Title |
In situ hybridization and sequence analysis reveal an association of Plasmodium spp. with mortalities in wild passerine birds in Austria
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Published in |
Parasitology Research, February 2015
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DOI | 10.1007/s00436-015-4328-z |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Nora Dinhopl, Nora Nedorost, Meike M. Mostegl, Christiane Weissenbacher-Lang, Herbert Weissenböck |
Abstract |
Native European passerine birds are frequently clinically inapparent carriers of haemosporidian parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Clinical disease and death are only exceptionally reported. In the present study, tissue samples of 233 wild passerine birds found dead in Eastern Austria were examined by in situ hybridization (ISH) and partial cytochrome B gene sequence analysis for the presence, abundance and taxonomic assignment of Plasmodium spp. In 34 cases (14.6 %), ISH yielded a positive result with large numbers of developmental stages in different cell types of the spleen, liver, brain and lung. The abundance of the tissue stages, which was comparable to fatal cases of avian malaria in penguins, suggested a major contribution to the cause of death. Genetic analysis revealed infections with representatives of three different valid species of Plasmodium, Plasmodium elongatum, Plasmodium lutzi and Plasmodium vaughani. Genetically identical parasite lineages had been found in a previous study in penguins kept in the Vienna zoo, providing evidence for the role of wild birds as reservoir hosts. Further, this study provides evidence that several species of Plasmodium are able to abundantly proliferate in endemic wild birds ultimately resulting in mortalities. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Australia | 1 | 20% |
Spain | 1 | 20% |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 20% |
Unknown | 2 | 40% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
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Members of the public | 4 | 80% |
Scientists | 1 | 20% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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New Zealand | 1 | 1% |
United States | 1 | 1% |
Lithuania | 1 | 1% |
Unknown | 78 | 96% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Researcher | 18 | 22% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 16 | 20% |
Student > Master | 12 | 15% |
Student > Bachelor | 7 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 3 | 4% |
Other | 12 | 15% |
Unknown | 13 | 16% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
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Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 31 | 38% |
Environmental Science | 8 | 10% |
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine | 7 | 9% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 5 | 6% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 4 | 5% |
Other | 5 | 6% |
Unknown | 21 | 26% |