Technical Report HCSU-047 AVIAN DISEASE ASSESSMENT IN SEABIRDS AND non-natIVE PASSERINE BIRDS at MIDWAY atOLL NWR 1 1 2,3 Dennis A. LaPointe , Carter T. Atkinson , and John L. Klavitter 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Kīlauea Field Station, P.O. Box 44, Hawaii National Park, HI 96718 2 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, 1082 Makepono Street, Honolulu, HI 96819 3 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 611, Arlington, VA 22203 Hawai‘i Cooperative Studies Unit University of Hawai‘i at Hilo 200 W. Kawili St. Hilo, HI 96720 (808) 933-0706 January 2014 This product was prepared under Cooperative Agreement CAG10AC00436 for the Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center of the U.S. Geological Survey. Technical Report HCSU-047 AVIAN DISEASE ASSESSMENT IN SEABIRDS AND NON-NATIVE PASSERINE BIRDS AT MIDWAY ATOLL NWR DENNIS A. LAPOINTE 1, CARTER T. ATKINSON 1, AND JOHN L. KLAVITTER 2,3 1 U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Kīlauea Field Station, P.O. Box 44, Hawaiʽi National Park, HI 96718 2 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, 1082 Makepono Street, Honolulu, HI 96819 3 U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Wildlife Refuge System, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 611, Arlington, VA 22203 Hawaiʽi Cooperative Studies Unit University of Hawaiʽi at Hilo 200 W. Kawili St. Hilo, HI 96720 (808) 933-0706 January 2014 This article has been peer reviewed and approved for publication consistent with USGS Fundamental Science Practices (http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1367/). Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ....................................................................................................................... iii List of Figures ...................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................... 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Methods .............................................................................................................................. 3 Study Area ....................................................................................................................... 3 Sampling for Disease Prevalence ........................................................................................ 4 Malarial Diagnostics .......................................................................................................... 7 Microscopy .................................................................................................................... 7 Serology ....................................................................................................................... 7 Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis........................................................................ 7 Detection, Sequencing, and Identification of Midway Avipoxvirus ......................................... 8 Adult Mosquito Sampling ................................................................................................... 8 Larval Mosquito Surveys .................................................................................................... 9 Results ................................................................................................................................ 9 Avipoxvirus in Albatross Nestlings ..................................................................................... 9 Disease in Introduced Midway Passerine Birds .................................................................. 10 Adult Mosquito Abundance .............................................................................................. 13 Larval Surveys ................................................................................................................ 13 Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 18 Avipoxvirus in Albatross Nestlings and the Threat to Translocated Passerines .................... 18 Current Status and Potential Risks of Pathogens and Ectoparasites of Introduced Passerines at Midway Atoll NWR ....................................................................................................... 18 Monitoring Adult Vectors and Changes in Mosquito Diversity ............................................. 19 Changing Availability of Larval Mosquito Habitat at Midway Atoll NWR ............................... 20 Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 20 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ 21 Literature Cited .................................................................................................................. 21 Appendix I: Banding and morphometric data on common canaries mist-netted on Sand Island, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), May 2010 and April 2012 ................................ 25 A ppendix II: Larval mosquito habitat on Sand Island, Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, May 2010 .......................................................................................................................... 30 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Prevalence of Avipoxvirus in albatross nestlings on Sand Island, Midway Atoll NWR. 10 iii Table 2. Summary of mean adult mosquito captures in two types of traps at Sand Island in 2010 and 2012. .................................................................................................................. 15 Table 3. Presence of Culex quinquefasciatus larvae and other aquatic invertebrates in wetlands ......................................................................................................................................... 16 Table 4. Comparison of larval mosquito habitat .................................................................... 17 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Geographical position of the Hawaiian Islands, including the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, and an aerial view of Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. ....................................... 4 Figure 2. Study sites and wetlands on Sand Island ................................................................. 5 Figure 3. Presumptive and active Avipoxvirus lesions. ............................................................ 6 Figure 4. Phylogenetic analysis of Avipoxvirus isolated from Midway Atoll Laysan albatross and birds from the main Hawaiian Islands and elsewhere ........................................................... 11 Figure 5. Common canaries with suspect Avipoxvirus lesions. .............................................. 12 Figure 6. The analgoid mite Analges passerinus ................................................................... 12 Figure 7. Dot histogram of %ELISA values for plasma from common mynas and common canaries captured in 2010 and 2012. ................................................................................... 14 iv ABSTRACT Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands supports the largest breeding colony of Laysan albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) in the world and is a proposed site for the translocation of endangered Northwestern Hawaiian Island passerine birds such as the Nihoa finch (Telespiza ultima), Nihoa millerbird (Acrocephalus familiaris kingi), or Laysan finch (Telespiza cantans). On the main Hawaiian Islands, introduced mosquito-borne avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) and avian pox (Avipoxvirus) have contributed to the extinction and decline of native Hawaiian avifauna. The mosquito vector (Culex quinquefasciatus) is present on Sand Island, Midway Atoll, where epizootics of Avipoxvirus have been reported among nestling Laysan albatross, black-footed albatross (Phoebastria nigripes), and red-tailed tropicbirds (Phaethon rubricauda) since 1963. Two introduced passerines, the common canary (Serinus canaria) and the common myna (Acridotheres tristis), are also present on Sand Island and may serve as reservoirs of mosquito-borne pathogens. Assessing disease prevalence and transmission potential at Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) is a critical first step to translocation of Nihoa endemic passerines. In May 2010 and April 2012 we surveyed Midway Atoll NWR for mosquitoes and evidence of mosquito-borne disease. Although we did not observe active pox infections on albatross nestlings in May 2010, active infections were prevalent on albatross nestlings in April 2012. Presumptive diagnosis of Avipoxvirus was confirmed by PCR amplification of the Avipoxvirus 4b core protein gene from lesions collected from 10 albatross nestlings. Products were sequenced and compared to 4b core protein sequences from 28 Avipoxvirus isolates from the Hawaiian Islands and other parts of the world. Sequences from all Midway isolates were identical and formed a clade with other Avipoxvirus isolates from seabirds that was distinct from other Avipoxvirus isolates from the Hawaiian Islands. Tissue from three presumptive avian pox lesions from common canaries tested