High prevalence of avian hematozoan parasite infection in wild owls in Chungbuk province of Korea (mid-South Korea)

Wild owls are widespread in Korea, even being common in urban areas due to the presence of hills or small mountains in and around the cities. This results in high levels of contact between owls and domestic animals. This study investigated the prevalence of avian hematozoan parasite infection in 2 common owl species in Chungbuk province of Republic of Korea for 3-year period: the Eurasian eagle owl (Bubo bubo) and the Brown hawk owl (Ninox scutulata). Peripheral blood smears taken from 56 wild owls were examined by microscopic examination and confirmed by molecular technique. Twenty (36%) of these samples tested positive for the Haemoproteus infection. The infection rate was higher in Brown hawk owls (50%) than in Eurasian eagle owls (33%). These results indicate that the wild owls may act as a reservoir for Haemoproteus infection in susceptible domestic birds.