Abstract
Leucocytozoon sp. was detected in wild rock ptarmigans (Lagopus mutus) which are designated as an endangered species in Japan and inhabit alpine areas.3 Nine ptarmigans were captured with the permission of the Ministry of the Environment of the Japanese Government on Mt. Tateyama (36° 35’ N, 137° 36’ W) at about 2,400 m elevation in April and on Mt. Jiigatake (36° 35’ N, 137° 45’ W) at about 2,650 m elevation in June 2002. Eight of nine adult birds (88.9%) tested positive for Leucocytozoon sp. The percentage of infected cells in 400 leukocytes was 0.32–12.1%, and Ashford scale1 was 1–3. No mixed infections with other hematozoa were observed. The birds infected with the hematozoa appeared to be healthy, and anemia was not diagnosed upon hematologic examination. For comparison, two captive adult rock ptarmigans hatched in a breeding facility of the Ohmachi Alpine Museum at the foot of the mountains were examined, and no hematozoa were detected. The oval-shaped gametocytes with long fusiform projections extending from both ends were observed by light microscopy. The form was similar to L. lovati detected from the red grouse (L. scoticus) in Britain,2 but the species could not be determined because there was variability in gametocyte morphology. Using cytochrome b gene sequences of mitochondrial DNA of Leucocytozoon sp. by nested PCR,4 phylogenetic relationships and genetic divergence among the hematozoa from ptarmigans and selected Japanese wild birds were investigated. Analysis of these samples based on the partial cyt b sequences of 750 bp in length suggested that Leucocytozoon sp. found in Japanese rock ptarmigan is genetically different from the other Leucocytozoon spp. in wild birds in Japan. Considering the historic distribution of the ptarmigan, this clear division suggests independent co-evolution among the Leucocytozoon sp. and the bird species. Leucocytozoon sp. infection in the rock ptarmigan in Japan has not been previously reported.
Acknowledgments
The authors are indebted to Mr. Masanori Kitahara of The Institute for Alpine Environment and Biota, the members of Ptarmigan Research Group of Toyama Prefecture and the staff of Ohmachi Alpine Museum for sampling at Mt. Tateyama, Mt. Jiigatake and the Museum. Partial funding for this project was obtained through a research grant from the College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University.
Literature Cited
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