Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Blood Parasite Infections and Impacts on Avian Health and Reproduction.

ABSTRACT: Parasitic infections are ubiquitous in nature, but their consequences are often difficult to evaluate in wildlife. This is particularly the case for chronic infections for which fitness impacts can be subtle or confounded with other intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Infections by Babesia (Apicomplexa, Piroplasmidae) are widespread in wildlife, but little is known about their impacts on host health. Here, we evaluated the dynamics and possible fitness consequences of infection by Babesia sp. YLG, a recently described parasite infecting yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis). Using a qPCR assay developed for Babesia sp. YLG, we found that prevalence was much higher in chicks compared with adults. In chicks, infection depended on the colony and was tightly related to nest infestation by the t

SUBMITTER: Buysse M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12717979 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature