A single fungal strain was the unexpected cause of a mass aspergillosis outbreak in the world’s largest and only flightless parrot
David J. Winter,
Bevan S. Weir,
Travis Glare,
Johanna Rhodes,
John Perrott,
Matthew C. Fisher,
Jason E. Stajich,
Andrew Digby,
Peter K. Dearden,
Murray P. Cox
Affiliations
David J. Winter
School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Genomics Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Bevan S. Weir
Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Auckland, New Zealand
Travis Glare
Department of Wine, Food & Molecular Bioscience, Lincoln University, Lincoln, New Zealand
Johanna Rhodes
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College School of Public Health, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2BX,UK
John Perrott
School of Environmental Science, Faculty of Health and Environmental Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Matthew C. Fisher
MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College School of Public Health, Imperial College London, South Kensington, London SW7 2BX,UK
Jason E. Stajich
Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
Andrew Digby
Kākāpō Recovery, Department of Conservation, Invercargill, New Zealand
Peter K. Dearden
Genomics Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Department of Biochemistry, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand; Corresponding author:
Murray P. Cox
School of Natural Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; Genomics Aotearoa, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
Summary: Kākāpō are a critically endangered species of parrots restricted to a few islands off the coast of New Zealand. Kākāpō are very closely monitored, especially during nesting seasons. In 2019, during a highly successful nesting season, an outbreak of aspergillosis affected 21 individuals and led to the deaths of 9, leaving a population of only 211 kākāpō. In monitoring this outbreak, cultures of aspergillus were grown, and genome sequenced. These sequences demonstrate that, very unusually for an aspergillus outbreak, a single strain of aspergillus caused the outbreak. This strain was found on two islands, but only one had an outbreak of aspergillosis; indicating that the strain was necessary, but not sufficient, to cause disease. Our analysis provides an understanding of the 2019 outbreak and provides potential ways to manage such events in the future.
