Haemosporidians in Iberian Bluethroats<i>Luscinia svecica</i>

Ma, Rojo; Campos, Francisco; Santamaría, Tomás; Hernández, M. Ángeles

doi:10.13157/arla.61.1.2014.135

Cited by 11 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…pipiens specimens in Barcelona [79] and in Culex mosquitoes from Portugal [68]. Moreover, six of the haemosporidian lineages we detected in mosquitoes have also been reported in resident birds in central and southern Spain over the past 15 years (Plasmodium DELURB5, LINN1, PADOM01, SGS1, SYAT05 and SYAT24), thus confirming local circulation of these parasites in the Iberian Peninsula [80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88].…”

Section: Canis Lupus Familiarissupporting

confidence: 80%

Unravelling the mosquito-haemosporidian parasite-bird host network in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula: insights into malaria infections, mosquito community and feeding preferences

Mora-Rubio,

Ferraguti,

Magallanes

et al. 2023

Parasites Vectors

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Bakground Vector-borne diseases affecting humans, wildlife and livestock have significantly increased their incidence and distribution in the last decades. Because the interaction among vectors-parasite-vertebrate hosts plays a key role driving vector-borne disease transmission, the analyses of the diversity and structure of vector-parasite networks and host-feeding preference may help to assess disease risk. Also, the study of seasonal variations in the structure and composition of vector and parasite communities may elucidate the current patterns of parasite persistence and spread as well as facilitate prediction of how climate variations may impact vector-borne disease transmission. Avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites constitute an exceptional model to understand the ecology and evolution of vector-borne diseases. However, the characterization of vector-haemosporidian parasite-bird host assemblages is largely unknown in many regions. Methods Here, we analyzed 5859 female mosquitoes captured from May to November in five localities from southwestern Spain to explore the composition and seasonal variation of the vector-parasite-vertebrate host network. Results We showed a gradual increase in mosquito abundance, peaking in July. A total of 16 different haemosporidian lineages were found infecting 13 mosquito species. Of these assemblages, more than 70% of these vector-parasite associations have not been described in previous studies. Moreover, three Haemoproteus lineages were reported for the first time in this study. The prevalence of avian malaria infections in mosquitoes varied significantly across the months, reaching a maximum in November. Mosquito blood-feeding preference was higher for mammals (62.5%), whereas 37.5% of vectors fed on birds, suggesting opportunistic feeding behavior. Conclusion These outcomes improve our understanding of disease transmission risk and help tovector control strategies. Graphical abstract

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Section: Canis Lupus Familiarissupporting

confidence: 80%

Unravelling the mosquito-haemosporidian parasite-bird host network in the southwestern Iberian Peninsula: insights into malaria infections, mosquito community and feeding preferences

Mora-Rubio,

Ferraguti,

Magallanes

et al. 2023

Parasites Vectors

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“…The species identity of this parasite remains unclear. The lineage RS4 was recorded in the common redstart ( Phoenicurus phoenicurus ), Eurasian blackcap, common whitethroat ( Sylvia communis ), berthelot's pipit ( Anthus berthelotii ), bluethroat ( Luscinia svecica ), forest fody ( Foudia omissa ), African stonechat ( Saxicola torquata ) in previous studies [ 51 , 52 , 54 , 55 , 56 ]. The house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) and the yellow-throated sparrow were recorded as new host species for this lineage in this study.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Prevalence and Genetic Diversity of Avian Haemosporidian Parasites in Southern Iran

et al. 2021

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Avian haemosporidians are widespread and diverse and are classified in the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Fallisia. These species are known to cause haemosporidiosis and decreased fitness of their hosts. Despite the high diversity of habitats and animal species in Iran, only few studies have addressed avian haemosporidians in this geographic area. This study was performed in the south and southeast of Iran during the bird breeding seasons in 2017 and 2018, with the aim to partly fill in this gap. Blood samples of 237 passerine birds belonging to 41 species and 20 families were collected. Parasite infections were identified using a nested PCR protocol targeting a 479-base-pair fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon species. The overall prevalence of haemosporidian parasites was 51.1%, and 55 different lineages were identified, of which 15 cytb lineages were new globally. The lineages of Haemoproteus predominated (63.6% of all detected lineages), followed by Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium. Nineteen new host records of haemosporidian cytb lineages were identified, and the majority of them were found in resident bird species, indicating local transmission. Thirteen co-infections (9.8% of infected individuals) of Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon parasites in seven host species were observed. This study shows the presence of active local transmission of parasites to resident bird species in the southeast of Iran and contributes to the knowledge on haemosporidian parasite biodiversity in this poorly studied region of the world.

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