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Tchoumbou M, Harl J, Souaibou A, Iezhova T, Valkiūnas G. Molecular characterization of Haemoproteus enucleator with emphasis on the host and geographic distribution. Acta Trop 2024; 253:107154. [PMID: 38373526 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Haemoproteus species (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) are cosmopolitan and highly diverse blood parasites of birds that have been neglected in avian medicine. However, recent discoveries based on molecular diagnostic markers show that these pathogens often cause marked damage to various internal organs due to exo-erythrocytic development, sometimes resulting in severe and even lethal avian haemoproteosis, including cerebral pathologies. Molecular markers are essential for haemoproteosis diagnostics, but the data is limited, particularly for parasites transmitted in tropical ecosystems. This study combined microscopic and molecular approaches to characterize Haemoproteus enucleator morphologically and molecularly. Blood samples were collected from the African pygmy kingfisher Ispidina picta in Cameroon, and the parasite was identified using morphological characters of gametocytes. The analysis of partial cytochrome b sequences (cytb) identified a new Haemoproteus lineage (hISPIC03), which was linked to the morphospecies H. enucleator. Illustrations of blood stages were provided and the phylogenetic analysis showed that the new lineage clustered with five other closely related lineages belonging to the same morphospecies (hALCLEU01, hALCLEU02, hALCLEU03, hISPIC01, and hALCQUA01), with a maximum genetic distance between these lineages of 1.5 % (7 bp difference) in the 478 bp cytb sequences. DNA haplotype network was developed and identified geographic and host distribution of all lineages belonging to H. enucleator group. These lineages were almost exclusively detected in African kingfishers from Gabon, Cameroon, South Africa, and Botswana. This study developed the molecular characterization of H. enucleator and provides opportunities for diagnostics of this pathogen at all stages of its life cycle, which remains undescribed in all its closely related lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Tchoumbou
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania; Biodiversity Initiative, Houghton, MI, USA.
| | - Josef Harl
- Institute of Pathology, Department for Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Aladji Souaibou
- Vector Borne Parasitic & Infectious Diseases Laboratory of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit, University of Dschang, Cameroon
| | - Tatjana Iezhova
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Ernest HB, Tell LA, Bishop CA, González AM, Lumsdaine ER. Illuminating the Mysteries of the Smallest Birds: Hummingbird Population Health, Disease Ecology, and Genomics. Annu Rev Anim Biosci 2024; 12:161-185. [PMID: 38358836 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-animal-021022-044308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Hummingbirds share biologically distinctive traits: sustained hovering flight, the smallest bird body size, and high metabolic rates fueled partially by nectar feeding that provides pollination to plant species. Being insectivorous and sometimes serving as prey to larger birds, they fulfill additional important ecological roles. Hummingbird species evolved and radiated into nearly every habitat in the Americas, with a core of species diversity in South America. Population declines of some of their species are increasing their risk of extinction. Threats to population health and genetic diversity are just beginning to be identified, including diseases and hazards caused by humans. We review the disciplines of population health, disease ecology, and genomics as they relate to hummingbirds. We appraise knowledge gaps, causes of morbidity and mortality including disease, and threats to population viability. Finally, we highlight areas of research need and provide ideas for future studies aimed at facilitating hummingbird conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly B Ernest
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA;
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA; ,
| | - Lisa A Tell
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA; ,
| | - Christine A Bishop
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada; ,
| | - Ana M González
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Delta, British Columbia, Canada; ,
| | - Emily R Lumsdaine
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California, USA; ,
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Seidl CM, Ferreira FC, Parise KL, Paxton KL, Paxton EH, Atkinson CT, Fleischer RC, Foster JT, Marm Kilpatrick A. Linking avian malaria parasitemia estimates from quantitative PCR and microscopy reveals new infection patterns in Hawai'i. Int J Parasitol 2024; 54:123-130. [PMID: 37922977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites infect thousands of species and provide an exceptional system for studying host-pathogen dynamics, especially for multi-host pathogens. However, understanding these interactions requires an accurate assay of infection. Assessing Plasmodium infections using microscopy on blood smears often misses infections with low parasitemias (the fractions of cells infected), and biases in malaria prevalence estimates will differ among hosts that differ in mean parasitemias. We examined Plasmodium relictum infection and parasitemia using both microscopy of blood smears and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) on 299 samples from multiple bird species in Hawai'i and fit models to predict parasitemias from qPCR cycle threshold (Ct) values. We used these models to quantify the extent to which microscopy underestimated infection prevalence and to more accurately estimate infection patterns for each species for a large historical study done by microscopy. We found that most qPCR-positive wild-caught birds in Hawaii had low parasitemias (Ct scores ≥35), which were rarely detected by microscopy. The fraction of infections missed by microscopy differed substantially among eight species due to differences in species' parasitemia levels. Infection prevalence was likely 4-5-fold higher than previous microscopy estimates for three introduced species, including Zosterops japonicus, Hawaii's most abundant forest bird, which had low average parasitemias. In contrast, prevalence was likely only 1.5-2.3-fold higher than previous estimates for Himatione sanguinea and Chlorodrepanis virens, two native species with high average parasitemias. Our results indicate that relative patterns of infection among species differ substantially from those observed in previous microscopy studies, and that differences depend on variation in parasitemias among species. Although microscopy of blood smears is useful for estimating the frequency of different Plasmodium stages and host attributes, more sensitive quantitative methods, including qPCR, are needed to accurately estimate and compare infection prevalence among host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christa M Seidl
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA; Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA.
| | - Francisco C Ferreira
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA; Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Katy L Parise
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Kristina L Paxton
- Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Resource Management, Hawai'i National Park, HI, USA
| | - Eben H Paxton
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai'i National Park, HI. USA
| | - Carter T Atkinson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawai'i National Park, HI. USA
| | - Robert C Fleischer
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - A Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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La Chapelle M, Ruta M, Dunn JC. Bird species with wider geographical ranges have higher blood parasite diversity but not prevalence across the African-Eurasian flyway. Int J Parasitol 2023; 53:787-796. [PMID: 37467874 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Avian blood parasites, from the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, are predicted to alter their range and prevalence as global temperatures change, and host and vector ranges shift. Understanding large-scale patterns in the prevalence and diversity of avian malaria and malaria-like parasites is important due to an incomplete understanding of their effects in the wild, where studies suggest even light parasitaemia can potentially cause rapid mortality, especially in naïve populations. We conducted phylogenetically controlled analyses to test for differences in prevalence and lineage diversity of haemoparasite infection (for Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in and between resident and migratory species along the African-Eurasian flyway. To test whether migratory strategy or range size drives differences in parasite prevalence and diversity between resident and migrant species, we included three categories of resident species: Eurasian only (n = 36 species), African only (n = 41), and species resident on both continents (n = 17), alongside intercontinental migrants (n = 64), using a subset of data from the MalAvi database comprising 27,861 individual birds. We found that species resident on both continents had a higher overall parasite diversity than all other categories. Eurasian residents had lower Plasmodium diversity than all other groups, and both migrants and species resident on both continents had higher Haemoproteus diversity than both African and Eurasian residents. Leucocytozoon diversity did not differ between groups. Prevalence patterns were less clear, with marked differences between genera. Both Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon prevalence was higher in species resident on both continents and African residents than in migrants and Eurasian residents. Haemoproteus prevalence was lower in Eurasian residents than species resident on both continents. Our findings contrast with previous findings in the North-South American flyway, where long-distance migrants had higher parasite diversity than residents and short-distance migrants, although we found contrasting patterns for parasite diversity to those seen for parasite prevalence. Crucially, our results suggest that geographic range may be more important than migratory strategy in driving parasite diversity within species along the African-Palaearctic flyway. Our findings differ between the three parasite genera included in our analysis, suggesting that vector ecology may be important in determining these large-scale patterns. Our results add to our understanding of global patterns in parasite diversity and abundance, and highlight the need to better understand the influence of vector ecology to understand the drivers of infection risk and predict responses to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary La Chapelle
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Marcello Ruta
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK
| | - Jenny C Dunn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Green Lane, Lincoln LN6 7DL, UK.
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Vanstreels RET, Chagas CRF, Valkiūnas G, Dos Anjos CC, Parsons NJ, Roberts DG, Snyman A, Hurtado R, Kirchgatter K, Ludynia K, Pistorius PA. Haemoproteus jenniae (Haemoproteidae, Haemosporida) infects gulls ( Larus spp.) in South Africa, with redescription of Haemoproteus skuae. Parasitology 2023; 150:1286-1295. [PMID: 36951108 PMCID: PMC10941229 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202300029x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Haemoproteus spp. are dipteran-borne protozoa that infect erythrocytes and reticulo-endothelial cells of birds. These parasites are not usually transmitted between birds belonging to different orders. The suborder Lari (order Charadriiformes) comprises ~170 avian species, the majority of which are aquatic, including gulls, terns, auklets, murres and skuas, among others. In spite of the diversity of this avian group, there is limited known diversity of haemosporidian parasites, with only 4 recorded Haemoproteus morphospecies thus far. We examined the blood smears of 21 kelp gulls (Larus dominicanus) captured at a breeding colony in South Africa, as well as Haemoproteus-positive archival blood smears of 15 kelp gulls and 1 Hartlaub's gull (Larus hartlaubii) sampled while under care at seabird rehabilitation facilities in South Africa. Haemoproteus sp. infection was detected in 19% of wild-caught kelp gulls. All parasites from the gulls were morphologically identified as Haemoproteus jenniae, a species previously recorded in Lari birds at the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador), Rocas Atoll (Brazil) and Poland. Gene sequencing uncovered a new cytochrome b lineage, LARDOM01, which was closely related to the previously reported H. jenniae lineage CREFUR01. Additionally, we evaluated a hapantotype blood smear of Haemoproteus skuae, which had been described infecting a brown skua (Catharacta antarctica) in South Africa. We provide a redescription of H. skuae and discuss the morphological characters distinguishing it from H. jenniae. Further research is necessary to improve our knowledge about the host and geographic distribution, health effects and phylogeny of H. jenniae and H. skuae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralph E T Vanstreels
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
| | | | | | - Carolina C Dos Anjos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nola J Parsons
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David G Roberts
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Albert Snyman
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Renata Hurtado
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Katrin Ludynia
- Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB), Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Pierre A Pistorius
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU), Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa
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González-Olvera M, Hernandez-Colina A, Chantrey J, Allen S, Lopez J, Baylis M. A non-invasive feather-based methodology for the detection of blood parasites (Haemosporida). Sci Rep 2023; 13:16712. [PMID: 37794079 PMCID: PMC10550939 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43932-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood parasite (haemosporidian) infections are conventionally detected using blood samples; this implies capturing and handling birds to obtain them, which induces stress and causes pain. Feathers have blood vessels, and some blood could be preserved in the feather's shaft after moulting. We used feather DNA for detecting haemosporidians by PCR testing in diverse scenarios. First, haemosporidian DNA was detected in feathers from carcasses of infected birds, proving the feasibility of the approach. Storage temperature affected DNA recovery, with maximum retrieval and haemosporidian detection at the lowest temperature (- 20 °C). All feather types from infected birds kept at optimal conditions yielded haemosporidian DNA. Parasite detection by PCR was correlated with DNA yield, which was significantly higher in heavier birds, flight feathers, and more feathers per pool. Lastly, haemosporidians were detected employing feathers moulted from wild and captive birds to estimate infection prevalence. We show for the first time that using blood from feather shafts for haemosporidian detection can be an advantageous and less invasive alternative to blood sampling if feathers are optimally preserved. This method could contribute to uncovering haemosporidian infections in endangered and elusive birds, and it might facilitate routine screening in captive birds, thereby improving infection detection, prevention, and control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merit González-Olvera
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Ic2 Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Arturo Hernandez-Colina
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Ic2 Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK.
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK.
| | - Julian Chantrey
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Ic2 Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
| | - Simon Allen
- Gower Bird Hospital, Sandy Lane, Pennard, Swansea, SA3 2EW, UK
| | - Javier Lopez
- North of England Zoological Society (Chester Zoo), Caughall Road, Chester, CH2 1LH, UK
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Ic2 Liverpool Science Park, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool, L3 5RF, UK
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Rodríguez‐Hernández K, Álvarez‐Mendizábal P, Chapa‐Vargas L, Escobar F, Dáttilo W, Santiago‐Alarcon D. Infection intensity shapes specialization and beta diversity of haemosporidian–bird networks across elevations. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
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Chavarría X, Matta NE, Cadena-Ortíz H, Alarcón I, Bahamonde-Vinueza D, González AD, Bonaccorso E. Haemosporidian parasites in the ash-breasted Sierra finch ( Geospizopsis plebejus): insights from an Andean dry forest population. Parasitology 2022; 150:1-14. [PMID: 36345570 PMCID: PMC10090645 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporidian genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, responsible for avian malarial infections, are highly diverse and have a wide range of health effects and predictors, depending on the host and its environmental context. Here, we present, for the first time, detailed information on the identity, prevalence and parasitaemia of haemosporidians and other haemoparasites that infect the ash-breasted Sierra finch, Geospizopsis plebejus, in an Andean dry forest. We study the consequences of infection in the host body and health conditions and explore the environmental and intrinsic factors that influence infection status and parasitaemia. We conducted diagnoses by cytochrome b (cytb) sequencing and morphological identification, and estimated the levels of parasitaemia based on microscopy. We identified 6 cytb lineages infecting G. plebejus. Two of them were new lineages: Haemoproteus sp. GEPLE01 and GEPLE02. We also detected Haemoproteus sp. ZOCAP08, Haemoproteus sp. AMAVIR01, Plasmodium homopolare BAEBIC02 and Plasmodium cathemerium ZONCAP15. By microscopy, we detected Haemoproteus coatneyi, Haemoproteus erythrogravidus, P. homopolare and other unidentified species of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Babesia sp. and 1 microfilaria. We found no evidence of Leucocytozoon. Additionally, we detected several coinfections by sequencing and microscopy. The prevalence of haemosporidian infections was high (87.7%), and the mean parasitaemia was 61.65 infected cells per 10 000 erythrocytes examined. Prevalence and parasitaemia were higher for Haemoproteus than for Plasmodium. Haemoproteus sp. AMAVIR01 showed the highest prevalence (43.1%) and mean parasitaemia (94.39/10 000 erythrocytes) and might be associated with H. coatneyi. Immature individuals showed a lower prevalence than adults, supporting previous findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Chavarría
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto Biósfera y Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Nubia E. Matta
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Héctor Cadena-Ortíz
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito EC170301, Ecuador
| | - Ibeth Alarcón
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito EC170301, Ecuador
- Universidad Central del Ecuador, Av. Universitaria, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Daniela Bahamonde-Vinueza
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito EC170301, Ecuador
| | - Angie D. González
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Elisa Bonaccorso
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto Biósfera y Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Machala y Sabanilla, Quito EC170301, Ecuador
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First Report of Blood Parasites in Black-Capped Sparrow (Arremon abeillei) from Neotropical Dry Deciduous Forest. J Wildl Dis 2022; 58:892-896. [PMID: 35951027 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Avian haemosporidian parasites (Order: Haemosporida) are a diverse group of microorganisms that spend part of their life cycle in the erythrocytes of avian hosts. Parasite presence has been confirmed in all Ecuadorian regions, but some ecosystems, such as the deciduous dry forest of the Coastal region, have not been evaluated for parasite presence. Data on presence or absence, and prevalence, of haemosporidian blood parasites were obtained from avian blood samples collected in two different dry deciduous forests in Guayaquil, Ecuador: Bosque Protector Prosperina and Área Nacional de Recreación Parque Lago. Mist netting was performed between December 2018 and September 2019; blood smears were prepared from blood taken from 35 individuals of 20 bird species and all samples were analyzed by optical microscope observation. Most species showed no evidence of parasite infection, but haemosporidia were found on a blood smear obtained from a Black-capped Sparrow, Arremon abeillei (Passerelleidae), confirming this species as a newly discovered host of blood parasites.
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Valkiūnas G, Iezhova TA. Keys to the avian Haemoproteus parasites (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae). Malar J 2022; 21:269. [PMID: 36123731 PMCID: PMC9487097 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04235-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Haemoproteus is a sister genus to malaria parasites (Plasmodium), which both belong to the order Haemosporida (Apicomplexa). Parasites of both genera are flourishing in birds, however, Haemoproteus species are noticeably less investigated. This is unfortunate because knowledge about close relatives of malaria pathogens is important for better understanding the evolutionary origin and basic biological features of the entire group of haemosporidian infections. Moreover, recent findings show that Haemoproteus species can cause severe damage of various bird organs due to megalomeronts and other exo-erythrocytic stages. These haemosporidians are remarkably diverse, but remain neglected partly due to difficulties in species identification. Hundreds of Haemoproteus genetic lineages have been reported in birds, and numerous new lineages are found each year, but most remain unidentified to the species level. Numerous new Haemoproteus pathogens were described during the past 20 years. However, keys for their identification are absent. Identification of Haemoproteus species remains a difficult task and is an obstacle for better understanding of the distribution and epidemiology of these parasites. This study aimed to develop comprehensive keys for the identification of described avian Haemoproteus species using morphological features of their blood stages (gametocytes). METHODS Type and voucher preparations of avian Haemoproteus species were accessed in museums in Europe, Australia and the USA. Gametocytes of most described species were examined, and these data formed a background for this study. The data also were considered from published articles containing parasite species descriptions. The method of dichotomous keys was applied. The most difficult steps in the keys were accompanied with references to the corresponding parasite pictures. RESULTS In all, 201 published articles were included in this review. Morphological diagnostic features of gametocytes of all described Haemoproteus species were analysed and compared. Illustrated keys for identification of these parasite species were developed. Available information about the molecular characterization of Haemoproteus parasites was provided. CONCLUSION This review shows that 177 described species of avian Haemoproteus can be distinguished and identified in blood films using morphological characters of their gametocytes and host cells. These species were incorporated in the keys. Information about possible morphologically cryptic parasites was provided. Molecular markers are available for only 42% of the described Haemoproteus parasites, calling for researchers to fill this gap.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatjana A Iezhova
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 2100, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Mackenzie AM, Dudenhoeffer M, Bangoura B, Sehgal RNM, Tell LA, Godwin BL, Ernest HB. Prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians in a migratory high-elevation hummingbird in North America. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:769-773. [PMID: 35048210 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07407-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Hummingbirds (Trochilidae) are sensitive to environmental changes because of their extraordinary ecology, metabolism, and the highest red blood cell counts found in any vertebrate. These physiological attributes may render hummingbirds particularly susceptible to the effects of haemosporidian (blood parasite) infections. Much of the research on haemosporidians in hummingbirds has been conducted in South America; less is known about haemosporidian diversity and prevalence in North America. We sought to determine the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians in a high-elevation species, the Broad-tailed Hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus). Blood samples (N = 314) from 25 sites in Colorado and Wyoming were screened for haemosporidians using microscopy (n = 311) and PCR (n = 301). Both microscopy and sequencing diagnostic techniques detected haemosporidians in the same 5 hummingbirds, with an overall prevalence of 1.59%. Positive samples were sequenced at the cytochrome b gene and identified Haemoproteus archilochus and two Haemoproteus sp. not previously detected in North America. No parasites of the genera Plasmodium or Leucocytozoon were detected. Our study provides the first report of the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians in Broad-tailed Hummingbirds in the Rocky Mountains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne M Mackenzie
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Wildlife Genomics and Disease Ecology Laboratory, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Megan Dudenhoeffer
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Wildlife Genomics and Disease Ecology Laboratory, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Berit Bangoura
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Ravinder N M Sehgal
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lisa A Tell
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Braden L Godwin
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Wildlife Genomics and Disease Ecology Laboratory, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Holly B Ernest
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Wildlife Genomics and Disease Ecology Laboratory, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
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Duarte Moreno AN, Villamizar Escalante D, Rondón González F. Detección por PCR de Haemoproteus archilochus en Amazilia tzacatl (Trochilidae) en Colombia. ACTA BIOLÓGICA COLOMBIANA 2021. [DOI: 10.15446/abc.v27n1.89162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
La infección causada por haemosporidios en colibríes no ha sido estudiada en zonas agroforestales o urbanas de la vertiente occidental de la Cordillera Oriental de los Andes en el departamento de Santander, pese a existir evidencia de esta en otros grupos de aves. Con el fin de detectar e identificar los parásitos causales de infecciones por haemosporidios, se tomaron muestras de sangre de la vena yugular de colibríes en seis localidades. La presencia de infección se llevó a cabo por PCR y la identificación de los parásitos se hizo a partir de secuencias del gen mitocondrial Citocromo b (Cyt b). Se obtuvieron 86 muestras de sangre de 20 especies de colibríes. La prevalencia de infección en general fue del 43 % y en el 18 % de las muestras infectadas del colibrí Amazilia colirufa (Amazilia tzacatl) se identificaron secuencias de Haemoproteus archilochus correspondientes al linaje HUMHA4. Se reporta por primera vez para Colombia la presencia de H. archilochus en A. tzacatl, por medio de técnicas de biología molecular. Este parásito podría estar implicado en la haemoproteosis de colibríes en el país.
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13
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Galvin AN, Bradshaw AC, Myers BM, Tell LA, Ernest HB, Sehgal RNM. LOW PREVALENCE OF HAEMOSPORIDIANS IN BLOOD AND TISSUE SAMPLES FROM HUMMINGBIRDS. J Parasitol 2021; 107:794-798. [PMID: 34643697 DOI: 10.1645/20-168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Hummingbirds are vital members of terrestrial ecosystems, and because of their high metabolic requirements, they serve as indicators of ecosystem health. Monitoring the parasitic infections of hummingbirds is thus especially important. Haemosporidians, a widespread group of avian blood parasites, are known to infect hummingbirds, but little is known about the prevalence and diversity of these parasites in hummingbirds. The prevalence of haemosporidians in several hummingbird species was examined and we compared 4 different tissue types in detecting parasites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Blood samples from 339 individuals of 3 different hummingbird species were tested, and 4 individuals were found positive for haemosporidian infection, a prevalence of 1.2%. Hummingbird carcasses (n = 70) from 5 different hummingbird species were also sampled to assess differences in detection success of haemosporidians in heart, kidney, liver, and pectoral muscle tissue samples. Detection success was similar among tissue types, with haemosporidian prevalence of 9.96% in heart tissue, 9.52% in kidney tissue, 10.76% in liver tissue, and 11.76% in pectoral muscle tissue. All tissue samples positive for haemosporidian infection were from the Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri). Possible reasons for low prevalence of these blood parasites could include low susceptibility to insect vectors or parasite incompatibility in these hummingbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- A N Galvin
- Department of Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132
| | - A C Bradshaw
- Department of Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132
| | - B M Myers
- California State Polytechnic University Pomona, 3801 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, California 91768
| | - L A Tell
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, 1 Shields Avenue, University of California, Davis, California 95616
| | - H B Ernest
- Wildlife Genomics and Disease Ecology Laboratory, Department of Veterinary Sciences and Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming 82071
| | - R N M Sehgal
- Department of Biology, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, California 94132
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14
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Assessment of Associations between Malaria Parasites and Avian Hosts-A Combination of Classic System and Modern Molecular Approach. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10070636. [PMID: 34356491 PMCID: PMC8301060 DOI: 10.3390/biology10070636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Throughout history, frequent outbreaks of diseases in humans have occurred following transmission from animals. While some diseases can jump between birds and mammals, others are stuck to closely related species. Understanding the mechanisms of host–parasite associations will enable us to predict the outbreaks of diseases and will therefore be important to society and ecological health. For decades, scientists have attempted to reveal how host–parasite associations are formed and persist. The key is to assess the ability of the parasite to infect and reproduce within the host without killing the host. Related studies have faced numerous challenges, but technical advances are providing solutions and are gradually broadening our understanding. In this review, I use bird malaria and related blood parasites as a model system and summarize the important advances in techniques and perspectives and how they provide new approaches for understanding the evolution of host–parasite associations to further predict disease outbreaks. Abstract Avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites are responsible for fitness loss and mortality in susceptible bird species. This group of globally distributed parasites has long been used as a classical system for investigating host–parasite associations. The association between a parasite and its hosts can be assessed by the prevalence in the host population and infection intensity in a host individual, which, respectively, reflect the ability of the parasite to infect the host and reproduce within the host. However, the latter has long been poorly investigated due to numerous challenges, such as lack of general molecular markers and limited sensitivity of traditional methods, especially when analysing naturally infected birds. The recent development of genetic databases, together with novel molecular methodologies, has shed light on this long-standing problem. Real-time quantitative PCR has enabled more accurate quantification of avian haemosporidian parasites, and digital droplet PCR further improved experimental sensitivity and repeatability of quantification. In recent decades, parallel studies have been carried out all over the world, providing great opportunities for exploring the adaptation of haemosporidian parasites to different hosts and the variations across time and space, and further investigating the coevolutionary history between parasites and their hosts. I hereby review the most important milestones in diagnosis techniques of avian haemosporidian parasites and illustrate how they provide new insights for understanding host–parasite associations.
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15
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Valkiūnas G, Ilgūnas M, Bukauskaitė D, Duc M, Iezhova TA. Description of Haemoproteus asymmetricus n. sp. (Haemoproteidae), with remarks on predictability of the DNA haplotype networks in haemosporidian parasite taxonomy research. Acta Trop 2021; 218:105905. [PMID: 33775628 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Haemoproteus species (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) are cosmopolitan blood parasites, which have been neglected for over 100-years, but attracted attention recently due to reports of severe and even lethal haemoproteosis in birds and vectors. Approximately 150 species of avian Haemoproteus have been described and named, but molecular data suggest that hundreds of independently evolving molecular lineages might occur, indicating the existence of a remarkable undescribed species diversity. It is timely to develop a methodology, which allow the application of available genetic data in taxonomy of haemosporidians on species levels. This study aimed to test a hypothesis suggesting that DNA haplotype networks might aid in targeting genetically distinct, but still undescribed parasites, and might be used to direct taxonomic studies on haemosporidian species levels. Mainly, we tested a prediction that the lineage hTUPHI01, a common Haemoproteus parasite of Turdus philomelos, might be a new species, which is morphologically similar and genetically closely related to the parasites of Haemoproteus minutus group. Blood samples of T. philomelos naturally infected with this parasite lineage were collected and studied using microscopic examination of blood films and PCR-based methods. Haemoproteus asymmetricus n. sp. was found in this bird, described and characterised molecularly using partial cytochrome b (cytb) sequences. The new species shared some features with parasites of the H. minutus group, as was predicted by the DNA haplotype network. Due to the visualisation of closely related lineages as well as the evaluation of their host and geographic distributions, DNA haplotype networks can be recommended as the helpful methodology, able to direct and speed practical work on parasite species taxonomy and pathogen biodiversity. The combined molecular phylogenetic and morphological approaches showed that the well-supported clades in Bayesian phylogenetic trees based on the partial cytb gene sequences contain morphologically remarkably different Haemoproteus parasite species, which however, share some basic biological features. Phylogenetic analysis can be used for prediction of these basic features in still undescribed parasites. This study calls for further fusion of advanced molecular and microscopy approaches for better understanding haemosporidian parasite biology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mikas Ilgūnas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania
| | | | - Mélanie Duc
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius 08412, Lithuania
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16
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Abad CS, Tellkamp MP, Amaro IR, Spencer LM. Incidence of avian malaria in hummingbirds in humid premontane forests of Pichincha Province, Ecuador: A pilot study. Vet World 2021; 14:889-896. [PMID: 34083937 PMCID: PMC8167542 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.889-896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: Avian malaria is a tropical disease caused by protozoans of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. As a nonlethal disease, avian malaria can affect the lifespan and reproductive rate of birds. If there is a differential effect depending on bird species, then this disease might have a significant effect on avian biodiversity. The current study aimed to determine the incidence of Plasmodium in hummingbirds in humid premontane forest areas. Materials and Methods: Blood samples (n=60) were collected from hummingbirds from two areas (Santuario de Aves Milpe and Hacienda Puyucunapi) of Pichincha Province, Ecuador. Prevalence and parasitemia were determined by microscopic examination of blood smears stained with Giemsa reagent. Both study sites are part of a 1000 m elevational gradient; hence, elevation was used as a predictor variable for prevalence and parasitemia levels in a Mann–Whitney U-test. This test was also used to test for a sex bias. Results: This study reports on a total of 12 bird species that inhabit both study sites. At Milpe, the lower elevation site, a prevalence of 100% was recorded, whereas at Puyucunapi, the prevalence was 96%. The combined prevalence was 97%. Elevation and sex did not influence prevalence nor parasitemia in hummingbirds. Conclusion: This study does not suggest a significant elevation or sex bias on prevalence and parasitemia in hummingbirds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia S Abad
- Department of Biology, School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí, Ecuador
| | - Markus P Tellkamp
- Department of Biology, School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí, Ecuador
| | - Isidro R Amaro
- Department of Mathematics, School of Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí, Ecuador
| | - Lilian M Spencer
- Department of Biology, School of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Yachay Tech University, Urcuquí, Ecuador.,Department of Cell Biology, Simón Bolívar University, AP 89000 Caracas, Venezuela
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17
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Garcia-Longoria L, Muriel J, Magallanes S, Villa-Galarce ZH, Ricopa L, Inga-Díaz WG, Fong E, Vecco D, Guerra-SaldaÑa C, Salas-Rengifo T, Flores-Saavedra W, Espinoza K, Mendoza C, SaldaÑa B, González-Blázquez M, Gonzales-Pinedo H, Luján-Vega C, Del Águila CA, Vilca-Herrera Y, Pineda CA, Reategui C, Cárdenas-Callirgos JM, Iannacone JA, Mendoza JL, Sehgal RNM, Marzal A. Diversity and host assemblage of avian haemosporidians in different terrestrial ecoregions of Peru. Curr Zool 2021; 68:27-40. [PMID: 35169627 PMCID: PMC8836326 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Characterizing the diversity and structure of host–parasite communities is crucial to understanding their eco-evolutionary dynamics. Malaria and related haemosporidian parasites are responsible for fitness loss and mortality in bird species worldwide. However, despite exhibiting the greatest ornithological biodiversity, avian haemosporidians from Neotropical regions are quite unexplored. Here, we analyze the genetic diversity of bird haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) in 1,336 individuals belonging to 206 bird species to explore for differences in diversity of parasite lineages and bird species across 5 well-differentiated Peruvian ecoregions. We detected 70 different haemosporidian lineages infecting 74 bird species. We showed that 25 out of the 70 haplotypes had not been previously recorded. Moreover, we also identified 81 new host–parasite interactions representing new host records for these haemosporidian parasites. Our outcomes revealed that the effective diversity (as well as the richness, abundance, and Shannon–Weaver index) for both birds and parasite lineages was higher in Amazon basin ecoregions. Furthermore, we also showed that ecoregions with greater diversity of bird species also had high parasite richness, hence suggesting that host community is crucial in explaining parasite richness. Generalist parasites were found in ecoregions with lower bird diversity, implying that the abundance and richness of hosts may shape the exploitation strategy followed by haemosporidian parasites. These outcomes reveal that Neotropical region is a major reservoir of unidentified haemosporidian lineages. Further studies analyzing host distribution and specificity of these parasites in the tropics will provide important knowledge about phylogenetic relationships, phylogeography, and patterns of evolution and distribution of haemosporidian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz Garcia-Longoria
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz E-506071, Spain
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Jaime Muriel
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología—IPE (CSIC), Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria 16, Jaca 22700, Spain
| | - Sergio Magallanes
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz E-506071, Spain
| | - Zaira Hellen Villa-Galarce
- DIRESA, Dirección Regional de Salud, Loreto 16001, Peru
- Departamento Académico de Microbiología y Parasitología. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos 16001, Peru
| | - Leonila Ricopa
- Departamento Académico de Microbiología y Parasitología. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos 16001, Peru
| | | | - Esteban Fong
- EverGreen Institute—San Rafael, Distrito de Indiana, Loreto 16200, Peru
- Observatorio de Aves Loreto (LBO), Distrito de San Juan, Loreto 16008, Peru
| | - Daniel Vecco
- Centro Urku de Estudios Amazónicos, Tarapoto 22200, Peru
| | | | | | - Wendy Flores-Saavedra
- Sanidad Animal—Facultad de Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, Lima 15012, Peru
| | - Kathya Espinoza
- Laboratorio de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Cient쥩ca del Sur, Lima 15067, Peru
| | - Carlos Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Análisis Clínico Moraleslab SAC, Morales, San Martín 22201, Peru
| | - Blanca SaldaÑa
- Laboratorio de Análisis Clínico Moraleslab SAC, Morales, San Martín 22201, Peru
| | - Manuel González-Blázquez
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz E-506071, Spain
| | | | - Charlene Luján-Vega
- Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, DA 95616, USA
| | | | - Yessica Vilca-Herrera
- Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima 15081, Perú
| | - Carlos Alberto Pineda
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizan, Huánuco, 10160, Peru
| | - Carmen Reategui
- Departamento Académico de Microbiología y Parasitología. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana, Iquitos 16001, Peru
| | | | - José Alberto Iannacone
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Biodiversidad Animal, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, El Agustino, Lima 15007, Peru
- Laboratorio de Invertebrados, Universidad Ricardo Palma—Santiago de Surco, Lima 15537, Peru
| | - Jorge Luis Mendoza
- Laboratorio de Ecología y Biodiversidad Animal, Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal, El Agustino, Lima 15007, Peru
| | - Ravinder N M Sehgal
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz E-506071, Spain
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18
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Barrow LN, Bauernfeind SM, Cruz PA, Williamson JL, Wiley DL, Ford JE, Baumann MJ, Brady SS, Chavez AN, Gadek CR, Galen SC, Johnson AB, Mapel XM, Marroquin-Flores RA, Martinez TE, McCullough JM, McLaughlin JE, Witt CC. Detecting turnover among complex communities using null models: a case study with sky-island haemosporidian parasites. Oecologia 2021; 195:435-451. [PMID: 33484348 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-04854-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Turnover in species composition between sites, or beta diversity, is a critical component of species diversity that is typically influenced by geography, environment, and biotic interactions. Quantifying turnover is particularly challenging, however, in multi-host, multi-parasite assemblages where undersampling is unavoidable, resulting in inflated estimates of turnover and uncertainty about its spatial scale. We developed and implemented a framework using null models to test for community turnover in avian haemosporidian communities of three sky islands in the southwestern United States. We screened 776 birds for haemosporidian parasites from three genera (Parahaemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon) by amplifying and sequencing a mitochondrial DNA barcode. We detected infections in 280 birds (36.1%), sequenced 357 infections, and found a total of 99 parasite haplotypes. When compared to communities simulated from a regional pool, we observed more unique, single-mountain haplotypes and fewer haplotypes shared among three mountain ranges than expected, indicating that haemosporidian communities differ to some degree among adjacent mountain ranges. These results were robust even after pruning datasets to include only identical sets of host species, and they were consistent for two of the three haemosporidian genera. The two more distant mountain ranges were more similar to each other than the one located centrally, suggesting that the differences we detected were due to stochastic colonization-extirpation dynamics. These results demonstrate that avian haemosporidian communities of temperate-zone forests differ on relatively fine spatial scales between adjacent sky islands. Null models are essential tools for testing the spatial scale of turnover in complex, undersampled, and poorly known systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa N Barrow
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Selina M Bauernfeind
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Paxton A Cruz
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jessie L Williamson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Daniele L Wiley
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - John E Ford
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Matthew J Baumann
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Serina S Brady
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Andrea N Chavez
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Bureau of Land Management, Rio Puerco District Office, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Chauncey R Gadek
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Spencer C Galen
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Biology Department, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, USA
| | - Andrew B Johnson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Xena M Mapel
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Rosario A Marroquin-Flores
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA
| | - Taylor E Martinez
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pharmacology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jenna M McCullough
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jade E McLaughlin
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Christopher C Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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19
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Anjos CC, Chagas CRF, Fecchio A, Schunck F, Costa-Nascimento MJ, Monteiro EF, Mathias BS, Bell JA, Guimarães LO, Comiche KJM, Valkiūnas G, Kirchgatter K. Avian Malaria and Related Parasites from Resident and Migratory Birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, with Description of a New Haemoproteus Species. Pathogens 2021; 10:103. [PMID: 33494428 PMCID: PMC7912314 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10020103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the prevalence and local transmission dynamics of parasitic organisms are necessary to understand the ability of parasites to persist in host populations and disperse across regions, yet local transmission dynamics, diversity, and distribution of haemosporidian parasites remain poorly understood. We studied the prevalence, diversity, and distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon among resident and migratory birds in Serra do Mar, Brazil. Using 399 blood samples from 66 Atlantic Forest bird species, we determined the prevalence and molecular diversity of these pathogens across avian host species and described a new species of Haemoproteus. Our molecular and morphological study also revealed that migratory species were infected more than residents. However, vector infective stages (gametocytes) of Leucocytozoon spp., the most prevalent parasites found in the most abundant migrating host species in Serra do Mar (Elaenia albiceps), were not seen in blood films of local birds suggesting that this long-distance Austral migrant can disperse Leucocytozoon parasite lineages from Patagonia to the Atlantic Forest, but lineage sharing among resident species and local transmission cannot occur in this part of Brazil. Our study demonstrates that migratory species may harbor a higher diversity and prevalence of parasites than resident species, but transportation of some parasites by migratory hosts may not always affect local transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina C. Anjos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | | | - Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá 78060-900, Brazil;
| | - Fabio Schunck
- Comitê Brasileiro de Registros Ornitológicos—CBRO, São Paulo 04785-040, SP, Brazil;
| | - Maria J. Costa-Nascimento
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil;
| | - Eliana F. Monteiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | - Bruno S. Mathias
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | - Jeffrey A. Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND 58202, USA;
| | - Lilian O. Guimarães
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000, SP, Brazil;
| | - Kiba J. M. Comiche
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
| | | | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil; (C.C.A.); (E.F.M.); (B.S.M.); (K.J.M.C.)
- Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, São Paulo 01027-000, SP, Brazil;
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20
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Bensch S, Inumaru M, Sato Y, Lee Cruz L, Cunningham AA, Goodman SJ, Levin II, Parker PG, Casanueva P, Hernández MA, Moreno-Rueda G, Rojo MA. Contaminations contaminate common databases. Mol Ecol Resour 2020; 21:355-362. [PMID: 33037786 PMCID: PMC7820996 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a very powerful method to detect and identify pathogens. The high sensitivity of the method, however, comes with a cost; any of the millions of artificial DNA copies generated by PCR can serve as a template in a following experiment. If not identified as contaminations, these may result in erroneous conclusions on the occurrence of the pathogen, thereby inflating estimates of host range and geographic distribution. In the present paper, we evaluate whether several published records of avian haemosporidian parasites, in either unusual host species or geographical regions, might stem from PCR contaminations rather than novel biological findings. The detailed descriptions of these cases are shedding light upon the steps in the work process that might lead to PCR contaminations. By increasing the awareness of this problem, it will aid in developing procedures that keep these to a minimum. The examples in the present paper are from haemosporidians of birds, however the problem of contaminations and suggested actions should apply generally to all kinds of PCR‐based identifications, not just of parasites and pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, MEEL, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mizue Inumaru
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Yukita Sato
- Laboratory of Biomedical Science, Department of Veterinary Medicine, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Larisa Lee Cruz
- Maison de la Télédétection, Montpellier, France.,School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Simon J Goodman
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Iris I Levin
- Department of Biology, Kenyon College, Gambier, OH, USA
| | - Patricia G Parker
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri -St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Patricia Casanueva
- Departamento de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes, Calle Padre Julio Chevalier, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Maria-Angeles Hernández
- Departamento de Biología Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | | | - Maria-Angeles Rojo
- Departamento de Ciencias Experimentales, Universidad Europea Miguel de Cervantes, Calle Padre Julio Chevalier, Valladolid, Spain
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21
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Carrera-Játiva PD, Morgan ER, Barrows M, Jiménez-Uzcátegui G, Tituaña JRA. Free-ranging avifauna as a source of generalist parasites for captive birds in zoological settings: An overview of parasite records and potential for cross-transmission. J Adv Vet Anim Res 2020; 7:482-500. [PMID: 33005675 PMCID: PMC7521809 DOI: 10.5455/javar.2020.g445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Captive birds in zoological settings often harbor parasites, but little information is available about the potential for free-ranging avifauna to act as a source of infection. This review summarizes the gastrointestinal parasites found in zoo birds globally and in seven common free-ranging avian species [mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula), common starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Eurasian jackdaw (Corvus monedula), house sparrow (Passer domesticus), European robin (Erithacus rubecula), and rock dove (Columba livia)] to identify the overlap and discuss the potential for cross-species transmission. Over 70 references were assessed, and papers spanned over 90 years from 1925 to 2019. A total of 60 studies from 1987 to 2019 met the eligibility criteria. All examined free-ranging avifauna harbored parasite species that were also reported in zoo birds, except for the European jackdaw. Parasites reported in captive and free-ranging birds include nematodes (Capillaria caudinflata, Dispharynx nasuta, Ornithostrongylus quadriradiatus, Strongyloides avium, Syngamus trachea, and Tetrameres fissispina), cestodes (Dicranotaenia coronula, Diorchis stefanskii, Fimbriaria fasciolaris, and Raillietina cesticillus, Sobolevicanthus gracilis), trematode (Echinostoma revolutum), and protozoa (Cryptosporidium baileyi). Although no study effectively proved cross-transmission either experimentally or by genetic analysis, these parasites demonstrate low host specificity and a high potential for parasite sharing. There is potential for parasite sharing whenever determinants such as host specificity, life cycle, and husbandry are favorable. More research should be carried out to describe parasites in both captive and free-ranging birds in zoological settings and the likelihood of cross-infection. Such information would contribute to evidence-based control measures, enhancing effective husbandry and preventive medicine protocols.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric R Morgan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
| | - Michelle Barrows
- Department of Veterinary Services and Conservation Medicine, Bristol Zoo Gardens, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | | | - Jorky Roosevelt Armijos Tituaña
- Carrera de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
- Facultad Agropecuaria y de Recursos Naturales Renovables, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
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22
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Deksne G, Davidson RK, Buchmann K, Kärssin A, Kirjušina M, Gavarāne I, Miller AL, Pálsdóttir GR, Robertson LJ, Mørk T, Oksanen A, Palinauskas V, Jokelainen P. Parasites in the changing world - Ten timely examples from the Nordic-Baltic region. Parasite Epidemiol Control 2020; 10:e00150. [PMID: 32435705 PMCID: PMC7232095 DOI: 10.1016/j.parepi.2020.e00150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The world is changing, and parasites adapt. The Nordic-Baltic region in northern Europe - including the Nordic countries Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and the Baltic States Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania - is facing new parasitological challenges due to changes in populations of parasites and their hosts and the spread of new parasites to the region due to climate change. Some changes can also be ascribed to increased awareness and detection. In this paper, we review and discuss a convenience selection of ten timely examples of recent observations that exemplify trends and challenges from different fields of parasitology, with particular focus on climate change and potential changes in epidemiology of pathogens in northern Europe. The examples illustrate how addressing parasitological challenges often requires both intersectoral and international collaboration, and how using both historical baseline data and modern methodologies are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gunita Deksne
- Institute of Food safety, Animal health and Environment “BIOR”, Lejupes Str. 3, Riga LV-1076, Latvia
- Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Jelgavas Str. 1, Riga LV-1004, Latvia
| | | | - Kurt Buchmann
- Laboratory of Aquatic Pathobiology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Stigbøjlen 7, DK-1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Age Kärssin
- Veterinary and Food Laboratory, Kreutzwaldi 30, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
- Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 62, 51006 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Muza Kirjušina
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Parādes Str. 1A, Daugavpils LV-5401, Latvia
| | - Inese Gavarāne
- Institute of Life Sciences and Technology, Daugavpils University, Parādes Str. 1A, Daugavpils LV-5401, Latvia
| | - Andrea L. Miller
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Department for Terrestrial Ecology, Postboks 5685 Sluppen, 7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Guðný Rut Pálsdóttir
- Institute for Experimental Pathology at Keldur, University of Iceland, Keldnavegur 3, IS-112 Reykjavík, Iceland
| | - Lucy J. Robertson
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Department of Food Safety and Infection Biology, Section for Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Parasitology Lab, Adamstuen Campus, Ullevålsveien 72, 0454 Oslo, Norway
| | - Torill Mørk
- Norwegian Veterinary Institute, Stakkevollvegen 23b, 9010 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Antti Oksanen
- Finnish Food Authority (FINPAR), Elektroniikkatie 3, 90590 Oulu, Finland
| | | | - Pikka Jokelainen
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Bacteria, Parasites & Fungi, Infectious Disease Preparedness, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, 2300 Copenhagen S, Denmark
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23
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De La Torre GM, Freitas FF, Fratoni RDO, Guaraldo ADC, Dutra DDA, Braga M, Manica LT. Hemoparasites and their relation to body condition and plumage coloration of the White-necked thrush (Turdus albicollis). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1769739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Massaccesi De La Torre
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ferneda Freitas
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
| | - Rafael De Oliveira Fratoni
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
| | - André De Camargo Guaraldo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Daniela De Angeli Dutra
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270 901, Brazil
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270 901, Brazil
| | - M. Braga
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, 31270 901, Brazil
| | - Lilian Tonelli Manica
- Laboratório de Ecologia Comportamental e Ornitologia, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba 81530 900, Brazil
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24
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Mena M, Valdebenito JO, Moreno L, Fuentes-Castillo D, Kinsella JM, Mironov S, Barrientos C, Cicchino A, González-Acuña D. Parasites of the Shiny Cowbird, Molothrus bonariensis, and the Austral Blackbird, Curaeus curaeus, (Passeriformes: Icteridae) in Chile. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 29:e021819. [PMID: 32609244 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Comparative studies of parasites in sympatric bird species have been generally scarce. Parasitic infection/transmission can be spread in a number of ways that suggests possible direct and indirect, horizontal transmission between avian hosts. In order to determine whether two sympatric icterids from Central and Southern Chile share their parasite fauna (ecto- and endoparasites), we examined parasites of 27 Shiny Cowbirds, Molothrus bonariensis, and 28 Austral Blackbirds, Curaeus curaeus, including individuals captured in the wild and carcasses. We found that Shiny Cowbirds were infected with the chewing lice Brueelia bonariensis, Philopterus sp. 1, the feather mites Amerodectes molothrus, Proctophyllodes spp. (species 1 and 2), and the helminths Mediorhynchus papillosus, Plagiorhynchus sp., Dispharynx nasuta and Tetrameres paucispina, while Austral Blackbirds had the chewing lice Myrsidea sp., Philopterus sp. 2, the feather mites Proctophyllodes sp. 3, Amerodectes sp., and three helminths: Anonchotaenia sp., Capillaria sp. and M. papillosus. The flea Dasypsyllus (Neornipsyllus) cteniopus was found only on the Austral Blackbird. The only parasite species shared by both icterids was the acanthocephalan M. papillosus, possibly due to their feeding on the same intermediate insect hosts. With the exception of B. bonariensis and Philopterus sp. 1 found on the Shiny Cowbird, all species reported in this study represent new parasite-host associations and new records of parasite diversity in Chile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mabel Mena
- Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | | | - Lucila Moreno
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Oceanográficas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Danny Fuentes-Castillo
- Laboratório de Patologia Comparada de Animais Selvagens, Departamento de Patologia Experimental e Comparada, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo - USP, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Sergey Mironov
- Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya Embankment 1, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Carlos Barrientos
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción, Chile
| | | | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
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25
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Groff TC, Lorenz TJ, Crespo R, Iezhova T, Valkiūnas G, Sehgal RN. Haemoproteosis lethality in a woodpecker, with molecular and morphological characterization of Haemoproteus velans (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 10:93-100. [PMID: 31417845 PMCID: PMC6690637 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
A juvenile White-headed woodpecker (Dryobates albolarvatus) fitted with a radio tag was located dead at approximately 22-days post-fledging in Yakima county in central Washington in July 2015. Postmortem examination revealed an enlarged liver and spleen plus evidence of iron sequestration. Microscopic examination observed young gametocytes within the cytoplasm of erythrocytes, and exo-erythrocytic meronts within the cytoplasm of capillary endothelial cells, hepatocytes, and myocytes, and free in the tissues. These attributes implicated a haemosporidian infection that likely resulted in mortality. Subsequent sampling results of local woodpecker species in the same area during the breeding season in June-July 2016 and May-July 2017 showed other individuals infected with Haemoproteus parasites. Nested Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), sequencing, and microscopic analyses for avian haemosporidians revealed infections with Haemoproteus velans (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae). This parasite was characterized molecularly and morphologically. This is the first report of a haemosporidian infection in a White-headed woodpecker anywhere in its range, and the first reported suspected mortality from haemoproteosis for a woodpecker (Piciformes, Picidae). The use of radio-tagged birds is an asset in wildlife haemosporidian studies because the effect of the pathogen can be monitored in real time. Additionally, this methodology provides opportunities to collect fresh material for microscopic and histological examination from wild birds that have died from natural causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tierra C. Groff
- San Francisco State University, Biology Department, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94312, USA
| | - Teresa J. Lorenz
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave SW, Olympia, WA, 98512, USA
| | - Rocio Crespo
- North Carolina State, College of Veterinary Medicine, 1060 William Moore Dr, Raleigh, NC, 27607, USA
| | - Tatjana Iezhova
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Gediminas Valkiūnas
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos Str. 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Ravinder N.M. Sehgal
- San Francisco State University, Biology Department, 1600 Holloway Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94312, USA
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26
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Galen SC, Speer KA, Perkins SL. Evolutionary lability of host associations promotes phylogenetic overdispersion of co‐infecting blood parasites. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1936-1949. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Spencer C. Galen
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Kelly A. Speer
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
- Richard Gilder Graduate School American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
| | - Susan L. Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History New York NY USA
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27
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Lotta IA, Valkiūnas G, Pacheco MA, Escalante AA, Hernández SR, Matta NE. Disentangling Leucocytozoon parasite diversity in the neotropics: Descriptions of two new species and shortcomings of molecular diagnostics for leucocytozoids. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 9:159-173. [PMID: 31193389 PMCID: PMC6526250 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Avian communities from South America harbor an extraordinary diversity of Leucocytozoon species (Haemosporida, Leucocytozoidae). Here, of 890 birds sampled, 10 (1.2%) were infected with Leucocytozoon parasites. Among them, two new species were discovered and described. Leucocytozoon grallariae sp. nov. and Leucocytozoon neotropicalis sp. nov. were found in non-migratory highland passeriforms belonging to the Grallaridae and Cotingidae, respectively. They both possess gametocytes in fusiform host cells. However, due to combining microscopic examination and molecular detection, it was revealed that these parasites were present in co-infections with other Leucocytozoon species, which gametocytes develop in roundish host cells, therefore exhibiting two highly distant parasite lineages isolated from the same samples. Remarkably, the lineages obtained by cloning the mtDNA genomes were not captured by the classic nested PCR, which amplifies a short fragment of cytochrome b gene. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the lineages obtained by the classic nested PCR clustered with parasites possessing gametocytes in roundish host cells, while the lineages obtained by the mtDNA genome PCR protocol were closely related to Leucocytozoon parasites possessing gametocytes in fusiform host cells. These findings suggest problems with the sensitivity of the molecular protocols commonly used to detect Leucocytozoon species. A detailed analysis of the primers used in the classic nested PCR revealed a match with DNA sequences from those parasites that possess gametocytes in roundish host cells (i.e., Leucocytozoon fringillinarum), while they differ with the orthologous regions in the mtDNA genomes isolated from the samples containing the two new species. Since these are mixed infections, none of the lineages detected in this study can be assigned accurately to the new Leucocytozoon morphospecies that develops in fusiform host cells. However, phylogenetic analyses allowed us to hypothesize their most probable associations. This study highlights the need for developing detection methods to assess the diversity of Leucocytozoon parasites accurately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid A. Lotta
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
| | - Gediminas Valkiūnas
- Institute of Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, Vilnius-21, LT, 08412, Lithuania
| | - M. Andreína Pacheco
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ananías A. Escalante
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine (iGEM), Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sandra Rocío Hernández
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
- Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
| | - Nubia E. Matta
- Universidad Nacional de Colombia - Sede Bogotá- Facultad de Ciencias - Departamento de Biología - Grupo de Investigación Caracterización Genética e Inmunología, Carrera 30 No. 45-03, Bogotá, 111321, Colombia
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28
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Ilgūnas M, Bukauskaitė D, Palinauskas V, Iezhova T, Fragner K, Platonova E, Weissenböck H, Valkiūnas G. Patterns of Plasmodium homocircumflexum virulence in experimentally infected passerine birds. Malar J 2019; 18:174. [PMID: 31113429 PMCID: PMC6528185 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2810-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Avian malaria parasites (genus Plasmodium) are cosmopolitan and some species cause severe pathologies or even mortality in birds, yet their virulence remains fragmentally investigated. Understanding mechanisms and patterns of virulence during avian Plasmodium infections is crucial as these pathogens can severely affect bird populations in the wild and cause mortality in captive individuals. The goal of this study was to investigate the pathologies caused by the recently discovered malaria parasite Plasmodium homocircumflexum (lineage pCOLL4) in four species of European passeriform birds. METHODS One cryopreserved P. homocircumflexum strain was multiplied and used for experimental infections. House sparrows (Passer domesticus), common chaffinches (Fringilla coelebs), common crossbills (Loxia curvirostra) and common starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were exposed by subinoculation of infected blood. Experimental and control groups (8 individuals in each) were observed for over 1 month. Parasitaemia, haematocrit value and body mass were monitored. At the end of the experiment, samples of internal organs were collected and examined using histological and chromogenic in situ hybridization methods. RESULTS All exposed birds were susceptible, with similar average prepatent period and maximum parasitaemia, yet virulence was different in different bird species. Mortality due to malaria was reported in chaffinches, house sparrows and crossbills (7, 5 and 3 individuals died respectively), but not in starlings. Exoerythrocytic meronts (phanerozoites) were observed in the brain of all dead experimental birds. Blockage of blood vessels in the brain led to cerebral ischaemia, invariably causing brain damage, which is likely the main reason of mortality. Phanerozoites were observed in parenchymal organs, heart and muscles of all infected individuals, except starlings. CONCLUSION This study shows that P. homocircumflexum is generalist and the same lineage caused similar parasitaemia-related pathologies in different host species. Additionally, the mode of exo-erythrocytic development is different in different birds, resulting in different mortality rates. This should be taken into consideration in studies addressing pathology during avian malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikas Ilgūnas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | | | | | - Tatjana Iezhova
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Karin Fragner
- Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Elena Platonova
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, 08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Herbert Weissenböck
- Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
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29
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Ecology, not distance, explains community composition in parasites of sky-island Audubon’s Warblers. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:437-448. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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30
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Gangoso L, Gutiérrez-López R, Martínez-de la Puente J, Figuerola J. Louse flies of Eleonora's falcons that also feed on their prey are evolutionary dead-end hosts for blood parasites. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:1812-1825. [PMID: 30710395 PMCID: PMC6850589 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Host shifts are widespread among avian haemosporidians, although the success of transmission depends upon parasite‐host and parasite‐vector compatibility. Insular avifaunas are typically characterized by a low prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians, although the underlying ecological and evolutionary processes remain unclear. We investigated the parasite transmission network in an insular system formed by Eleonora's falcons (the avian host), louse flies that parasitize the falcons (the potential vector), and haemosporidians (the parasites). We found a great diversity of parasites in louse flies (16 Haemoproteus and 6 Plasmodium lineages) that did not match with lineages previously found infecting adult falcons (only one shared lineage). Because Eleonora's falcon feeds on migratory passerines hunted over the ocean, we sampled falcon kills in search of the origin of parasites found in louse flies. Surprisingly, louse flies shared 10 of the 18 different parasite lineages infecting falcon kills. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that all lineages found in louse flies (including five new lineages) corresponded to Haemoproteus and Plasmodium parasites infecting Passeriformes. We found molecular evidence of louse flies feeding on passerines hunted by falcons. The lack of infection in nestlings and the mismatch between the lineages isolated in adult falcons and louse flies suggest that despite louse flies’ contact with a diverse array of parasites, no successful transmission to Eleonora's falcon occurs. This could be due to the falcons’ resistance to infection, the inability of parasites to develop in these phylogenetically distant species, or the inability of haemosporidian lineages to complete their development in louse flies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Gangoso
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | | | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
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31
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Garcia-Longoria L, Marzal A, de Lope F, Garamszegi L. Host-parasite interaction explains variation in the prevalence of avian haemosporidians at the community level. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0205624. [PMID: 30840636 PMCID: PMC6402683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites are a selective force that shape host community structure and dynamics, but host communities can also influence parasitism. Understanding the dual nature from host-parasite interactions can be facilitated by quantifying the variation in parasite prevalence among host species and then comparing that variation to other ecological factors that are known to also shape host communities. Avian haemosporidian parasites (e.g. Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) are abundant and widespread representing an excellent model for the study of host-parasite interactions. Several geographic and environmental factors have been suggested to determine prevalence of avian haemosporidians in bird communities. However, it remains unknown whether host and parasite traits, represented by phylogenetic distances among species and degree of specialization in host-parasite relationships, can influence infection status. The aims of this study were to analyze factors affecting infection status in a bird community and to test whether the degree of parasite specialization on their hosts is determined by host traits. Our statistical analyses suggest that infection status is mainly determined by the interaction between host species and parasite lineages where tolerance and/or susceptibility to parasites plays an essential role. Additionally, we found that although some of the parasite lineages infected a low number of bird individuals, the species they infected were distantly related and therefore the parasites themselves should not be considered typical host specialists. Infection status was higher for generalist than for specialist parasites in some, but not all, host species. These results suggest that detected prevalence in a species mainly results from the interaction between host immune defences and parasite exploitation strategies wherein the result of an association between particular parasite lineages and particular host species is idiosyncratic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz Garcia-Longoria
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain)
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, Sweden
- * E-mail:
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain)
| | - Florentino de Lope
- Departamento de Anatomía, Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz (Spain)
| | - Laszlo Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, Seville, Spain
- MTA-ELTE, Theoretical Biology and Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, Department of Plant Systematics, Ecology and Theoretical Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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Hutchinson MC, Bramon Mora B, Pilosof S, Barner AK, Kéfi S, Thébault E, Jordano P, Stouffer DB. Seeing the forest for the trees: Putting multilayer networks to work for community ecology. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C. Hutchinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton University Princeton New Jersey
| | - Bernat Bramon Mora
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
| | - Shai Pilosof
- Department of Ecology & Evolution University of Chicago Chicago Illinois
| | - Allison K. Barner
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management University of California Berkeley Berkeley California
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- ISEM, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, IRD, EPHE Montpellier France
| | - Elisa Thébault
- CNRS, Sorbonne Université Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris Paris France
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Department of Integrative Ecology Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD‐CSIC) Seville Spain
| | - Daniel B. Stouffer
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Biological Sciences University of Canterbury Christchurch New Zealand
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Pedro R, Claudio N, Elena C, Claudio V. Low occurrence of hemosporidian parasites in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) in Chile. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:325-333. [PMID: 30448937 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Hemosporidian parasites rarely infect aquatic birds. Few studies have been conducted in South America identifying some lineages of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus, but none has been done in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus). This species is widely distributed through the American continent, from Southern USA to Tierra del Fuego, using a wide range of aquatic habitats. We molecularly studied the occurrence and diversity of hemosporidian lineages infecting individuals of Neotropic cormorant across a broad latitudinal gradient in Chile (Arica to Tierra del Fuego). As expected, a very low occurrence of individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. (4/123, 3.3%) and Leucocytozoon sp. (2/123, 1.6%) was detected. We found no evidence of Haemoproteus sp. We identified one lineage of Plasmodium (ZEMAC01) and one new lineage of Leucocytozoon (PHABRA01) infecting cormorants. Individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. were birds from only one site (i.e., Chillán), whereas Leucocytozoon sp. was found in one bird from Valdivia and another one from Tierra del Fuego. Our results expand the known range of hemosporidian parasite lineages in aquatic birds providing an essential baseline data that contribute to a better understanding of the geographic range of hemosporidian parasites infecting Phalacrocoracidae in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigues Pedro
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Navarrete Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Campos Elena
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Verdugo Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. .,Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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Huang X, Ellis VA, Jönsson J, Bensch S. Generalist haemosporidian parasites are better adapted to a subset of host species in a multiple host community. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:4336-4346. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xi Huang
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab; Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Vincenzo A. Ellis
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab; Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Jane Jönsson
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab; Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab; Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
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Valkiūnas G, Ilgūnas M, Bukauskaitė D, Fragner K, Weissenböck H, Atkinson CT, Iezhova TA. Characterization of Plasmodium relictum, a cosmopolitan agent of avian malaria. Malar J 2018; 17:184. [PMID: 29720195 PMCID: PMC5930738 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2325-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Microscopic research has shown that Plasmodium relictum is the most common agent of avian malaria. Recent molecular studies confirmed this conclusion and identified several mtDNA lineages, suggesting the existence of significant intra-species genetic variation or cryptic speciation. Most identified lineages have a broad range of hosts and geographical distribution. Here, a rare new lineage of P. relictum was reported and information about biological characters of different lineages of this pathogen was reviewed, suggesting issues for future research. Methods The new lineage pPHCOL01 was detected in Common chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita, and the parasite was passaged in domestic canaries Serinus canaria. Organs of infected birds were examined using histology and chromogenic in situ hybridization methods. Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, Zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata, Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus and European goldfinch Carduelis carduelis were exposed experimentally. Both Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood analyses identified the same phylogenetic relationships among different, closely-related lineages pSGS1, pGRW4, pGRW11, pLZFUS01, pPHCOL01 of P. relictum. Morphology of their blood stages was compared using fixed and stained blood smears, and biological properties of these parasites were reviewed. Results Common canary and European goldfinch were susceptible to the parasite pPHCOL01, and had markedly variable individual prepatent periods and light transient parasitaemia. Exo-erythrocytic and sporogonic stages were not seen. The Zebra finch and Budgerigar were resistant. Neither blood stages nor vector stages of all examined P. relictum lineages can be distinguished morphologically. Conclusion Within the huge spectrum of vertebrate hosts, mosquito vectors, and ecological conditions, different lineages of P. relictum exhibit indistinguishable, markedly variable morphological forms. Parasites of same lineages often develop differently in different bird species. Even more, the variation of biological properties (parasitaemia dynamics, blood pathology, prepatent period) in different isolates of the same lineage might be greater than the variation in different lineages during development in the same species of birds, indicating negligible taxonomic value of such features. Available lineage information is excellent for parasite diagnostics, but is limited in predictions about relationships in certain host-parasite associations. A combination of experiments, field observations, microscopic and molecular diagnostics is essential for understanding the role of different P. relictum lineages in bird health. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12936-018-2325-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mikas Ilgūnas
- Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | | | - Karin Fragner
- Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Weissenböck
- Institute of Pathology and Forensic Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carter T Atkinson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center, Hawaii National Park, HI, 96718, USA
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Pulgarín-R PC, Gómez JP, Robinson S, Ricklefs RE, Cadena CD. Host species, and not environment, predicts variation in blood parasite prevalence, distribution, and diversity along a humidity gradient in northern South America. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3800-3814. [PMID: 29721258 PMCID: PMC5916302 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors strongly influence the ecology and evolution of vector‐borne infectious diseases. However, our understanding of the influence of climatic variation on host–parasite interactions in tropical systems is rudimentary. We studied five species of birds and their haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) at 16 sampling sites to understand how environmental heterogeneity influences patterns of parasite prevalence, distribution, and diversity across a marked gradient in water availability in northern South America. We used molecular methods to screen for parasite infections and to identify parasite lineages. To characterize spatial heterogeneity in water availability, we used weather‐station and remotely sensed climate data. We estimated parasite prevalence while accounting for spatial autocorrelation, and used a model selection approach to determine the effect of variables related to water availability and host species on prevalence. The prevalence, distribution, and lineage diversity of haemosporidian parasites varied among localities and host species, but we found no support for the hypothesis that the prevalence and diversity of parasites increase with increasing water availability. Host species and host × climate interactions had stronger effects on infection prevalence, and parasite lineages were strongly associated with particular host species. Because climatic variables had little effect on the overall prevalence and lineage diversity of haemosporidian parasites across study sites, our results suggest that independent host–parasite dynamics may influence patterns in parasitism in environmentally heterogeneous landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo C Pulgarín-R
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá Colombia
| | - Juan P Gómez
- Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville FL USA.,Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville FL USA.,Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory Department of Geography Emerging Pathogens Institute University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Scott Robinson
- Florida Museum of Natural History University of Florida Gainesville FL USA.,Department of Biology University of Florida Gainesville FL USA
| | - Robert E Ricklefs
- Department of Biology University of Missouri-St. Louis St. Louis MO USA
| | - Carlos Daniel Cadena
- Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva de Vertebrados Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas Universidad de Los Andes Bogotá Colombia
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Molecular characterization of avian malaria in the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor). Parasitol Res 2018; 117:919-928. [PMID: 29327322 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5748-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
We studied the prevalence and genetic diversity of malaria parasites in the poorly investigated spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) breeding in central Spain, aiming to describe the phylogenetic relationships among them and with other haemosporidians infecting the genus Sturnus. A total of 180 nestlings and 180 adult individuals from four different breeding seasons were screened for haemosporidian parasites using a nested PCR approach for the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Although the malaria prevalence ranged between years, the overall prevalence was 6.94%. Adults had a higher prevalence than chicks: 12.77 vs. 1.11%, respectively. We molecularly characterized avian malaria isolated in peripheral blood samples taken from malaria-infected individuals. Sequence analyses revealed four unique Plasmodium lineages of avian malaria (STURUNI01, STURUNI02, SYAT05, SGS1) in our spotless starling population. The phylogenetic analysis showed a well-supported clade comprised by STURUNI01, STURUNI02, and SYAT05. The most common lineage (SYAT05) has been previously found in 26 other avian host species, including populations of spotless starling in Portugal. Because this sedentary species is widely distributed throughout the Iberian Peninsula, we suggest that the local transmission of these lineages might place migratory birds at infection risk.
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38
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Valkiūnas G, Pendl H, Olias P. New Haemoproteus parasite of parrots, with remarks on the virulence of haemoproteids in naive avian hosts. Acta Trop 2017; 176:256-262. [PMID: 28784421 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2017.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Haemoproteus infections can cause fatal disease in parrots (Psittaciformes), one of the most endangered groups of birds. The great diversity of parrots in tropical and subtropical ecosystems has been markedly understudied in terms of their parasite diversity. Only two psittacine Haemoproteus species have been described. Here we report a new Haemoproteus parasite, H. (Parahaemoproteus) homohandai n. sp. (lineage hARCHL01) found in erythrocytes of a Red-and-green macaw Ara chloropterus. We morphologically and genetically characterize the parasite based on a segment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, which can be used for identification and diagnosis of infection. This is the first Haemoproteus species described from South American parrots and the first genetically characterized psittacine Haemoproteus sp. Haemoproteus homohandai n. sp. can be readily distinguished from other haemoproteids by its growing circumnuclear and close to circumnuclear macrogametocytes, which are strictly associated with erythrocyte nuclei, but do not touch the erythrocyte envelope along their entire margin and do not fill erythrocytes up to their poles. Illustrations of growing and mature gametocytes of the new species are given, and a phylogenetic analysis identifies the position of this parasite lineage in relation to other Haemoproteus parasites. Importantly, H. homohandai n. sp. and all other Haemoproteus lineages reported from parrots cluster with species of the subgenus Parahaemoproteus, indicating the transmission by Culicoides biting midges.
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Jaramillo M, Rohrer S, Parker PG. From Galapagos doves to passerines: Spillover of Haemoproteus multipigmentatus. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2017; 6:155-161. [PMID: 28736699 PMCID: PMC5510524 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Haemoproteus (Haemoproteus) multipigmentatus, a haemosporidian parasite thought to be specific to columbiform birds, was detected in passeriform birds on Santiago Island in the Galapagos archipelago. We surveyed birds along an altitudinal gradient on the islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela and Santiago between June 2013 and July 2015. Molecular screening of 2254 individuals from 25 species of endemic and introduced birds revealed clusters of passerine birds positive for H. multipigmentatus on Santiago Island that coincide with captures of Galapagos doves at sampled sites. Of 507 individuals from 10 species of endemic passerines sampled on Santiago, 58 individuals from 6 species were found positive (11% prevalence). However, no gametocytes were found in the blood smears of positive passerines, suggesting that these species are not competent hosts for the parasite. All 31 doves captured were positive and gametocytes were found upon microscopic examination of all thin blood smears (averaging 357 gametocytes per 10,000 erythrocytes). These findings indicate parasite spillover from doves to passerines, but that passerines are possibly not competent hosts for further parasite transmission. The endemic Galapagos dove acts as a reservoir host for the introduced H. multipigmentatus, however the effect of this parasite on passerines has not been studied. We report on these findings because parasites can have large effects on individual host populations and on the ecology of a community, but may go undetected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricruz Jaramillo
- University of Missouri – St. Louis, Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121, United States
| | - Sage Rohrer
- University of Missouri – St. Louis, Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121, United States
| | - Patricia G. Parker
- University of Missouri – St. Louis, Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121, United States
- WildCare Institute, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Drive, St. Louis 63110, United States
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Environmental determinants of haemosporidian parasite prevalence in a declining population of Tree swallows. Parasitology 2017; 145:961-970. [PMID: 29166965 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017002128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The prevalence of vector-borne parasites such as haemosporidian species is influenced by several environmental factors. While the negative effects of parasitism on hosts are well documented, these can also be amplified by interactions with environmental stressors, many of which are anthropogenic. Yet, we know little about the possible effects of anthropogenic perturbations on parasite prevalence. The goals of this study were to assess the prevalence and environmental determinants of haemosporidian parasites in a declining population of Tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) living in an agricultural landscape in southern Québec, Canada. Overall, a low prevalence and a moderate lineage diversity were identified in both adults and nestlings, confirming that transmission can occur during the breeding period. Anthropic areas, extensive cultures (hayfields and pastures) and forest cover within 500 km of nest boxes, as well as daily temperature fluctuations, were all related to infection by haemosporidian parasites. These findings suggest that anthropogenic alterations of landscape composition can modulate the prevalence of haemosporidian parasites in Tree swallows. Our results represent a baseline for future comparative studies assessing haemosporidian parasite prevalence in human-modified landscapes.
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Tostes R, Dias RJP, de Oliveira L, Senra MVX, Massard CL, D'Agosto M. Molecular and Morphological Characterization of a Brazilian Lineage of Plasmodium ( Novyella) Unalis in Turdus Spp. (Passeriformes) of the Atlantic Forest, with Remarks on New Hosts and High Genetic Variation. J Parasitol 2017; 104:70-78. [PMID: 28930498 DOI: 10.1645/16-189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium spp. are haemosporidian protozoans that alternate their live cycles between bloodsucking Culicidae dipterans and vertebrate hosts (mammals, reptiles, and birds). In birds, these parasites are the causative agents of the so-called avian malaria, a disease associated with considerable declines and extinctions in the avifauna in different geographical regions. In this work, we applied a multidisciplinary approach, light microscopy and cytochrome oxidase b (cyt b) gene sequence analysis, for characterization of Plasmodium spp. found in association with wild birds of the genus Turdus, collected in Atlantic forest fragments of southeastern Brazil. From the total 90 analyzed birds, 58 (47 Turdus rufiventris, 9 Turdus leucomelas, 1 Turdus albicollis, and 1 Turdus flavipes) were positively infected with Plasmodium unalis, a haemosporidian that was previously detected in Turdus fuscater in Colombia and in penguins in Brazil, but has never been found in association with these Turdus species of this present work. Moreover, all 7 new sequences of P. unalis cyt b gene clustered into a monophyletic clade with previously characterized P. unalis sequences with a mean genetic divergence of 1.6% and with a maximum divergence of 3.1%, indicating for a high degree of intraspecific polymorphism within this parasitic species. Together, our data highlight the existence a high degree of intraspecific variation within P. unalis and highlight the importance of integrative taxonomy to an accurate identification and characterization of avian haemosporidian parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Tostes
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Roberto J P Dias
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Luísa de Oliveira
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcus V X Senra
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Carlos L Massard
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marta D'Agosto
- Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Instituto de Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Molecular characterization and distribution of Plasmodium matutinum, a common avian malaria parasite. Parasitology 2017; 144:1726-1735. [PMID: 28931453 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Species of Plasmodium (Plasmodiidae, Haemosporida) are widespread and cause malaria, which can be severe in avian hosts. Molecular markers are essential to detect and identify parasites, but still absent for many avian malaria and related haemosporidian species. Here, we provide first molecular characterization of Plasmodium matutinum, a common agent of avian malaria. This parasite was isolated from a naturally infected thrush nightingale Luscinia luscinia (Muscicapidae). Fragments of mitochondrial, apicoplast and nuclear genomes were obtained. Domestic canaries Serinus canaria were susceptible after inoculation of infected blood, and the long-lasting light parasitemia developed in two exposed birds. Clinical signs of illness were not reported. Illustrations of blood stages of P. matutinum (pLINN1) are given, and phylogenetic analysis identified the closely related avian Plasmodium species. The phylogeny based on partial cytochrome b (cyt b) sequences suggests that this parasite is most closely related to Plasmodium tejerai (cyt b lineage pSPMAG01), a common malaria parasite of American birds. Both these parasites belong to subgenus Haemamoeba, and their blood stages are similar morphologically, particularly due to marked vacuolization of the cytoplasm in growing erythrocytic meronts. Molecular data show that transmission of P. matutinum (pLINN1) occurs broadly in the Holarctic, and the parasite likely is of cosmopolitan distribution. Passeriform birds and Culex mosquitoes are common hosts. This study provides first molecular markers for detection of P. matutinum.
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Illera JC, López G, García-Padilla L, Moreno Á. Factors governing the prevalence and richness of avian haemosporidian communities within and between temperate mountains. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184587. [PMID: 28880919 PMCID: PMC5589241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mountains are well-suited systems to disentangle the factors driving distribution of parasites due to their heterogeneity of climatic and habitat conditions. However, the information about the relative importance of environmental factors governing the distribution of avian haemosporidians on temperate mountains is very limited. The main goal of the present study is to identify the factors determining prevalence and richness in avian haemosporidians (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) at the community level along elevational gradients on two mountain ranges located around the northern and southern limits of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). We used samples from 68 avian species and 1,460 breeding individuals caught over widespread woodland and open habitats. Our findings confirmed the importance of climatic variables explaining prevalence and richness on Iberian mountains. However, landscape variables and other factors named host richness and migration behaviour explained more variation than climatic ones. Plasmodium genus preferred open and warm habitats. Water sources were also important for the southern but not for the northern mountain. Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon showed affinities for woodland areas. Climatic conditions for Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were dependent on the mountain range suggesting some adaptation of avian haemosporidian and their invertebrate vectors to the climatic particularities of both mountain massifs. In contrast to Plasmodium and Haemoproteus genera, Leucocytozoon prevalence and richness values were significantly higher in the southern mountain range. Overall, our findings at the community level has enriched the relative weight and effect direction of environmental factors governing the distribution and prevalence of the avian haemosporidian community. Also, our results provide a caution message about the precision of predictive models on parasite distributions based on climatic variables, since such predictions could overestimate the effect of climate change scenarios on the transmission of the haemosporidians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity, Oviedo University, Mieres, Asturias, Spain
- * E-mail: ,
| | | | | | - Ángel Moreno
- Vice Council Environm, Serv. Environm. Impact, Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
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Marroquin-Flores RA, Williamson JL, Chavez AN, Bauernfeind SM, Baumann MJ, Gadek CR, Johnson AB, McCullough JM, Witt CC, Barrow LN. Diversity, abundance, and host relationships of avian malaria and related haemosporidians in New Mexico pine forests. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3700. [PMID: 28828279 PMCID: PMC5563434 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites (genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon) affect bird demography, species range limits, and community structure, yet they remain unsurveyed in most bird communities and populations. We conducted a community-level survey of these vector-transmitted parasites in New Mexico, USA, to describe their diversity, abundance, and host associations. We focused on the breeding-bird community in the transition zone between piñon-juniper woodland and ponderosa pine forests (elevational range: 2,150–2,460 m). We screened 186 birds representing 49 species using both standard PCR and microscopy techniques to detect infections of all three avian haemosporidian genera. We detected infections in 68 out of 186 birds (36.6%), the highest proportion of which were infected with Haemoproteus (20.9%), followed by Leucocytozoon (13.4%), then Plasmodium (8.0%). We sequenced mtDNA for 77 infections representing 43 haplotypes (25 Haemoproteus, 12 Leucocytozoon, 6 Plasmodium). When compared to all previously known haplotypes in the MalAvi and GenBank databases, 63% (27) of the haplotypes we recovered were novel. We found evidence for host specificity at the avian clade and species level, but this specificity was variable among parasite genera, in that Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were each restricted to three avian groups (out of six), while Plasmodium occurred in all groups except non-passerines. We found striking variation in infection rate among host species, with nearly universal infection among vireos and no infection among nuthatches. Using rarefaction and extrapolation, we estimated the total avian haemosporidian diversity to be 70 haplotypes (95% CI [43–98]); thus, we may have already sampled ∼60% of the diversity of avian haemosporidians in New Mexico pine forests. It is possible that future studies will find higher diversity in microhabitats or host species that are under-sampled or unsampled in the present study. Fortunately, this study is fully extendable via voucher specimens, frozen tissues, blood smears, parasite images, and documentation provided in open-access databases (MalAvi, GenBank, and ARCTOS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosario A Marroquin-Flores
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Jessie L Williamson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Andrea N Chavez
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America.,Bureau of Land Management Rio Puerco Field Office, Rio Puerco, NM, United States of America
| | - Selina M Bauernfeind
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Matthew J Baumann
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Chauncey R Gadek
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Andrew B Johnson
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Jenna M McCullough
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Christopher C Witt
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
| | - Lisa N Barrow
- Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of America
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Extremely low Plasmodium prevalence in wild plovers and coursers from Cape Verde and Madagascar. Malar J 2017; 16:243. [PMID: 28595600 PMCID: PMC5465530 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1892-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Relatively little is known about the prevalence of blood parasites in shorebirds, especially those breeding in the tropics. The prevalence of blood parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon was assessed in blood samples from Kentish plovers and cream-coloured coursers in Cape Verde, and samples of Kittlitz’s plovers, Madagascar plovers and white-fronted plovers in Madagascar. Results Only two of these samples were positive for Plasmodium: a Kittlitz’s plover was infected by a generalist lineage of Plasmodium that has already been reported in Europe and Africa, while in a white-fronted plover direct sequencing revealed a previously un-described Plasmodium lineage. Conclusion Potential explanations for the low prevalence of blood parasites include the scarcity of vectors in habitats used by these bird species and their resistance to parasitic infections.
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Bradshaw AC, Tell LA, Ernest HB, Bahan S, Carlson J, Sehgal RNM. Detection and prevalence of Haemoproteus archilochus (Haemosporida, Haemoproteidae) in two species of California hummingbirds. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:1879-1885. [PMID: 28534106 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5463-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporidian blood parasites are transmitted to a wide range of avian hosts via blood-sucking dipteran vectors. Microscopy has revealed an impressive diversity of avian haemosporidia with more than 250 species described. Moreover, PCR and subsequent sequence analyses have suggested a much greater diversity of haemosporidia than morphological analyses alone. Given the importance of these parasites, very few studies have focused on the charismatic hummingbirds. To date, three Haemoproteus species (Haemoproteus archilochus, Haemoproteus trochili, and Haemoproteus witti) and one Leucocytozoon species (Leucocytozoon quynzae) have been described in blood samples taken from hummingbirds (Trochilidae). Unconfirmed Plasmodium lineages have also been detected in hummingbirds. Here, we report the detection of H. archilochus in two hummingbird species (Calypte anna and Archilochus alexandri) sampled in Northern California and perform a phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene lineages. A total of 261 hummingbirds (157 C. anna, 104 A. alexandri) were sampled and screened for blood parasites using PCR and microscopy techniques. Combining both methods, 4 (2.55%) haemosporidian infections were detected in C. anna and 18 (17.31%) haemosporidian infections were detected in A. alexandri. Molecular analyses revealed four distinct H. archilocus cyt b lineages, which clustered as a monophyletic clade. No species of Plasmodium or Leucocytozoon were detected in this study, raising the possibility of specific vector associations with hummingbirds. These results provide resources for future studies of haemosporidian prevalence, diversity, and pathogenicity in California hummingbird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Bradshaw
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - L A Tell
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
| | - H B Ernest
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - S Bahan
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
| | - J Carlson
- Department of Entomology, University of California at Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA
| | - R N M Sehgal
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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Chagas CRF, Valkiūnas G, de Oliveira Guimarães L, Monteiro EF, Guida FJV, Simões RF, Rodrigues PT, de Albuquerque Luna EJ, Kirchgatter K. Diversity and distribution of avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites in captive birds from a Brazilian megalopolis. Malar J 2017; 16:83. [PMID: 28212654 PMCID: PMC5316177 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1729-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of zoos in conservation programmes has increased significantly in last decades, and the health of captive animals is essential to guarantee success of such programmes. However, zoo birds suffer from parasitic infections, which often are caused by malaria parasites and related haemosporidians. Studies determining the occurrence and diversity of these parasites, aiming better understanding infection influence on fitness of captive birds, are limited. METHODS In 2011-2015, the prevalence and diversity of Plasmodium spp. and Haemoproteus spp. was examined in blood samples of 677 captive birds from the São Paulo Zoo, the largest zoo in Latin America. Molecular and microscopic diagnostic methods were used in parallel to detect and identify these infections. RESULTS The overall prevalence of haemosporidians was 12.6%. Parasites were mostly detected by the molecular diagnosis, indicating that many birds harbour subclinical or abortive infections. In this project, birds of 17 orders (almost half of all the orders currently accepted in taxonomy of birds), 29 families, and 122 species, were tested, detecting positive individuals in 27% of bird species. Birds from the Anatidae were the most prevalently infected (64.7% of all infected animals). In all, infections with parasites of the genus Plasmodium (overall prevalence 97.6%) predominated when compared to those of the genus Haemoproteus (2.4%). In total, 14 cytochrome b (cytb) lineages of Plasmodium spp. and 2 cytb lineages of Haemoproteus spp. were recorded. Eight lineages were new. One of the reported lineages was broad generalist while others were reported in single or a few species of birds. Molecular characterization of Haemoproteus ortalidum was developed. CONCLUSION This study shows that many species of birds are at risk in captivity. It is difficult to stop haemosporidian parasite transmission in zoos, but is possible to reduce the infection rate by treating the infected animals or/and while keeping them in facilities free from mosquitoes. Protocols of quarantine should be implemented whenever an animal is transferred between bird maintaining institutions. This is the first survey of haemosporidians in captive birds from different orders maintained in zoos. It is worth emphasizing the necessity of applying practices to control these parasites in management and husbandry of animals in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lilian de Oliveira Guimarães
- Malaria Research Center, Superintendence for Endemic Disease Control, São Paulo, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho, Aguiar 470, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Eliana Ferreira Monteiro
- Malaria Research Center, Superintendence for Endemic Disease Control, São Paulo, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho, Aguiar 470, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | | | - Roseli França Simões
- Malaria Research Center, Superintendence for Endemic Disease Control, São Paulo, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho, Aguiar 470, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Priscila Thihara Rodrigues
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil
| | - Expedito José de Albuquerque Luna
- Virology Laboratory, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar 470, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Malaria Research Center, Superintendence for Endemic Disease Control, São Paulo, Institute of Tropical Medicine, University of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho, Aguiar 470, São Paulo, SP, 05403-000, Brazil.
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Clark NJ, Wells K, Dimitrov D, Clegg SM. Co-infections and environmental conditions drive the distributions of blood parasites in wild birds. J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:1461-1470. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Clark
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast Qld 4111 Australia
- Natural Environments Program; Queensland Museum; Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research; P.O. Box 3300 South Brisbane Qld 4101 Australia
| | - Konstans Wells
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast Qld 4111 Australia
| | - Dimitar Dimitrov
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences; 2 Gagarin Street Sofia 1113 Bulgaria
| | - Sonya M. Clegg
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; School of Environment; Griffith University; Gold Coast Qld 4111 Australia
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology; University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS UK
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