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Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and Plasmodium ashfordi (lineage GRW2): The effects of the co-infection on experimentally infected passerine birds

Palinauskas, Vaidas ; Valkiunas, Gediminas ; Bolshakov, Casimir V. and Bensch, Staffan LU (2011) In Experimental Parasitology 127(2). p.527-533
Abstract
The effects of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium on their hosts are insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for malarial co-infections, which predominant in many bird populations. We investigated effects of primary co-infection of Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and Plasmodium ashfordi (GRW2) on experimentally infected naive juveniles of siskin Spin us spinus, crossbill Loxia curvirostra and starling Sturnus vulgaris. All siskins and crossbills were susceptible but starlings resistant to both these infections. A general pattern of the co-infections was that heavy parasitemia (over 35% during peaks) of both parasites developed in both susceptible host species. There were no significant effects of the... (More)
The effects of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium on their hosts are insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for malarial co-infections, which predominant in many bird populations. We investigated effects of primary co-infection of Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and Plasmodium ashfordi (GRW2) on experimentally infected naive juveniles of siskin Spin us spinus, crossbill Loxia curvirostra and starling Sturnus vulgaris. All siskins and crossbills were susceptible but starlings resistant to both these infections. A general pattern of the co-infections was that heavy parasitemia (over 35% during peaks) of both parasites developed in both susceptible host species. There were no significant effects of the co-infections on mean body mass of the majority of infected birds. Mean haematocrit value decreased approximately 1.5 and 3 times in siskins and crossbills at the peak of parasitemia, respectively. Mortality was recorded among infected crossbills. We conclude that co-infections of P. relictum and P. ashfordi are highly virulent and act synergetically during primary infections in some but not all passerine birds. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Avian malaria, Plasmodium relictum, Plasmodium ashfordi, SGS1, GRW2, Co-infection, Experimental infection, Birds, Susceptibility, Parasitemia
in
Experimental Parasitology
volume
127
issue
2
pages
527 - 533
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000286643300031
  • scopus:78751591379
  • pmid:21050849
ISSN
0014-4894
DOI
10.1016/j.exppara.2010.10.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
0fdb7888-a2c3-43cd-83d4-7397250fccd2 (old id 1872955)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:09:39
date last changed
2024-05-06 04:43:47
@article{0fdb7888-a2c3-43cd-83d4-7397250fccd2,
  abstract     = {{The effects of avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium on their hosts are insufficiently understood. This is particularly true for malarial co-infections, which predominant in many bird populations. We investigated effects of primary co-infection of Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and Plasmodium ashfordi (GRW2) on experimentally infected naive juveniles of siskin Spin us spinus, crossbill Loxia curvirostra and starling Sturnus vulgaris. All siskins and crossbills were susceptible but starlings resistant to both these infections. A general pattern of the co-infections was that heavy parasitemia (over 35% during peaks) of both parasites developed in both susceptible host species. There were no significant effects of the co-infections on mean body mass of the majority of infected birds. Mean haematocrit value decreased approximately 1.5 and 3 times in siskins and crossbills at the peak of parasitemia, respectively. Mortality was recorded among infected crossbills. We conclude that co-infections of P. relictum and P. ashfordi are highly virulent and act synergetically during primary infections in some but not all passerine birds. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Palinauskas, Vaidas and Valkiunas, Gediminas and Bolshakov, Casimir V. and Bensch, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{0014-4894}},
  keywords     = {{Avian malaria; Plasmodium relictum; Plasmodium ashfordi; SGS1; GRW2; Co-infection; Experimental infection; Birds; Susceptibility; Parasitemia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{527--533}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Experimental Parasitology}},
  title        = {{Plasmodium relictum (lineage SGS1) and Plasmodium ashfordi (lineage GRW2): The effects of the co-infection on experimentally infected passerine birds}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2010.10.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.exppara.2010.10.007}},
  volume       = {{127}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}