Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus from resident and Neotropical migrant birds in Colombia.

ABSTRACT: Avian haemosporidians of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a group of widely distributed blood parasites that can negatively affect the fitness of their hosts. Colombia contains the greatest diversity of birds on the planet, but knowledge about the associations between haemosporidian and its avifauna is scarce and fragmented. We collected blood samples from 255 birds (203 residents and 52 neotropical migrants) belonging to 27 families and 108 species. The study was conducted in six localities in the inter-Andean valleys of the Cauca and Magdalena rivers. Parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus were identified in the samples by morphological and molecular analysis of a fragment of the mitochondrial gene cyt b. Among the samples, 9.3% (n = 24) were positive for Plasmodiu

SUBMITTER: Hernandez-Ospina MC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11208266 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature