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Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center

Risk Assessment for Avian Diseases

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Risk Assessment for Avian Diseases in Pacific Parks

PIERC Project Leader: Carter Atkinson, Ph.D.

Collared Kingfisher and Plasmodium circumflexum and Trypanosoma avium Objectives:

Star  Determine prevalence of avian pox and malaria in NPSA (FY01), HALE (FY02), KALA(FY03) and risks to avifauna

Star  Identify vectors, larval habitats, feasibility and scale for control


Accomplishments:
Star  Collected blood samples from over 300 forest birds on Tutuila, Ta’u, and Ofu-Olosega Islands in American Samoa
Star  Identified Plasmodium circumflexum(top, right) and Trypanosoma avium(bottom, right)on blood smears


Significance:
Star  First identification of avian hematozoa from central Pacific
Star  High prevalence of chronic infections suggests that these parasites are endemic and not a threat to avifauna of NPSA



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Page Last Modified: Friday, Dec 1, 2006