Prevalence of pathogens in great white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) from the western cape, south africa

Abstract

Great White pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) breed in Africa, Europe and Asia from Greece to Vietnam. In Africa, the Western Cape is probably the only place in the world where pelican numbers have shown a sustained increase over the past few decades. Nothing is known regarding the prevalence of pathogens present in these populations. Therefore, 50 Great White Pelicans from Western Cape were tested for the presence of various bacteria and viruses by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). It was observed that 49 pelicans were positive for Mycoplasma spp., 22 for Salmonella spp. and 3 for NDV, making these a potential risk to domesticated avian species, as well as human beings. This information is to be considered while planning any expansion/control programme for this species.