Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Postgraduate Institute of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
Parasitol Res. 2021 Feb;120(2):693-703. doi: 10.1007/s00436-021-07049-3. Epub 2021 Jan 16.
Avian blood parasites have been shown to have significant health effects on avifauna worldwide. Sri Lanka, a tropical island rich with resident and migratory birds, has not been properly evaluated for avian blood parasites or their vectors. We investigated the presence of avian haemoparasites in Sri Lankan birds and the potential mosquito vectors of those pathogens. Blood samples were collected from local/migratory birds captured by standard mist nets from Anawilundawa bird sanctuary, Hanthana mountain range, and the University of Peradeniya park. Mosquitoes were collected from Halgolla forest reserve and the forest patches in Kurunegala and Gampola areas in addition to the above mist-netting localities. Part of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene was amplified and sequenced to detect the presence of haemoparasites from avian blood samples (86) and mosquito samples (480). Blood parasites of the two genera, i.e., Haemoproteus (4 species; Haemoproteus sp. 1-4) and Plasmodium (5 species; Plasmodium sp. 1-5) were identified from seven bird species (four resident and three migratory). Among these, three bird species (Red-vented bulbul (3/16), Asian Brown flycatcher (1/1), and India pitta (1/1)) were positive for Plasmodium spp., while four (Yellow-browed bulbul (1/4), oriental white-eye (1/4), brown-headed Barbet (1/4), and Indian blue robin (1/1)) were positive for Haemoproteus spp. Two mosquito species were also positive for Plasmodium (3) and Haemoproteus (1) species. Phylogenetic analysis and haplotype networks created using positive sequences of haemoparasites showed that a Plasmodium clade was shared by Cx nigropunctatus mosquitoes and the migratory bird, Indian pitta. The majority (85%) of the Plasmodium and Haemoproteus sequences of this study were not linked to the well-characterized species suggesting the distinct nature of the lineages. Associations between mosquito species and blood parasites of birds suggest the possible vector status of these mosquitoes.
鸟类血液寄生虫已被证明对全球鸟类的健康有重大影响。斯里兰卡是一个热带岛屿，拥有丰富的留鸟和候鸟，但尚未对其鸟类血液寄生虫或其传播媒介进行适当评估。我们调查了斯里兰卡鸟类中是否存在血液寄生虫以及这些病原体的潜在蚊子传播媒介。从安瓦伦达瓦鸟类保护区、汉塔纳山脉和佩拉德尼亚大学校园的标准网捕捉到的本地/候鸟中采集血液样本。从哈格罗勒森林保护区以及库鲁内加拉和加姆波拉地区的森林斑块中收集了蚊子，除了上述网捕地点外。从鸟类血液样本（86 个）和蚊子样本（480 个）中扩增和测序部分线粒体细胞色素 b（cytb）基因，以检测血液寄生虫的存在。从七种鸟类（四种留鸟和三种候鸟）中鉴定出两种属的血液寄生虫，即疟原虫（4 种；疟原虫 1-4）和血孢子虫（5 种；血孢子虫 1-5）。在这些鸟类中，三种鸟类（红腹锦鸡（3/16）、亚洲棕胸佛法僧（1/1）和印度蓝雀（1/1））对疟原虫属呈阳性，而四种鸟类（黄眉柳莺（1/4）、东方白眼鸟（1/4）、褐头伯劳（1/4）和印度蓝知更鸟（1/1））对血孢子虫属呈阳性。两种蚊子也对疟原虫（3）和血孢子虫（1）属呈阳性。使用血液寄生虫的阳性序列创建的系统发育分析和单倍型网络显示，疟原虫的一个分支与 Cx nigropunctatus 蚊子和候鸟印度蓝雀共享。本研究的大多数（85%）疟原虫和血孢子虫序列与特征明确的物种没有关联，这表明这些谱系具有独特的性质。蚊子种类与鸟类血液寄生虫之间的关联表明这些蚊子可能是传播媒介。
