Polychromophilus spp. (Haemosporida) in Malagasy bats: host specificity and insights on invertebrate vectors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bats are home to diverse haemosporidian parasites namely Plasmodium and Plasmodium-related. While information is available at a worldwide level, haemosporidian infection in bats from Madagascar is still scarce and recent changes in the taxonomy of the island's bat fauna, particularly the description of several new species, require a reassessment of previously described patterns, including blood parasite ecology and vectorial transmission.

Methods

A sample representing seven of the nine known bat families and 31 of the 46 currently recognized taxa from Madagascar and collected in the western and central portions of the island were screened by PCR for the presence of Polychromophilus. In addition, Nycteribiidae flies parasitizing Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae w

SUBMITTER: Ramasindrazana B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6119311 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature