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Co-infections of haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites in a North American songbird

Soares, Letícia ; Ellis, Vincenzo A. LU and Ricklefs, Robert E (2016) In Parasitology 143(14). p.1930-1938
Abstract

Hosts frequently harbour multiple parasite infections, yet patterns of parasite co-occurrence are poorly documented in nature. In this study, we asked whether two common avian blood parasites, one haemosporidian and one trypanosome, affect each other's occurrence in individuals of a single host species. We used molecular genotyping to survey protozoan parasites in the peripheral blood of yellow-breasted chats (Aves: Passeriformes [Parulidae]: Icteria virens) from the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. We also determined whether single and co-infections differently influence white blood cell and polychromatic erythrocyte counts, the latter being a measure of regenerative anaemia. We found a positive association between the haemosporidian and... (More)

Hosts frequently harbour multiple parasite infections, yet patterns of parasite co-occurrence are poorly documented in nature. In this study, we asked whether two common avian blood parasites, one haemosporidian and one trypanosome, affect each other's occurrence in individuals of a single host species. We used molecular genotyping to survey protozoan parasites in the peripheral blood of yellow-breasted chats (Aves: Passeriformes [Parulidae]: Icteria virens) from the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. We also determined whether single and co-infections differently influence white blood cell and polychromatic erythrocyte counts, the latter being a measure of regenerative anaemia. We found a positive association between the haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites, such that infection by one increases the probability that an individual host is infected by the other. Adult individuals were more likely than juveniles to exhibit haemosporidian infection, but co-infections and single trypanosome infections were not age-related. We found evidence of pathogenicity of trypanosomes in that infected individuals exhibited similar levels of regenerative anaemia as birds infected with haemosporidian parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Counts of white blood cells did not differ with respect to infection status.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
haemoparasites, Icteria virens, Ozarks plateau, Reticulocytes, within-host interactions, yellow-breasted chat
in
Parasitology
volume
143
issue
14
pages
9 pages
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:84988411900
  • pmid:27644582
ISSN
0031-1820
DOI
10.1017/S0031182016001384
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
8bbc59fd-a0ce-4b5c-9e1c-ec87d56f08da
date added to LUP
2017-05-09 17:03:31
date last changed
2024-05-26 15:14:08
@article{8bbc59fd-a0ce-4b5c-9e1c-ec87d56f08da,
  abstract     = {{<p>Hosts frequently harbour multiple parasite infections, yet patterns of parasite co-occurrence are poorly documented in nature. In this study, we asked whether two common avian blood parasites, one haemosporidian and one trypanosome, affect each other's occurrence in individuals of a single host species. We used molecular genotyping to survey protozoan parasites in the peripheral blood of yellow-breasted chats (Aves: Passeriformes [Parulidae]: Icteria virens) from the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. We also determined whether single and co-infections differently influence white blood cell and polychromatic erythrocyte counts, the latter being a measure of regenerative anaemia. We found a positive association between the haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites, such that infection by one increases the probability that an individual host is infected by the other. Adult individuals were more likely than juveniles to exhibit haemosporidian infection, but co-infections and single trypanosome infections were not age-related. We found evidence of pathogenicity of trypanosomes in that infected individuals exhibited similar levels of regenerative anaemia as birds infected with haemosporidian parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Counts of white blood cells did not differ with respect to infection status.</p>}},
  author       = {{Soares, Letícia and Ellis, Vincenzo A. and Ricklefs, Robert E}},
  issn         = {{0031-1820}},
  keywords     = {{haemoparasites; Icteria virens; Ozarks plateau; Reticulocytes; within-host interactions; yellow-breasted chat}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{14}},
  pages        = {{1930--1938}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Parasitology}},
  title        = {{Co-infections of haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites in a North American songbird}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182016001384}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S0031182016001384}},
  volume       = {{143}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}