INCITAP   20787
INSTITUTO DE CIENCIAS DE LA TIERRA Y AMBIENTALES DE LA PAMPA
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
West Nile Virus (Flavivirus, Flaviviridae) activity in Andean Condors and Crowned Eagles from Argentina
Autor/es:
WIEMEYER, G.; QUAGLIA, A.; CONTIGIANI, M.; GALMES, M.A.; SARASOLA, J.H.; CAPDEVIELLE, A.; DÍA, L.A.
Lugar:
Bariloche
Reunión:
Conferencia; I Worldwide Raptor Conference; 2013
Resumen:
The West Nile virus (WNV) has recently showed an emerging process through the American continent becoming a pathogen of concern for free range birds populations. Avian epizootic events were not reported in American countries other than the U.S.A. Unfortunately, the role of WNV as pathogen for free ranging birds is unknown for other countries except the U.S.A., mainly due to the absence of active surveillance systems. In Argentina, it has received little attention from ornithologists and conservations actors and its ecoepidemiology is almost unknown. The aim of this research was to evaluate the serological status against WNV in two threatened species: Andean Condor (Vulthur gryphus) and Crowned Solitary Eagles (Harpyhalietus coronatus). WNV neutralizing antibodies seroprevalence was estimated in 22% (9/41) for analyzed Andean Condors, and 38% (5/13) for Crowned Solitary Eagles. All birds resulted negative when tested against St. Louis encephalitis virus, a flavivirus closely related to WNV. Our positive results include Andean condors from Catamarca, Buenos Aires and Río Negro provinces. As the only previous survey for southern Patagonia did not detect WNV antibodies in birds from Santa Cruz province, we consider our positive Condor tested in Río Negro province (nearby San Carlos de Bariloche City) as the most southern register of WNV activity in Argentina. These findings indicate ecological conditions favorable for WNV maintenance are still present in northern Patagonia. Positive Crowned Solitary Eagles came from San Juan, San Luis, Mendoza and La Pampa provinces expanding previous findings in the geographical range of WNV exposure for this endangered eagle. Considering particular feeding habits for studied species, the high infection prevalence could be related to vector transmission and/or infected prey ingestion. Future investigations should be driven to know how natural exposition to WNV is affecting fitness of these raptors populations.