African Black-Footed Penguins Avian Malaria

Ten captive-reared African black-footed penguins (Spheniscus demersus) from a large outdoor colony were monitored for avian malaria, using severa l diagnostic tests. One treatment regimen was evaluated. Thin smear blood eva luation enabled detection of seven parasitemias involving Plasmodium relictum a nd Plasmodium elongatum in the penguins. Leukocytosis (relative lymphocytosis) was characteristic of infected birds. P arasitemia was detected as early as 21 days prior to onset of clinical signs (depression, anorexia, regurgitation, pale mucous membranes, and respiratory distress). The single bird that died had clinica l signs only a few hours prior to its death. Trea tment consisted of 0.03 mg of primaquine phosphate base/ kg body weight, administered ora lly once daily for 3 days. Oral chloroquine phosphate thempy, given simultaneously, was administered in an initia l loading dose of 10 mg of chloroquine phosphate base/kg body weight: followed by doses of 5 mg/kg at 6, 18 and 24 hours after the ini tial chloroquine dose. This trea tment regimen prevented morta li ty and cleared parasites from the blood. R ecurrences of malaria occurred in two birds that had received this treatment,