinal pathogens is crucial to take measures to control infections in the future. Full article

Various studies have shown that the transmission and passage of alien and native pathogens play a critical role in the establishment process of an invasive species and its further spread. Egyptian geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) are neozotic birds on various continents. They live not only in the countryside near fresh water bodies but also in urban habitats in Central Europe with close contact to humans and their pets. Although their rapid distribution in Europe is widely debated, scientific studies on the anthropozoonotic risks of the population and studies on the present endoparasites in Egyptian geese are rare worldwide. In the present study, 114 shot Egyptian geese and 148 non-invasively collected faecal samples of wild Egyptian geese from 11 different Federal States in Germany were examined. A total of 13 metazoan endoparasite species in 12 different genera were identified. The main endoparasites found were Hystrichis tricolor, Polymorphus minutus, and, in lesser abundance, Cloacotaenia sp. and Echinuria uncinata. Adult stages of Echinostoma revolutum, an anthropozoonotic heteroxenic trematode, were found in 7.9% of the animals examined postmortem. This species was additionally identified by molecular analysis. Although Egyptian geese live in communities with native waterfowl, it appears that they have a lower parasitic load in general. The acquisition of generalistic parasites in an alien species and the associated increased risk of infection for native species is known as “spill-back” and raises the question of impacts on native waterfowl. Differences between animals from rural populations and urban populations were observed. The present study represents the first large-scale survey on gastrointestinal parasites of free-ranging Egyptian geese. Full article

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common zoonotic parasitic diseases infecting nearly all warm-blooded animals, including poultry (geese, turkeys, chickens, and ducks). It is caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), which is an obligate intracellular protozoan belonging to the Apicomplexa group. In Thailand, duck meat production for domestic consumption and international trade is mainly bred and produced in the central and western parts of the country. Free-grazing ducks in integrated duck–rice production have significant benefits in rice cultivation, accounting for the popularity of this farming system in Thailand. However, ducks are considered particularly susceptible to consuming T. gondii oocysts from water contaminated with cat feces due to the fact of their feeding habits of free-grazing and dabbling. Hence, the prevalence of this zoonotic parasite in a large-scale integrated farming context is particularly challenging with respect to the contamination of the food chain of humans and farm animals. In the present study, we examined the overall prevalence of T. gondii infection in slaughtered free-grazing ducks originating from Central and Western Thailand, setting the stage for an in-depth One Health approach to assess and manage the risks of integrated farming practices. A representative sample size of 161 ducks was calculated using a two-stage sampling method. Specifically, serum samples were collected from 217 slaughtered free-grazing ducks originating in six provinces in Central and Western Thailand. Serum antibodies against T. gondii were detected using an indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT). The positive control serum samples were prepared from ducks experimentally immunized with T. gondii. Sixty-eight (31.3%) of the two hundred and seventeen ducks were seropositive with T. gondii. Two groups of fattening ducks and spent layers showed similar seropositivity rates at 29% and 32.3%, with the majority of positive samples being found in the low titer. In addition, a wide distribution of positive serum samples was observed in all six provinces in the present study. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on a serological prevalence snapshot in commercially produced duck populations that have high interaction with farmed environments in Thailand, revealing a high infection pressure in areas of integrated duck–rice farming. Importantly, contaminated duck meat for commercial use, as well as offal and carcasses from slaughterhouses, completes the transmission of T. gondii from the environment into the food chain of humans and domestic animals. Hence, from a One Health perspective, it is important to clarify whether this transmission chain extends further to the wild, i.e., predator–prey cycles that are independent of duck farming or are self-contained. Full article

Riemerella anatipestifer (RA) is one of the most relevant bacterial pathogens of commercial waterfowl from clinical and economic points of view. Our study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of RA infection in different types of commercial poultry in Poland and verify the potential role of wild geese as vectors of this pathogen. We tested a total of 126 poultry flocks, including geese (N = 20), ducks (N = 42), turkeys (N = 64) and 19 wild geese, including greater white-fronted geese (N = 9), greylag geese (N = 5) and Taiga bean geese (N = 5). Tracheal swabs were examined for RA using a PCR targeting a conserved region of the 16S rRNA gene. Selected PCR products were sequenced to perform the phylogenetic analysis. Among the commercial poultry, the highest RA prevalence was found in flocks of ducks (35.7%) and geese (30.0%), whereas the lowest one was found in turkeys (3.2%). Most tested wild geese (94.7%) were RA positive. The phylogenetic analysis showed relatively low genetic diversity of the sequences analyzed, which gathered in two clusters of the phylogenetic tree, and the minimum nucleotide identity was 98.6%. Our results would support the contention that RA isolates from commercial poultry circulate in wild bird populations but are not transmitted back to poultry. Full article

In 2021/2022, the re-emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) occurred in Europe. The outbreak was seeded from two sources: resident and reintroduced viruses, which is unprecedented in the recorded history of avian influenza. The dominant subtype was H5N1, which replaced the H5N8 subtype that had predominated in previous seasons. In this study, we present a whole genome sequence and a phylogenetic analysis of 57 H5N1 HPAI and two low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) H5N1 strains collected in the Czech Republic during 2021/2022. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close relationships between H5N1 genomes from poultry and wild birds and secondary transmission in commercial geese. The genotyping showed considerable genetic heterogeneity among Czech H5N1 viruses, with six different HPAI genotypes, three of which were apparently unique. In addition, second-order reassortment relationships were observed with the direct involvement of co-circulating H5N1 LPAI strains. The genetic distance between Czech H5N1 HPAI and the closest LPAI segments available in the database illustrates the profound gaps in our knowledge of circulating LPAI strains. The changing dynamics of HPAI in the wild may increase the likelihood of future HPAI outbreaks and present new challenges in poultry management, biosecurity, and surveillance. Full article

Biosecurity problems, including the continual risk of avian influenza spread by wild birds, have severely affected traditional free-range waterfowl production systems. Regulations and techniques for indoor goose production require more considerations for animal welfare. This study investigated the effects of swimming pool conditions and different floor types on the physical condition scores and behaviors of indoor-reared White Roman geese. A total of 48 male and 48 female White Roman geese reared from the age of 15 to 84 days were randomly allocated to pens with or without a swimming pool and with either mud or perforated plastic floors. Providing a swimming pool improved geese’s eye and feather cleanliness and breast blister scores at the age of 84 days. Compared with geese reared on a mud floor, those reared on a perforated plastic floor had better feather cleanliness and higher breast blister scores at the age of 56 and 84 days. Providing a swimming pool to indoor-reared geese may reduce the proportion of abnormal behaviors, such as injurious feather pecking, by increasing water-related behaviors. This study suggests a more appropriate environment design for better balancing commercial goose production with animal welfare in an indoor rearing system. Full article

Future challenges concerning protein supply for food and feed include the management of all currently available resources. In Sweden, wildfowl are hunted for several reasons, one of which is to protect growing crops. In this study, meat from wild geese and mallard was evaluated with respect to its quality and sensory parameters. The most pronounced sensory differences were between meat from the barnacle goose and the Canada goose and between meat from mallards that were farmed and born wild. This study also provides measurements of values for the nutritional and heavy metal contents of the meat from these wildfowl species in order to elucidate their possible use as modern foods. Full article

Wild animals are vulnerable to environmental noise. In wetlands, wintering waterbirds are easily disturbed by ship noises; however, the behavioral changes of waterbirds in response to different levels of noise are unclear. We simulated the acoustic environment created by ship movement to investigate the effects of ship noise on foraging, vigilance, and flight behaviors of the wintering bean goose (Anser fabalis). In particular, we used a noise playback method to simulate the acoustic environment created by ship operations at various noise levels (i.e., background noise <50 dB, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100 dB), distances from the noise (i.e., short <100 m, medium 100–200 m, and long distances 200–300 m), and noise duration (i.e., short 0–1 min, medium 2–3 min, and long 4–5 min). Results indicated that the noise intensity and interference distance had obvious influence on the bean geese behavior, but the noise duration had no effect. Smaller populations (N ≤ 30) were more sensitive to noise interference. As the noise level increased, the frequency of foraging behavior decreased and the frequencies of vigilance and flight behaviors increased, particularly above 70 dB. For noises >70 dB at short disturbance distances and >80 dB at medium disturbance distances, flight behavior increased significantly. These findings suggested that ships should keep a distance of more than 200 m from waterbirds to reduce noise interference. Full article