Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica
Introduction: In Central America, forestry exploitation and agricultural expansion have raised concerns about biodiversity conservation, including bird diversity. Objective: To assess host-parasite relationships and habitat influence in birds and their ticks across forest fragments with varying deg...
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Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED)
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Cuadernos de investigación UNED |
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| Online Access: | https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/5722 |
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| author | Kinndle Blanco-Peña Ana Eugenia Jiménez-Rocha Gaby Dolz Mónica Retamosa-Izaguirre |
| author_facet | Kinndle Blanco-Peña Ana Eugenia Jiménez-Rocha Gaby Dolz Mónica Retamosa-Izaguirre |
| author_sort | Kinndle Blanco-Peña |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Introduction: In Central America, forestry exploitation and agricultural expansion have raised concerns about biodiversity conservation, including bird diversity. Objective: To assess host-parasite relationships and habitat influence in birds and their ticks across forest fragments with varying degrees of alteration. Methods: From February 2008 to June 2010, we sampled nine forest fragments, classified by logging and agricultural use, at the Huetar Norte Conservation Area, Costa Rica. With mist nets we captured 838 birds and collected feces, blood, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs, along with 555 ectoparasites from 407 birds. We analyzed samples using flotation technique, Hoyer, DNA and RNA extraction, and PCR. Results: The frequencies of endoparasites did not differ by level of forest alteration or agricultural use; only six Amblyomma spp. ticks were positive for Rickettsia spp. These were found in the non-harvested/low crop intensity, non-harvested/high crop intensity, and harvested/high crop intensity categories. No Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp. or Chlamydia psittaci were found. Conclusion: These sites were similar regarding bird health status and pathogens. These results seem to support the dilution effect proposed for habitat fragmentation and transmission of infectious agents.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-14a0d756bf3447dbba65b0ececda6d1a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1659-4266 1659-441X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Universidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cuadernos de investigación UNED |
| spelling | doaj-art-14a0d756bf3447dbba65b0ececda6d1a2025-08-20T03:07:41ZengUniversidad Estatal a Distancia (UNED)Cuadernos de investigación UNED1659-42661659-441X2025-06-0117110.22458/urj.v17i1.5722Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa RicaKinndle Blanco-Peña0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0883-1832Ana Eugenia Jiménez-Rocha1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5416-9029Gaby Dolz2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9566-5130Mónica Retamosa-Izaguirre3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4010-2998Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Instituto Regional de Estudios en Sustancias Tóxicas, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica.Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Laboratorio de Parasitología, Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Heredia, Costa Rica.Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Laboratorio de Zoonosis y Entomología Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Heredia, Costa Rica.Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, Instituto Internacional en Conservación y Manejo de Vida Silvestre, Heredia, Costa Rica. Introduction: In Central America, forestry exploitation and agricultural expansion have raised concerns about biodiversity conservation, including bird diversity. Objective: To assess host-parasite relationships and habitat influence in birds and their ticks across forest fragments with varying degrees of alteration. Methods: From February 2008 to June 2010, we sampled nine forest fragments, classified by logging and agricultural use, at the Huetar Norte Conservation Area, Costa Rica. With mist nets we captured 838 birds and collected feces, blood, oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs, along with 555 ectoparasites from 407 birds. We analyzed samples using flotation technique, Hoyer, DNA and RNA extraction, and PCR. Results: The frequencies of endoparasites did not differ by level of forest alteration or agricultural use; only six Amblyomma spp. ticks were positive for Rickettsia spp. These were found in the non-harvested/low crop intensity, non-harvested/high crop intensity, and harvested/high crop intensity categories. No Anaplasma spp., Borrelia spp. or Chlamydia psittaci were found. Conclusion: These sites were similar regarding bird health status and pathogens. These results seem to support the dilution effect proposed for habitat fragmentation and transmission of infectious agents. https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/5722bacteriaparasitesinfectious diseasestropicsavian diseases |
| spellingShingle | Kinndle Blanco-Peña Ana Eugenia Jiménez-Rocha Gaby Dolz Mónica Retamosa-Izaguirre Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica Cuadernos de investigación UNED bacteria parasites infectious diseases tropics avian diseases |
| title | Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica |
| title_full | Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica |
| title_fullStr | Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica |
| title_full_unstemmed | Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica |
| title_short | Infectious agents in birds, and forest alteration in Northern Costa Rica |
| title_sort | infectious agents in birds and forest alteration in northern costa rica |
| topic | bacteria parasites infectious diseases tropics avian diseases |
| url | https://revistas.uned.ac.cr/index.php/cuadernos/article/view/5722 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kinndleblancopena infectiousagentsinbirdsandforestalterationinnortherncostarica AT anaeugeniajimenezrocha infectiousagentsinbirdsandforestalterationinnortherncostarica AT gabydolz infectiousagentsinbirdsandforestalterationinnortherncostarica AT monicaretamosaizaguirre infectiousagentsinbirdsandforestalterationinnortherncostarica |