Godfrey R D, Pence D B, Fedynich A M
Department of Range and Wildlife Management, Texas Tech University, Lubbock 79409.
J Wildl Dis. 1990 Oct;26(4):435-41. doi: 10.7589/0090-3558-26.4.435.
Two species of hematozoa, Haemoproteus columbae and H. sacharovi, were observed on thin blood smears from populations of mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) in the Rolling Plains (RP, a semiarid dryland farming and grazing area) and Southern High Plains (SHP, an intensively cultivated and irrigated agricultural region with playa lakes) of western Texas (USA). Prevalences of H. columbae and H. sacharovi were 91 and 18% in doves from the RP (n = 44 doves examined) and 81 and 36% in those from thte SHP (n = 84), respectively. Although the prevalences of these species were not significantly different between the RP and SHP, the prevalence of H. sacharovi was significantly greater in juvenile versus adult doves from both localities. Mixed infections of both haemoproteid species occurred in 11 and 24% of the doves from the RP and SHP, respectively. The frequency distributions of the relative density values (numbers of parasites/2,000 erythrocytes counted) of H. columbae and H. sacharovi were overdispersed in hosts from both localities. Relative densities of H. columbae were significantly higher in mourning doves from the RP versus the SHP; likewise those of H. sacharovi were significantly greater in juvenile versus adult doves and between localities. Observed differences in prevalence and relative density of the two species in the haemoproteid community across spatial and host variables may reflect differences in vector transmission and in the physiological and immunological status of the host. This study emphasizes the importance of using adequately quantified density data versus only prevalence data when examining microparasite communities at the component community level.
在美国得克萨斯州西部的起伏平原（RP，一个半干旱旱地农牧区）和南部高平原（SHP，一个有季节性湖泊的集约化耕种和灌溉农业区）的哀鸽（Zenaida macroura）种群的薄血涂片上，观察到了两种血原虫，即鸽血变原虫（Haemoproteus columbae）和萨氏血变原虫（H. sacharovi）。在来自RP的鸽子（检查了44只鸽子）中，鸽血变原虫和萨氏血变原虫的感染率分别为91%和18%；在来自SHP的鸽子（n = 84）中，感染率分别为81%和36%。尽管这两个地区的这两种血原虫感染率没有显著差异，但在两个地区的幼年鸽与成年鸽中，萨氏血变原虫的感染率显著更高。两种血变原虫的混合感染分别发生在来自RP和SHP的鸽子中的11%和24%。在两个地区的宿主中，鸽血变原虫和萨氏血变原虫的相对密度值（每2000个计数红细胞中的寄生虫数量）的频率分布都是过度分散的。来自RP的哀鸽中鸽血变原虫的相对密度显著高于SHP；同样，萨氏血变原虫在幼年鸽与成年鸽之间以及不同地区之间的相对密度也显著更高。在整个空间和宿主变量中，这两种血变原虫在血原虫群落中的感染率和相对密度的观察差异可能反映了媒介传播以及宿主生理和免疫状态的差异。这项研究强调了在群落组成水平上检查微寄生虫群落时，使用充分量化的密度数据而非仅感染率数据的重要性。
