110 Years of Avipoxvirus in the Galapagos Islands

Avipoxvirus, a disease introduced to the Galápagos Islands in the late 1890s, has been identified as a significant threat to endemic passerine birds, including finches and mockingbirds. This study analyzed 3,973 bird specimens collected between 1891 and 1906, revealing cutaneous lesions consistent with Avipoxvirus in 226 specimens (6.3%), with 21 of 59 tissue samples testing positive for the virus. The disease showed a nonrandom distribution, predominantly affecting islands inhabited by humans at the time of collection, suggesting human-mediated dispersal. Viral genotyping confirmed that 11 positive specimens matched contemporary canarypox variants, indicating the virus's long-term presence and ongoing impact on Galápagos bird populations.

Parker, P. G., Buckles, E. L., Farrington, H., Petren, K., Whiteman, N. K., Ricklefs, R. E., Bollmer, J. L., & Jiménez-Uzcátegui, G. (2011). 110 Years of Avipoxvirus in the Galapagos Islands. PLoS ONE, 6(1), e15989. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0015989