Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Low haemosporidian diversity and one key-host species in a bird malaria community on a mid-atlantic island (sao miguel, azores)

Hellgren, Olof LU ; Krizanauskiene, Asta ; Hasselquist, Dennis LU and Bensch, Staffan LU (2011) In Journal of Wildlife Diseases 47(4). p.849-859
Abstract
When host species colonize new areas, the parasite assemblage infecting the hosts might change, with some parasite species being lost and others newly acquired. These changes would likely lead to novel selective forces on both host and its parasites. We investigated the avian blood parasites in the passerine bird community on the mid-Atlantic island of Sao Miguel, Azores, a bird community originating from continental Europe. The presence of haemosporidian blood parasites belonging to the genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon was assessed using polymerase chain reaction. We found two Plasmodium lineages and two Leucocytozoon lineages in 11 bird species (84% of all breeding passerine species) on the island. These line ages were... (More)
When host species colonize new areas, the parasite assemblage infecting the hosts might change, with some parasite species being lost and others newly acquired. These changes would likely lead to novel selective forces on both host and its parasites. We investigated the avian blood parasites in the passerine bird community on the mid-Atlantic island of Sao Miguel, Azores, a bird community originating from continental Europe. The presence of haemosporidian blood parasites belonging to the genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon was assessed using polymerase chain reaction. We found two Plasmodium lineages and two Leucocytozoon lineages in 11 bird species (84% of all breeding passerine species) on the island. These line ages were unevenly distributed across bird species. The Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) was the key-host species (total parasite prevalence of 57%), harboring the main proportion of parasite infections. Except for Eurasian Blackbirds, all bird species had significantly lower prevalence and parasite diversity compared to their continental populations. We propose that in evolutionary novel bird communities, single species may act as key hosts by harboring the main part of the parasite fauna from which parasites "leak" into the other species. This would create very different host parasite associations in areas recently colonized by hosts as compared to in their source populations. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Azores, Haemoproteus, key host, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, prevalence
in
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
volume
47
issue
4
pages
849 - 859
publisher
Wildlife Disease Association
external identifiers
  • wos:000296409500005
  • scopus:84055188761
ISSN
0090-3558
project
Malaria in birds
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
10e11eea-ddc2-4634-a844-ba563927a882 (old id 2253163)
alternative location
http://www.jwildlifedis.org/content/47/4/849.abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:32:33
date last changed
2022-03-21 19:08:24
@article{10e11eea-ddc2-4634-a844-ba563927a882,
  abstract     = {{When host species colonize new areas, the parasite assemblage infecting the hosts might change, with some parasite species being lost and others newly acquired. These changes would likely lead to novel selective forces on both host and its parasites. We investigated the avian blood parasites in the passerine bird community on the mid-Atlantic island of Sao Miguel, Azores, a bird community originating from continental Europe. The presence of haemosporidian blood parasites belonging to the genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon was assessed using polymerase chain reaction. We found two Plasmodium lineages and two Leucocytozoon lineages in 11 bird species (84% of all breeding passerine species) on the island. These line ages were unevenly distributed across bird species. The Eurasian Blackbird (Turdus merula) was the key-host species (total parasite prevalence of 57%), harboring the main proportion of parasite infections. Except for Eurasian Blackbirds, all bird species had significantly lower prevalence and parasite diversity compared to their continental populations. We propose that in evolutionary novel bird communities, single species may act as key hosts by harboring the main part of the parasite fauna from which parasites "leak" into the other species. This would create very different host parasite associations in areas recently colonized by hosts as compared to in their source populations.}},
  author       = {{Hellgren, Olof and Krizanauskiene, Asta and Hasselquist, Dennis and Bensch, Staffan}},
  issn         = {{0090-3558}},
  keywords     = {{Azores; Haemoproteus; key host; Leucocytozoon; Plasmodium; prevalence}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{849--859}},
  publisher    = {{Wildlife Disease Association}},
  series       = {{Journal of Wildlife Diseases}},
  title        = {{Low haemosporidian diversity and one key-host species in a bird malaria community on a mid-atlantic island (sao miguel, azores)}},
  url          = {{http://www.jwildlifedis.org/content/47/4/849.abstract}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}