Syngamus trachea in free-ranging white stork (Ciconia ciconia) nestlings in Switzerland

Syngamosis is a disease caused by the strongylid nematode Syngamus trachea, which infects the respiratory tract of various bird species around the world. The parasite appears to be harmful for a wide variety of avian orders, occasionally leading to a fatal outcome, particularly in young birds.

The aim of this study was to examine the parasitic fauna in deceased or euthanized, free-ranging white storks nesting at the Zoo Basel in 2019 and 2020; and to assess the extent to which these parasites contributed to the wild birds' death.

In five out of 24 necropsied white storks, an infection with S. trachea was diagnosed based on morphological analysis of adult nematode stages and eggs, in combination with PCR amplification and sequencing of DNA extracted from female worms. The main pathological changes affected the white storks’ respiratory tract and a mixed cell tracheitis was diagnosed in the histopathological examination of three of the five infected birds. Some birds displayed additional lesions compatible with syngamosis, namely partially degenerated parasitic structures with concurrent granulomatous inflammation in the lung and multifocal acute hemorrhages in the bronchi and parabronchi. Coprological examinations (fecal flotation technique, fecal sedimentation technique, sodium acetate acetic acid formalin procedure and Ziehl-Neelsen staining) from the intestinal content as well as a PCR for Toxoplasma gondii on brain, lung, heart, liver, and spleen tissue yielded negative results in all examined individuals. In the absence of further major pathological findings, S. trachea was assumed to have significantly contributed to the death of the infected birds.

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5 out of 24 dead, free-ranging white storks were infected with S. trachea.

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All infected white storks were nestlings.

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3 of the 5 infected nestlings displayed a mixed cell tracheitis.

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120 tissue samples from 24 free-ranging white storks were negative for T. gondii.

Spatio-temporal factors influencing the occurrence of Syngamus trachea within release pens in the South West of England

Syngamus trachea is a pathogenic tracheal nematode that causes syngamiasis in wild and game birds, especially when birds are managed at high densities. Despite its pathogenic nature, very little is known about its epidemiology and relationship with ambient temperature and humidity. The spatial and temporal modelling of disease was undertaken on two pheasant estates within the South West of England from April 2014 to August 2014. Significant differences between the mean numbers of eggs per gram of soil were identified between pens at both site 1 and site 2 but did not differ significantly between sites. Egg abundance was significantly associated with soil moisture content, with greater egg survival between years in pens with higher average volumetric soil moisture content. Previous years stocking density and pen age were also associated with greater egg survival between years with more eggs being recovered in pens with greater stocking densities, and pens that had been sited longer. The greatest model to explain the variation in the numbers of eggs per gram of soil per pen was a combination of soil moisture content, stocking density and pen age. Larval recovery differed significantly between sites. Larval abundance was significantly and positively associated with temperature and relative humidity at site 1. Similarly, temperature and humidity were also positively and significantly associated with larval abundance at site 2. Rainfall did not influence larval recovery at either site 1 or site 2. The model with the greatest ability to explain larval abundance at both sites, was a combination of temperature, humidity and rainfall. Infection status (positive faecal egg counts) was significantly and positively associated with larval abundance at both sites, but rainfall was only positively associated at site 1. Temperature and humidity were positively associated with infection status at site 2, but not at site 1. The present study highlights the influence of climatic variables on both egg survival and larval abundance, and could therefore be used to develop more targeted treatment strategies around periods of higher disease risk. The frequent use of release pens is a clear factor in the epidemiology of syngamiasis, and it is recommended that pens be rested and/or rotated in order to reduce infection pressure in subsequent flocks.