Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica) and Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) as a reservoir of avian Plasmodium that infect captive African Black-footed Penguins (Spheniscus demersus) at La Palmyre Zoo: a comparative morphological and molecular study

International audienceA morphological and molecular epidemiological investigation was conducted on a captive African Black-footed Penguin (Spheniscus demersus) colony with a history of Plasmodium infections at La Palmyre Zoo (France). Although Plasmodium parasites were detected in blood smears and tissues collected from the penguins, various blood parasites, including serveral Plasmodium spp. were recorded in blood smears from wild Eurasian Magpies (Pica pica) and Carrion Crows (Corvus corone) sampled at the same time in the study area. Nonetheless, nested polymerase chain reaction (nt-PCR) enabled detection of Plasmodium DNA in 28/44 (64%) penguins, 15/26 (58%) magpies, and 4/9 (44%) crows. Senquencing and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the parasite DNAs amplified from the penguins, magpies and crows were similar