Do Egyptian Geese (Alopochen aegyptiaca) carry Avian Malaria in Germany?

Abstract After expanding their range from the Netherlands to Germany, introduced Egyptian Geese ( Alopochen aegyptiaca , Tadornini) started to breed in Germany in 1981. Egyptian Geese are well-adapted to an aquatic lifestyle, which brings them into close contact with some of the vectors of avian malaria, such as biting insects in the order Diptera. As research on avian malaria in Anseriformes remains scarce in Europe, the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians in Egyptian Geese were analyzed in 62 blood samples taken from 14 adult and 48 juvenile birds in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany. Blood was collected during the annual capture of family groups. The samples were tested for Plasmodium , Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon using the nested PCR protocol developed by Hellgren et al. (2004). Surprisingly, none of the sampled geese tested positive for haemosporidian parasites, despite infections being observed in Egyptian Geese in their native range.