Publications by authors named "Christine Larose"
Animal migration is a major driver of infectious agent dispersal. Duck and seabird migrations, for instance, play a key role in the spatial transmission dynamics and gene flow of avian influenza viruses (AIV), worldwide. On tropical islands, brown and lesser noddies ( and ) may be important AIV hosts, but the lack of knowledge on their migratory behaviour limits our understanding of virus circulation in island networks.
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- Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite that primarily uses cats as its main host and can infect various warm-blooded animals, including seabirds.
- A study examined the presence of antibodies against T. gondii in 1014 pelagic seabirds from eight islands in the Western Indian Ocean, finding a seroprevalence of 16.8%, with variations based on species and geography.
- The research suggests that oocysts may be dispersed by marine currents, impacting seabirds even on cat-free islands, and highlights potential routes of exposure through contaminated soils and predation of infected fish.
Background: In Seychelles, the common myna has been shown to have a negative impact on endangered endemic birds on Denis Island, interfering with breeding attempts and attacking adult endemic birds at their nests. This stimulated an attempt to eradicate the island's mynas.
Results: The eradication was undertaken in three phases, overall killing 1186 mynas and lasting 5 years.
Ducks and seabirds are natural hosts for influenza A viruses (IAV). On oceanic islands, the ecology of IAV could be affected by the relative diversity, abundance and density of seabirds and ducks. Seabirds are the most abundant and widespread avifauna in the Western Indian Ocean and, in this region, oceanic islands represent major breeding sites for a large diversity of potential IAV host species.
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