Haemosporidian parasites are responsible for anemia, acute tissue degeneration, and depopulation in wild birds. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of haemosporidians and also morphologic and molecular evaluation of tissue stages of Haemoproteus sp. in common buzzards ( Buteo buteo ). Eleven free-living common buzzards were referred to the Avian Clinic of Veterinary School of Lorestan University with lethargy, weight loss, and ataxia. Gametocytes of Leucocytozoon buteonis were found in blood smears of six (54.5 %) birds, while one had simultaneous infection with blood stages of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon. During histopathological examinations, exo-erythrocytic stages of the genus Haemoproteus were seen in the lung and kidney of a dead bird. This study is the first report of exo-erythrocytic infection of Haemoproteus in common buzzards. Molecular assays confirmed the infection of Haemoproteus sp. (lineage BUTBUT15) in tissue samples. Phylogenetic analysis using cytochrome b gene suggested that BUTBUT15 was more closely related to the lineages isolated from the family Falconidae in contrast to the Accipitridae.

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Linguatula serrata is a cosmopolitan zoonotic parasite. Its adult form inhabit the nasal and respiratory passages of canids as the definitive hosts while its immature stages localize in the mesenteric lymph nodes or in other organs of herbivorous intermediate hosts. We examined the liver, mesenteric, and mediastinal lymph nodes of 272 camels slaughtered at the slaughterhouse of Yazd, Iran. Forty-one out of 272 camels (15.1 %) were infected with nymphs of L. serrata. Twenty-four out of 166 males (14.45 %) and 17 out of 106 females (16 %) were positive. The livers of five camels, which also had nymphs in their lymph nodes, were infected with the larval stage of this parasite. The infection rate increased with age and was highly significant, while sex did not play a significant role in the prevalence of this parasitic infection. The infected lymph nodes were grossly enlarged, edematous, and consisted of hemorrhagic and necrotic lesions. Histopathologically, the architecture of the infected lymph nodes was degraded, necrotic, and sectioned migrating stages of L. serrata were clearly visible. In some lymph nodes, parasitic granulomatous lymphadenitis with necrosis and in some cases, degenerated parasite in central area was observed. High prevalence of infection in camels suggests possibility of similar high rate of infection in other animals of this region. In view of the consumption of raw or undercooked visceral organs of camel by humans of this region, the importance of careful inspection at slaughterhouse needs to be emphasized.

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House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) are ubiquitous wild birds and can be potential reservoirs of avian haemosporidians (vector-borne blood parasites) in their habitat. The Zagros Mountain range in western Iran is an important habitat of many endangered birds. To investigate the occurrence and molecular characterization of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium spp. in Kuhdasht County in the central western region of Zagros, blood samples from 60 House Sparrows were screened by microscopic examination and PCR. An overall prevalence of 6.6%, with a varied intensity of infection (1–198 parasites per 15,000 erythrocytes) for Haemoproteus spp. and no infection for Plasmodium spp., was observed by microscopy. One of the studied cytochrome b sequences was identical to the lineage PAHIS1, and the other sequence was a new lineage, PADOM41; both were extremely similar to Haemoproteus passeris. This is the first report on the molecular detection and characterization of Haemoproteus in passerines of Kuhdasht.