Abstract
AbstractVector-transmitted haemosporidians are among the most common parasites in birds, but our knowledge of the inter-specific patterns of infection rates and the parasite community composition is far from complete because of the unequal distribution of the screening effort across bird families and genera. To assess infection rates and the diversity of haemosporidians from the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon in marsh terns, which represent poorly explored in this regard genus of the family gulls, terns, and skimmers (Laridae), we screened two species: the Whiskered Tern (Chlidonias hybrida) and the Black Tern (Chlidonias niger). We sampled these long-distance migratory birds on breeding grounds: the Whiskered Tern in south-central Poland and north-central Ukraine, and the Black Tern—in north-central Ukraine. We found that birds from both species were infected only sporadically, with prevalence at the population level not exceeding 3.4%. Only parasites from the genera Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon were detected. There was neither an inter-specific difference nor a difference between populations of the Whiskered Tern in infection rates. In total, we registered three lineages—one Plasmodium and two Leucocytozoon—that were previously recorded in other bird species, and two unidentified Plasmodium infections. One of the lineages (Leucocytozoon LARCAC02) represents a specialist parasite with the host range restricted to larids and geographic range restricted to Poland, and two others (Plasmodium SGS1 and Leucocytozoon CIAE02) represent generalist parasites with very broad host and geographic ranges. This study reinforces the existing evidence that terns host parasites from genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, and Leucocytozoon only sporadically.
Funder
Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Infectious Diseases,Insect Science,General Veterinary,General Medicine,Parasitology
Reference91 articles.
1. Adlard RD, Peirce MA, Lederer R (2002) New species of Leucocytozoon from the avian families Otidae, Podargidae and Threskiornithidae. J Nat Hist 36:1261–1267. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930110049962
2. Adler PH (2022) World Blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae): a comprehensive revision of the taxonomic and geographical inventory [2022]. https://biomia.sites.clemson.edu/pdfs/blackflyinventory.pdf. Accessed 2 February 2023
3. Atamas NS, Tomchenko OV (2020) Black Tern nest-site fidelity in unstable habitat: preliminary study. Zoodiversity 54:341–348. https://doi.org/10.15407/zoo2020.04.341
4. Atkinson CT, Samuel MD (2010) Avian malaria Plasmodium relictum in native Hawaiian forest birds: epizootiology and demographic impacts on ‵Apapane Himatione sanguinea. J Avian Biol 41:357–366. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-048X.2009.04915.x
5. Atkinson CT, van Riper C III (1991) Pathogenicity and epizootiology of avian haematozoa: Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon. In: Loye JE, Zuk M (eds) Bird-parasite interactions: ecology, evolution, and behaviour. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 19–48