Schumm Yvonne R, Wecker Christine, Marek Carina, Wassmuth Mareike, Bentele Anna, Willems Hermann, Reiner Gerald, Quillfeldt Petra
Department of Animal Ecology & Systematics, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
PeerJ. 2019 Jan 31;6:e6259. doi: 10.7717/peerj.6259. eCollection 2019.
Avian Haemosporida are vector-borne parasites that commonly infect Passeriformes. Molecular analyses revealed a high number of different lineages and lineage specific traits like prevalence and host-specificity, but knowledge of parasite prevalence and lineage diversity in wild birds in Central Germany is still lacking.
Blood samples from a total of 238 adult and 122 nestling songbirds belonging to six species were investigated for infections with avian haemosporidian genera and lineages ( spp., spp., spp.) and using PCR, targeting the parasite mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and 18S ribosomal RNA. In total, the prevalence in adult birds was 31.3% infected with , 12.5% with and 71.0% with (nestlings excluded). None of the tested birds was infected with . Only in two nestling birds, aged 12-17 days, a spp. infection was proven. Among 225 successfully sequenced samples, we found four , three and 19 lineages, including two new lineages. Furthermore, we report two new host-lineage associations.
As first study investigating avian haemosporidian parasites in Central Germany, we provide new information on genetic diversity of Haemosporida infecting Passeriformes. We show that even with a small sample size new lineages as well as previously unknown linkages between certain lineages and host species can be detected. This may help to elucidate the diversity of lineages as well as lineage-host-connections of avian Haemosporida.
禽血孢子虫是通过媒介传播的寄生虫，通常感染雀形目鸟类。分子分析揭示了大量不同的谱系以及谱系特异性特征，如患病率和宿主特异性，但德国中部野生鸟类中寄生虫患病率和谱系多样性的相关知识仍然匮乏。
对总共238只成年和122只雏鸟的血样进行了调查，这些鸟属于六个物种，检测其是否感染禽血孢子虫属和谱系（疟原虫属、血变原虫属、住白细胞虫属），并使用聚合酶链反应（PCR），以寄生虫线粒体细胞色素b基因和18S核糖体RNA为靶点。总体而言，成年鸟类中，感染疟原虫属的患病率为31.3%，感染血变原虫属的为12.5%，感染住白细胞虫属的为71.0%（不包括雏鸟）。所有检测的鸟类均未感染疟原虫属。仅在两只12 - 17日龄的雏鸟中，证实感染了一种血变原虫属。在225个成功测序的样本中，我们发现了四个疟原虫属谱系、三个血变原虫属谱系和19个住白细胞虫属谱系，包括两个新的住白细胞虫属谱系。此外，我们报告了两个新的宿主 - 谱系关联。
作为首次对德国中部禽血孢子虫寄生虫进行调查的研究，我们提供了关于感染雀形目鸟类的血孢子虫遗传多样性的新信息。我们表明，即使样本量较小，也能检测到新的谱系以及某些谱系与宿主物种之间以前未知的联系。这可能有助于阐明禽血孢子虫的谱系多样性以及谱系 - 宿主关系。
