Aspergillosis in an Augmented Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) Population in Central Utah: A Case Report
2020
Chelak, Melissa S. | Cook, Avery A. | Frame, David D. | Messmer, Terry A.
We present the first known case of aspergillosis found in a wild, augmented Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) population. This case was not directly associated with the sage-grouse translocations and is the first documented in wild sage-grouse populations since the mid-1900s. Aspergillosis is a fungal infection of the lungs caused by an inoculation of Aspergillus spp. spores. Wild birds that are infected by the pathogen's spores die from the resulting infection. We hypothesize that the Aspergillus spp. spores were propagated either in mesic nesting conditions or in residual damp mulch piles created from sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) habitat restoration projects and that these spores infected the individual within several days of inhalation. This case may have conservation implications for small, augmented, or reintroduced avian populations, especially those of conservation concern where concurrent habitat restoration projects and other conservation actions may create conditions conducive to the propagation of Aspergillus spp. spores and enhance the risk of sage-grouse inoculation.
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