Avian malaria and flavivirus prevalence in the savanna regions of South Africa

Avian malaria and flaviviruses are widely distributed vector-transmitted infections that can affect the fitness of birds and the later can also cause significant human disease. These pathogens have a range of avian hosts and are thought to be transmissible by mosquitoes. Although these are two distinctly diverse pathogens, one with conservation implications for wild birds, and possibly poultry, and the other with public health implications, the pathogens have in common a natural cycle involving birds and mosquitoes with birds as reservoir hosts and transmission between birds involving mosquito vectors. Hence a collaborative study using shared field samples can be used to address the prevalence of these pathogens and potential zoonotic diseases in wild caught birds. The aim of this three-year study is to assess how the environment, vectors and hosts’ ecological traits affect prevalence and diversity of avian pathogens in South African savannas. Over a thousand birds from various species were sampled from South African National Parks. Molecular and serological techniques were used to identify and characterise pathogens circulating. Findings will inform regional disease risk mapping efforts.