Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniela de Angeli Dutra, Nayara Belo, Erika M. Braga
Summary: South America provides an ideal location to study the influence of habitat on vector-borne parasites. Through analyzing wild bird data from the Brazilian Savanna and the Venezuelan Arid Zone, researchers found that different habitats affect the prevalence and genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites. Factors such as host diversity and environmental conditions contribute to the variation in parasite composition and prevalence.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katrina D. Keith, John P. Pistone, Tyler A. Campbell, Gary A. Voelker
Summary: Avian haemosporidian parasites in Texas, specifically Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Plasmodium, have been relatively understudied despite the large geographic area and diverse ecoregions. This study conducted in south Texas found different infection patterns and parasite community composition between adjacent ecoregions. The findings provide important insights into the prevalence and disease ecology of avian malaria in this area.
Article
Parasitology
Daniela Doussang, Nicole Sallaberry-Pincheira, Gustavo S. Cabanne, Dario A. Lijtmaer, Daniel Gonzalez-Acuna, Juliana A. Vianna
Summary: The study found that Haemoproteus has higher prevalence and diversity compared to Plasmodium, largely influenced by their avian hosts and environmental factors. Additionally, the prevalences of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium are positively correlated with host diversity, suggesting a possible amplification effect.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Federico Roldan-Zurabian, Maria Jose Ruiz-Lopez, Josue Martinez de la Puente, Jordi Figuerola, Hugh Drummond, Sergio Ancona
Summary: Haemosporidian parasites are rarely reported in seabirds, but this study found that a colony of blue-footed boobies in the Tropical North Pacific is likely free of these blood parasites. This may be due to unsuitable conditions for insect vectors in the breeding sites of the boobies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Staffan Bensch, Mizue Inumaru, Yukita Sato, Larisa Lee Cruz, Andrew A. Cunningham, Simon J. Goodman, Iris I. Levin, Patricia G. Parker, Patricia Casanueva, Maria-Angeles Hernandez, Gregorio Moreno-Rueda, Maria-Angeles Rojo
Summary: The PCR method is powerful but may lead to PCR contamination and erroneous conclusions. This paper evaluates cases of avian haemosporidian parasites to shed light on steps in the work process that could lead to PCR contaminations. Increasing awareness of the issue can aid in developing procedures to minimize these occurrences, which should be applicable to all PCR-based identifications.
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY RESOURCES
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juliana Tamayo-Quintero, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Miriam San-Jose, Catalina Gonzalez-Quevedo, Hector F. Rivera-Gutierrez
Summary: The study evaluates the effects of bird community on avian haemosporidians infections in a Neotropical region. The findings show that bird community dominance and richness do not significantly affect the prevalence and number of avian parasite infections, but they are related to the total number and expected richness of parasite lineages. This study contributes significantly to our understanding of blood parasite diversity in tropical birds within a relatively understudied region of South America.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Vajiheh Ghaemitalab, Omid Mirshamsi, Gediminas Valkiunas, Mansour Aliabadian
Summary: This study in South and Southeast Iran during the bird breeding seasons of 2017 and 2018 found that avian haemosporidians, including Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon, were prevalent with Haemoproteus lineages being the most common. The study also identified 19 new host records and 13 co-infections of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon parasites, indicating active local transmission in resident bird species.
Article
Zoology
Steffen Hahn, Martins Briedis, Christos Barboutis, Raffaella Schmid, Martin Schulze, Nina Seifert, Tibor Szep, Tamara Emmenegger
Summary: This study reveals that blood parasite infections are common in several western Palaearctic breeding populations of collared sand martins during the nonbreeding season in West Africa and the Lake Chad region. The specific parasite transmissions may mainly occur at host population-specific residences sites in Europe and Africa, likely facilitated by unsheltered roosting and high vulnerability to hematophagous insects. Rare cases of high parasitaemia during spring migration and breeding suggest relapses of chronic infection or primary infections before migration and breeding.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kazuhide Yahata, Melissa N. Hart, Heledd Davies, Masahito Asada, Samuel C. Wassmer, Thomas J. Templeton, Moritz Treeck, Robert W. Moon, Osamu Kaneko
Summary: Plasmodium merozoites, traditionally not known to undergo gliding motility, were discovered to possess this ability in vitro, which may be crucial for successful parasite invasion. The distinct merozoite motility profiles of human infective species, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi, suggest different invasion strategies. The development of a higher throughput assay to study genetic and pharmacological perturbations on merozoite motility provides a new avenue for research on treatments targeting blood stage invasion pathways.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose Roberto Rodrigues, Scott W. Roy, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal
Summary: Avian haemosporidian parasites can cause malaria-like symptoms and threaten bird species, and recently, new RNA viruses associated with these parasites have been discovered. Analysis of transcriptome data revealed the presence of two novel RNA viruses associated with different genera of avian haemosporidians.
Article
Biology
Michal Pasternak, Julie M. J. Verhoef, Wilson Wong, Tony Triglia, Michael J. Mlodzianoski, Niall Geoghegan, Cindy Evelyn, Ahmad Z. Wardak, Kelly Rogers, Alan F. Cowmarc
Summary: The RhopH complex is not formed during merozoite invasion. Clag3 is released directly into the host cell cytoplasm, while RhopH2 and RhopH3 are released into the nascent parasitophorous vacuole. Export of RhopH2 and RhopH3 from the parasitophorous vacuole into the infected erythrocyte cytoplasm enables assembly of the Clag3/RhopH2/RhopH3 complex and its incorporation into the host cell membrane concomitant with activation of nutrient uptake.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Barbara Martin-Maldonado, Aida Mencia-Gutierrez, Cristina Andreu-Vazquez, Rocio Fernandez, Natalia Pastor-Tiburon, Alberto Alvarado, Alicia Carrero, Aitor Fernandez-Novo, Fernando Esperon, Fernando Gonzalez
Summary: Parasitism is a common life strategy where the host and parasite establish a successful relationship. Most studies on wild birds show that those with blood parasites are usually asymptomatic due to host-parasite coevolution. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of blood parasites in nocturnal raptors and their effect on hematological parameters. The results showed a correlation between the presence of hemoparasites and health parameters, including blood parameters.
VETERINARY SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antoine Filion, Lucas Deschamps, Chris N. Niebuhr, Robert Poulin
Summary: Anthropogenic changes can have significant impacts on wild populations and contribute to the emergence of diseases, such as avian malaria, which threaten native bird species in New Zealand. Understanding the cascading effects of human modifications on fragile species is crucial for conservation efforts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yassamine Lazrek, Celia Florimond, Beatrice Volney, Manon Discours, Emilie Mosnier, Sandrine Houze, Stephane Pelleau, Lise Musset
Summary: Molecular detection methods show higher sensitivity and specificity for malaria diagnosis compared to microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests. A multiplex real-time PCR assay was implemented and validated in this study to detect and identify the five human malaria parasites according to ISO 15,189 requirements. The PCR method exhibited excellent sensitivity and specificity, with detection limits varying for each parasite species.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wenjie Xu, Xuan Zhang, Hualiang Chen, Jiaqi Zhang, Qiaoyi Lu, Wei Ruan, Xiaoxiao Wang
Summary: This study investigated the molecular marker distributions of k13, Pfcrt, and Pfmdr1 genes in Plasmodium falciparum parasites imported from central Africa to Zhejiang Province, China between 2016 and 2021. The results showed geographical and temporal variations in the polymorphisms of these genes. This data provides updated evidence for adjusting anti-malarial drug policies in central Africa and China.
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Foncha David Forfuet, Marie Paul Audrey Mayi, Jerome Fru-Cho, Cyril Kowo, Damian Nota Anong, Andongma Esack Fonda, Charlene Djomo, Timoleon Tchuinkam, Katherine K. Brisco, Ravinder Sehgal, Anthony John Cornel
Summary: This study investigated the biology of an afrotropical rainforest mosquito Eretmapodites and evaluated different trapping methods. The results showed that net traps, bamboo pots, and sweep nets are efficient in collecting high abundance of forest mosquitoes.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gianluca Lombardo, Nicola Rambaldi Migliore, Giulia Colombo, Marco Rosario Capodiferro, Giulio Formenti, Manuela Caprioli, Elisabetta Moroni, Leonardo Caporali, Hovirag Lancioni, Simona Secomandi, Guido Roberto Gallo, Alessandra Costanzo, Andrea Romano, Maria Garofalo, Cristina Cereda, Valerio Carelli, Lauren Gillespie, Yang Liu, Yosef Kiat, Alfonso Marzal, Cosme Lopez-Calderon, Javier Balbontin, Timothy A. Mousseau, Piotr Matyjasiak, Anders Pape Moller, Ornella Semino, Roberto Ambrosini, Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati, Diego Rubolini, Luca Ferretti, Alessandro Achilli, Luca Gianfranceschi, Anna Olivieri, Antonio Torroni
Summary: The study investigates the taxonomic status and geographical spread of the barn swallow by analyzing the sequence variation of mitochondrial genomes. It identifies subspecies-specific haplogroups and proposes a model for the worldwide spread of the species. The research also highlights the close link between the barn swallow, climate fluctuations, and human activities, suggesting its importance as an indicator for monitoring the impact of global changes on wildlife.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Wilmer Amaya-Mejia, Molly Dodge, Brett Morris, John P. Dumbacher, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal
Summary: The island archipelagos of Papua New Guinea provide a unique ecological framework for studying haemosporidian parasite differentiation and geographic structure. The diverse avifauna of these islands have been found to harbor a wide range of avian blood parasites. This study identified 40 new lineages of haemosporidians, including a previously undescribed genus in the region, and revealed heterogeneous patterns of parasite diversity and host specificity across different islands.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
A. Marzal, M. Ferraguti, J. Muriel, S. Magallanes, J. A. Ortiz, L. Garcia-Longoria, D. Bravo-Barriga, F. Guerrero-Carvajal, P. Aguilera-Sepulveda, F. Llorente, F. de Lope, M. A. Jimenez-Clavero, E. Frontera
Summary: This study reveals the presence of zoonotic flavivirus neutralizing antibodies in rarely studied passerine bird species, which has significant implications for animal and public health. Passerines should be considered as a priority target species in flavivirus surveillance programs.
VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luz Garcia-Longoria, Dag Ahren, Arnaud Berthomieu, Victor Kalbskopf, Ana Rivero, Olof Hellgren
Summary: This study presents the first transcriptomic analysis of the immune response of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus to Plasmodium relictum infection. The results reveal the important roles of Toll and Imd pathways during the critical period of parasite development. Unexpected differences in immune RNA expression patterns were also observed in infected mosquitoes compared to uninfected mosquitoes. The study expands our understanding of immune pathways and the selective pressures exerted by Plasmodium parasites on their vectors.
Article
Ecology
Martina Ferraguti, Sergio Magallanes, Jessica Jimenez-Penuela, Josue Martinez-de la Puente, Luz Garcia-Longoria, Jordi Figuerola, Jaime Muriel, Tamer Albayrak, Staffan Bensch, Camille Bonneaud, Rohan H. Clarke, Gabor A. Czirjak, Dimitar Dimitrov, Kathya Espinoza, John G. Ewen, Farah Ishtiaq, Wendy Flores-Saavedra, Laszlo Zsolt Garamszegi, Olof Hellgren, Dita Horakova, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Henrik Jensen, Asta Krizanauskiene, Marcos R. Lima, Charlene Lujan-Vega, Eyofinn Magnussen, Lynn B. Martin, Kevin D. Matson, Anders Pape Moller, Pavel Munclinger, Vaidas Palinauskas, Peter L. Pap, Javier Perez-Tris, Swen C. Renner, Robert Ricklefs, Sergio Scebba, Ravinder N. M. Sehgal, Manuel Soler, Eszter Szoellosi, Gediminas Valkiunas, Helena Westerdahl, Pavel Zehtindjiev, Alfonso Marzal
Summary: This study investigated the ecological drivers affecting avian malaria parasite lineages in native and introduced house sparrows. The results showed that urbanization was positively related to parasite prevalence in both native and introduced populations, with higher infection in areas with intermediate levels of urbanization. In introduced populations, altitude and time since bird introduction were positively associated with the number of parasite lineages.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Daniel Parejo-pulido, Carlos Mora-rubio, Alfonso Marzal, Sergio Magallanes
Summary: Understanding the diversity and distribution of parasite species in reptiles and amphibians is crucial for global epidemiology and species conservation. This study used PCR approaches to analyze blood samples from southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles, revealing new host records and parasite haplotypes. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the geographic distribution and host species of reptile apicomplexan parasites in this region.
PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lucyna Halupka, Debora Arlt, Jere Tolvanen, Alexandre Millon, Pierre Bize, Peter Adamik, Pascal Albert, Wayne J. Arendt, Alexander V. Artemyev, Vittorio Baglione, Jerzy Banbura, Miroslawa Banbura, Emilio Barba, Robert T. Barrett, Peter H. Becker, Eugen Belskii, Mark Bolton, E. Keith Bowers, Joel Bried, Lyanne Brouwer, Monika Bukacinska, Dariusz Bukacinski, Lesley Bulluck, Kate F. Carstens, Ines Catry, Motti Charter, Anna Chernomorets, Rita Covas, Monika Czuchra, Donald C. Dearborn, Florentino de Lope, Adrian S. Di Giacomo, Valery C. Dombrovski, Hugh Drummond, Michael J. Dunn, Tapio Eeva, Louise M. Emmerson, Yngve Espmark, Juan A. Fargallo, Sergey I. Gashkov, Elena Yu. Golubova, Michael Griesser, Michael P. Harris, Jeffrey P. Hoover, Zuzanna Jagielio, Patrik Korell, Janusz Kloskowski, Walter D. Koenig, Heikki Kolunen, Magorzata Korczak-Abshire, Erkki Korpimaeki, Indrikis Krams, Milos Krist, Sonja C. Kruger, Boris D. Kuranov, Xavier Lambin, Michael P. Lombardo, Andrey Lyakhov, Alfonso Marzal, Anders P. Moller, Veronica C. Neves, Jan Tottrup Nielsen, Alexander Numerov, Beata Orlowska, Daniel Oro, Markus oest, Richard A. Phillips, Hannu Pietiaeinen, Vicente Polo, Jiri Porkert, Jaime Potti, Hannu Poeysae, Thierry Printemps, Jouke Prop, Petra Quillfeldt, Jaime A. Ramos, Pierre-Alain Ravussin, Robert N. Rosenfield, Alexandre Roulin, Dustin R. Rubenstein, Irina E. Samusenko, Denis A. Saunders, Michael Schaub, Juan C. Senar, Fabrizio Sergio, Tapio Solonen, Diana V. Solovyeva, Janusz Stepniewski, Paul M. Thompson, Marcin Tobolka, Janos Toeroek, Martijn van de Pol, Louis Vernooij, Marcel E. Visser, David F. Westneat, Nathaniel T. Wheelwright, Jaroslaw Wiacek, Karen L. Wiebe, Andrew G. Wood, Andrzej Wuczynski, Dariusz Wysocki, Marketa Zarybnicka, Antoni Margalida, Konrad Halupka
Summary: Climate change has different effects on the annual reproductive output of bird species, with some populations experiencing a decline in offspring production while others show an increase. The study finds that changes in ecological and life history traits, as well as temperature, play a role in these variations. Migratory and larger-bodied species tend to produce fewer offspring with increasing temperatures, while smaller-bodied, sedentary species tend to produce more.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Daniel Bravo-Barriga, Martina Ferraguti, Sergio Magallanes, Pilar Aguilera-Sepulveda, Francisco Llorente, Elisa Perez-Ramirez, Ana Vazquez, Fatima Guerrero-Carvajal, Maria Paz Sanchez-Seco, Miguel Angel Jimenez-Clavero, Carlos Mora-Rubio, Alfonso Marzal, Eva Frontera, Florentino de Lope
Summary: Usutu virus (USUV) has caused an increasing number of animal and human cases in Europe. The circulation of USUV in Extremadura, Spain was investigated through mosquito and bird sampling. USUV was detected in two pools of Culex pipiens mosquitoes, and USUV-specific antibodies were found in 17 wild birds from eight species. This indicates active circulation of USUV and a potential risk of exposure for the human population.
TRANSBOUNDARY AND EMERGING DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Faith De Amaral, Robert E. Wilson, Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Ravinder Sehgal
Summary: This study provides the first comparative assessment of avian haemosporidia distribution of Arctic Alaska with subarctic host populations for four species of grouse and three species of ptarmigan. Results showed a high overall prevalence of at least one haemospordian genus, with spruce grouse showing the highest prevalence. Different parasite lineages were found in different bird species and different tissues, highlighting the importance of considering methodological factors in parasite diversity assessments.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Martina Ferraguti, Sergio Magallanes, Marcela Suarez-Rubio, Paul J. J. Bates, Alfonso Marzal, Swen C. Renner
Summary: Global change has been linked to increased vector-borne diseases. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the impact of land-use on disease transmission. The study found that land-use intensity and host-vector species significantly affect disease prevalence.
Review
Parasitology
Irene Hernandez-Caballero, Olof Hellgren, Luz Garcia-Longoria Batanete
Summary: The translation highlights the importance of studying the interactions between parasites and mosquitoes in order to understand vector-borne diseases. It emphasizes the need for more genomic studies on non-mammophilic mosquito species and their associated parasites to fill the knowledge gap. The review article underlines the significance of identifying key genes and pathways in both Anopheles mosquitoes and Culex mosquitoes that are involved in malaria infections and avian malaria infections, respectively.
Article
Ornithology
Jaime Muriel, Luz Garcia-Longoria, Sergio Magallanes, Juan Antonio Ortiz, Alfonso Marzal
Summary: This study assessed the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in introduced wetland passerines in southwestern Spain. The results showed that Common Waxbills and Red Avadavats were commonly infected, but Yellow-crowned Bishops were not. Parasite infection was not related to the bird's body condition, haematocrit, and uropygial gland volume. These findings highlight the importance of exotic invasive species in the transmission dynamics of haemosporidian parasites.
Article
Ecology
Luz Garcia-Longoria, Sergio Magallanes, Xi Huang, Anna Drews, Lars Raberg, Alfonso Marzal, Staffan Bensch, Helena Westerdahl
Summary: Birds often simultaneously carry several blood parasite species, and these co-infections can lead to within-host interactions, including mutualism and competition, which may affect the virulence and transmission of parasites. In this study, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus parasites in house sparrows were investigated using qPCR, and reciprocal positive relationships in parasitemia between the two parasites were found in adult birds, indicating potential mutualistic interactions or individual variation in immune responses.
BMC ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
