1. [Hemoparasites in wild birds in Madagascar].
- Author
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Raharimanga V, Soula F, Raherilalao MJ, Goodman SM, Sadonès H, Tall A, Randrianarivelojosia M, Raharimalala L, Duchemin JB, Ariey F, and Robert V
- Subjects
- Age Distribution, Altitude, Animals, Bird Diseases parasitology, Body Weight, Climate, Helminthiasis, Animal blood, Helminthiasis, Animal epidemiology, Helminthiasis, Animal parasitology, Madagascar epidemiology, Malaria blood, Malaria epidemiology, Malaria parasitology, Malaria veterinary, Male, Parasitic Diseases, Animal parasitology, Population Surveillance, Prevalence, Seasons, Sex Distribution, Trypanosomiasis blood, Trypanosomiasis epidemiology, Trypanosomiasis parasitology, Trypanosomiasis veterinary, Animals, Wild parasitology, Bird Diseases blood, Bird Diseases epidemiology, Parasitic Diseases, Animal blood, Parasitic Diseases, Animal epidemiology
- Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and density of haemoparasites in native Malagasy birds. Among the 387 birds, belonging to 43 species sampled at six localities in different bio-climatic zones of the island, 139 (35.9%) showed at least 1 hemoparasite with, by order of frequency, Plasmodium and/or Haemoproteus (19.9%), microfilariae (13.7% of 387 birds), Leucocytozoon (11.1%) and Trypanosoma (1.0%). An analysis to further elucidate these observations took into account the interaction of different environmental variables (altitude, season, site of collection) or aspects of the birds (age, weight, sex). There is evidence that some parasites preferentially infect some bird species or families. The largest male birds harboured the highest prevalences and densities of haemoparasite, regardless of species. These findings extend knowledge of bird/blood parasite relationships of Malagasy birds and provide interesting insights, especially concerning the pathogenicity of this type of parasitism and the parasite transmission by insect vectors.
- Published
- 2002