The Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) has been undergoing a range-wide population decline. Potential causes for declines across its historic range have been investigated for decades and include habitat loss and fragmentation and a variety of parasitic and infectious diseases. Although there have been studies on bobwhite ecology in Oklahoma, USA, relatively little is known about parasites and pathogens in the region.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports
November 2023
The northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) is a popular upland game bird that is suffering from severe and ongoing population decline. In this study, we investigated the potential health impacts of gastrointestinal and periorbital parasites in bobwhite in western Oklahoma, USA. A sample of 206 bobwhites from 2018 to 2020 indicated a low prevalence and diversity of parasites.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Parasitol Parasites Wildl
August 2023
The American white ibis (), a common bird species in Florida, has become increasingly urban, with many populations relying heavily on urban and suburban habitats, which may alter parasite transmission. Parasites of ibis, especially haemosporidians, are understudied. Avian haemosporidia can have a wide range of impacts on birds, including decreased reproductive success or increased mortality.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnderstanding the abiotic and biotic variables affecting tick populations is essential for studying the biology and health risks associated with vector species. We conducted a study on the phenology of exotic Haemaphysalis longicornis (Asian longhorned tick) at a site in Albemarle County, Virginia, United States. We also assessed the importance of wildlife hosts, habitats, and microclimate variables such as temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed on this exotic tick's presence and abundance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFInt J Parasitol Parasites Wildl
August 2021
Parasitic nematodes in the genus have a complex life cycle that requires more than one host species in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. The most well-studied species, , is the causative agent of human Guinea worm disease (dracunculiasis). There are several other species that infect non-human animals, primarily wildlife (reptiles and mammals).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDracunculus spp. are parasitic nematodes that infect numerous species of mammals and reptiles. The life cycles of Dracunculus species are complex, and unknowns remain regarding the role of paratenic and transport hosts in transmission to definitive hosts.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring 2017-2018, a survey for the rat lungworm, (Nematoda: Metastrongyloidea), in rodents from Piedmont and Lower Coastal Plains physiographic regions of Georgia was conducted. On 4 occasions, a single worm was recovered from the pulmonary vessels of a single cotton rat (). One of these worms was identified as a sp.
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