Abstract
Hosts frequently harbor multiple parasite infections, yet patterns of parasite cooccurrence are poorly documented in nature. In this study, we asked whether two common avian blood parasites, one haemosporidian and one trypanosome, affect each other’s occurrence in individuals of a single host species. We used molecular genotyping to survey protozoan parasites in the peripheral blood of yellow-breasted chats (Aves: Passeriformes [Parulidae]: Icteria virens) from the Ozarks of southern Missouri. We also determined whether single and co-infections differently influence white blood cell and polychromatic erythrocyte counts, the latter being a measure of regenerative anemia. We found a positive association between the haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites, such that infection by one increases the probability that an individual host is infected by the other. Adult individuals were more likely than juveniles to exhibit haemosporidian infection, but co-infections and single trypanosome infections were not age-related. We found evidence of pathogenicity of trypanosomes in that infected individuals exhibited similar levels of regenerative anemia as birds infected with haemosporidian parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Counts of white blood cells did not differ with respect to infection status.
Original language | American English |
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Journal | Parasitology |
Volume | 143 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jan 12 2016 |
Disciplines
- Biology
- Virology
- Immunology and Infectious Disease