First molecular study of prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia in a Central California songbird community

Walther, Erika; Carlson, Jenny; Cornel, Anthony J.; Morris, Brett K.; Sehgal, Ravinder N. M.

doi:10.1007/s10336-015-1301-7

Cited by 32 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…In contrast, geographic distance has been implicated in parasite community dissimilarity in some regions (West Indies: Fallon et al 2005; South America: Fecchio et al 2017), but not others (Asia: Scordato and Kardish 2014; Southwestern U.S.: Williamson et al 2019). Distance-decay patterns also vary among haemosporidian genera, with Plasmodium exhibiting more geographic structure than Parahaemoproteus in two island systems (Fallon et al 2003; Ishtiaq et al 2010), despite the common finding that Plasmodium lineages tend to be more generalized and can be globally distributed (Hellgren et al 2015; Walther et al 2016). Similarly, environmental characteristics such as elevation and climate influence the distribution of haemosporidian genera in different ways, a finding that may be related to variation in the distribution of genus-specific vectors (Valkiu□nas 2005; van Rooyen et al 2013; Galen and Witt 2014; Harrigan et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Detecting turnover among complex communities using null models: A case study with sky-island haemosporidian parasites

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Cruz

et al. 2020

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1 9 7 they were consistent for two of the three haemosporidian genera. The two more distant mountain 3 8 ranges were more similar to each other than the one located centrally, suggesting that the 3 9 differences we detected were due to stochastic colonization-extirpation dynamics. These results 4 0 demonstrate that avian haemosporidian communities of temperate-zone forests differ on 4 1 relatively fine spatial scales associated with adjacent sky-islands. Null models are essential tools 4 2 for detecting turnover in complex, undersampled, and poorly known systems. 4 3 4 4

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Detecting turnover among complex communities using null models: A case study with sky-island haemosporidian parasites

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Bauernfeind

Cruz

et al. 2020

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“…homopolare was described in 2014 (Walther et al 2014), and little is known about the life cycle and pathology of this species. Considering the extremely high prevalence but low parasitemia in the birds captured at China Creek (< 0.25% parasitemia, Walther et al 2016) and in the canaries in this study (< 0.002%), it is possible that P . homopolare progresses to a long-lasting chronic infection in hosts and there is only a short window of time during which the gametocytemia is high enough to infect mosquitoes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

“…Host exposure is influenced by the capacity of the local vectors to transmit the pathogens, otherwise known as vectorial capacity (Garrett-Jones and Shidrawi 1969). In studies conducted at China Creek Park (Carlson et al 2015; Walther et al 2016), incongruence between host and vector Plasmodium infection prevalences led to proposing that specific parasite-vector interactions (incompatibilities and compatibilities) were likely occurring, which could be tested by vector experimental infection assays. Experimental vector infection studies undertaken in this study revealed that mixed Plasmodium infections, which are common in hosts (Manwell and Herman 1935; Dimitrov et al 2015; Palinauskas et al 2011), raise new interpretative challenges and parasite species interactions in vectors, which can determine relative parasite abundance in time and space.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Infected blood from one song sparrow ( Melospiza melodia ) was obtained from China Creek Park, Central California, following methods described by Walther et al (2016). Following protocols designed by Carlson et al (2016), 100 μl of song sparrow blood was extracted by jugular venipuncture with a syringe preloaded with 0.014 cc of citrate phosphate dextrose adenine (CPDA) solution to prevent clotting.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prevalence studies conducted in 2011 and 2012 showed that China Creek Park harbored a rich diversity of avian Plasmodium species and lineages in birds (Walther et al 2016) and mosquitoes (Carlson et al 2015). However, there was some incongruence between the prevalence of Plasmodium species in resident birds and mosquitoes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare

et al. 2018

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Currently, there are very few studies of avian malaria that investigate relationships among the host-vector-parasite triad concomitantly. In the current study, we experimentally measured the vector competence of several Culex mosquitoes for a newly described avian malaria parasite, Plasmodium homopolare. Song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) blood infected with a low P. homopolare parasitemia was inoculated into a naïve domestic canary (Serinus canaria forma domestica). Within 5 to 10 days post infection (dpi), the canary unexpectedly developed a simultaneous high parasitemic infection of Plasmodium cathemerium (Pcat6) and a low parasitemic infection of P. homopolare, both of which were detected in blood smears. During this infection period, PCR detected Pcat6, but not P. homopolare in the canary. Between 10 and 60 dpi, Pcat6 blood stages were no longer visible and PCR no longer amplified Pcat6 parasite DNA from canary blood. However, P. homopolare blood stages remained visible, albeit still at very low parasitemias, and PCR was able to amplify P. homopolare DNA. This pattern of mixed Pcat6 and P. homopolare infection was repeated in three secondary infected canaries that were injected with blood from the first infected canary. Mosquitoes that blood-fed on the secondary infected canaries developed infections with Pcat6 as well as another P. cathemerium lineage (Pcat8); none developed PCR detectable P. homopolare infections. These observations suggest that the original P. homopolare-infected songbird also had two un-detectable P. cathemerium lineages/strains. The vector and host infectivity trials in this study demonstrated that current molecular assays may significantly underreport the extent of mixed avian malaria infections in vectors and hosts.

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Haemosporidian prevalence and parasitaemia in the Black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) in central-Mexican dryland habitats

et al. 2017

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To date it is not well-understood how seasonality and human-induced habitat change may affect haemosporidian prevalence and parasitaemia in bird hosts in dryland habitats. We compared haemosporidian prevalence and parasitaemia between habitat types, including Yucca-dominated scrublands (closed habitat) and creosotebush scrublands (open habitat), and between seasons, including non-breeding (dry) and breeding (wet) in the Black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) at semi-arid scrublands of Central Mexico. This bird species has different habitat preferences in comparison to other, previously studied species in the region; it shows higher abundances in open than in closed habitats and avoids urban areas. Overall haemosporidian prevalence was 22.1%. Prevalence and parasitaemia were higher for Haemoproteus sp. (Parahaemoproteus sp.) than Plasmodium. Variation in haemoparasitism was not associated with habitat type. This response differs from the previously recorded response in other bird species in the region for which haemoparasitism increases with increasing habitat degradation. Seasonality seems to be the most important driver of parasite infection for this sparrow as prevalence and parasitaemia were higher during the breeding than the non-breeding season. Two new lineages of Haemoproteus sp. that had not been reported before in any avian species were found through molecular diagnosis. A high diversity of haemosporidian lineages is shared among sites. More study is needed to understand the mechanisms that associate parasitaemia, prevalence, and specific environmental factors.

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First molecular study of prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia in a Central California songbird community

Cited by 32 publications

References 61 publications

Detecting turnover among complex communities using null models: A case study with sky-island haemosporidian parasites

Detecting turnover among complex communities using null models: A case study with sky-island haemosporidian parasites

Avian malaria co-infections confound infectivity and vector competence assays of Plasmodium homopolare

Haemosporidian prevalence and parasitaemia in the Black-throated sparrow (Amphispiza bilineata) in central-Mexican dryland habitats

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