scholarly journals Haemosporidian infection does not alter aerobic performance in the Pink-sided Junco (Junco hyemalis mearnsi)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Stager ◽  
Douglas K. Eddy ◽  
Zachary A. Cheviron ◽  
Matthew D. Carling

ABSTRACTAvian haemosporidia are blood parasites that can have dramatic fitness consequences on their hosts, including largescale population declines when introduced to naïve hosts. Yet the physiological effects that accompany haemosporidian infection and underlie these fitness decrements are poorly characterized in most wild birds. Because haemosporidia destroy host red blood cells and consume host hemoglobin, they are predicted to have detrimental impacts on avian blood-oxygen transport and, as a result, reduce aerobic performance. However, the documented effects of infection on avian hematological traits vary across species and no effects have been demonstrated on avian aerobic performance to date. Here we quantified the physiological effects of haemosporidian infections on wild ‘Pink-sided’ Juncos (Junco hyemalis mearnsi) breeding in northwestern Wyoming, USA. We assayed hematological traits (hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit) and aerobic performance (resting and summit metabolic rates, thermogenic endurance, and aerobic scope), then screened individuals for haemosporidian infection post-hoc (n = 106 adult juncos). We found that infection status did not correlate with any of the physiological indices that we measured, suggesting there is little cost of haemosporidian infection on either junco aerobic performance or energy budgets. Our results highlight the need for more studies of haemosporidia infections in a broader range of species and in a wider array of environmental contexts.

Author(s):  
Anna Chalfoun

Human-induced changes to natural landscapes have become ubiquitous, resulting in exposure of wildlife populations to novel stressors (Munns 2006). While it is clear that changes such as habitat loss can directly impact wildlife species, less clear is the extent to which human presence itself functions as a disturbance that influences wildlife behaviors with important fitness consequences. Animals clearly respond to perceived risk of predation by natural predators via, for example, fleeing, or altering foraging and/or breeding habitat selection (Marzluff 1988, Hakkarainen et al. 2001, Frid and Dill2002, Blumstein 2006, Borkowski et al. 2006, Fontaine and Martin 2006). Such responses can alter access to important resources, energy budgets, and therefore attributes such as body condition (Bechet et al. 2004) with potential impacts to survival and reproductive output. Of critical importance to the management of wildlife populations is therefore to determine 1) whether wildlife species perceive human presence as predation risk, 2) how individuals respond to such risk, and 3) how such responses influence fitness consequences and therefore population dynamics and community structure.


2012 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1140-1146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grasiely Faccin Borges ◽  
Luis Manuel Pinto Lopes Rama ◽  
Susana Pedreiro ◽  
Fátima Rosado ◽  
Francisco Alves ◽  
...  

This study monitored haematological markers in response to training load in elite kayakers during a training season. The sample comprised eight elite kayakers aged 22 ± 4.2 years with a 77.2 ± 6.7 kg body mass and a 177.5 ± 5.6 cm stature. The initial [Formula: see text]O2max was 61.2 ± 5.5 mL·kg–1·min–1. The control group consisted of six healthy males, aged 18.6 ± 1.1 years, with an 81.3 ± 13.8 kg body mass and a 171.9 ± 4.5 cm stature. Blood samples were collected at the beginning of the training season after an off-training period of six weeks (t0), at the 11th week after the application of high training volumes (t1), at the 26th week after an intense training cycle (t2), and at the 31st week at the end of a tapering phase (t3). Differences between time points were detected using ANOVA and the Bonferroni post hoc test. Significant changes were found after the intense training cycle (t2), lymphocytes decreased while haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, mean corposcular haemoglobin, mean concentration of corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, platelets distribution width, and red blood cell distribution width values increased when compared with baseline values. At t3, a reduction in monocyte numbers and an increase in mean platelet volume compared with baseline values were seen. By reducing the volume and intensity of training, many variables returned to values close to those at baseline. Although many athletes had accumulated responses over time due to training, they still suffered transient changes that appear to be influenced by training load. Haemorheology monitoring may help detect health risks, especially during times of intensified training.


Parasitology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
ASTA KRIŽANAUSKIENĖ ◽  
JAVIER PÉREZ-TRIS ◽  
VAIDAS PALINAUSKAS ◽  
OLOF HELLGREN ◽  
STAFFAN BENSCH ◽  
...  

SUMMARYThe blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) is a common Palearctic migratory warbler, and haemosporidian parasites are common in this species. However, genetic and phenotypic diversity of haemosporidians in warblers has been insufficiently investigated and poorly linked. We addressed this issue by combining molecular and microscopy data for detection of pigment-forming haemosporidians of the genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium. Blood samples from 498 blackcaps were collected at 7 different sites in Europe and investigated for these parasites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based techniques and microscopic examination. In all, 56% of the birds were infected by at least 1 out of 25 distinct mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene lineages of these haemosporidians. It is concluded that the blackcap is infected not only with blackcap specific haemosporidians, but also with Haemoproteus majoris, which is a host generalist and common in birds belonging to the Paridae. Haemoproteus pallidulus sp. nov. is described based on morphology of its blood stages and segments of the cyt b and dihydrofolate reductase/thymidylate synthase (DHFR-TS) genes. This study provides evidence that genetic diversity of haemosporidian parasites might be positively correlated with migratory strategies of their avian hosts; it also contributes to the value of both microscopy and molecular diagnostics of avian blood parasites.


2008 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 562-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eszter Szöllősi ◽  
Olof Hellgren ◽  
Dennis Hasselquist

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-16
Author(s):  
Yanse Yane Rumlaklak ◽  
Jois Moriani Jacob ◽  
Aven B Oematan

Babesia sp. is a protozoa that infects dogs through tick bite and can cause babesiosis. The purpose of blood tests in case dogs is to find out the profile of the dog's red blood cells with babesiosis. On clinical examination found many ticks on the dog's body. Dogs show clinical symptoms of dehydration and paleness in the mucosa. Blood collection is done through the anterior antibrachii cephalica vein. Blood is taken and collected in EDTA tubes. Then the examination is done by examining blood parasites, examining erythrocyte values, examining hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit values. Examination of blood parasites was done by making reticulocyte preparations, while examining erythrocyte values, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit values were performed using a Vet Scan® HM 5TM machine. The results of examination of reticulocyte preparations showed the existence of Babesia sp infestations with a presentation of 0.68%. Erythrocyte values, hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit values were 3.52x106 // µL, 6.90 g / dL and 23.81%. Based on history, physical examination, clinical and laboratory examination, it can be concluded that the Beagle dog named Loh has microcytic hypochromatic anemia.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina D. Rodriguez ◽  
Paul F. Doherty ◽  
Antoinette J. Piaggio ◽  
Kathryn P. Huyvaert

Abstract Background - Prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed. Methods - Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection. Results - We estimated prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidia across 24 bird species, detecting 39 parasite haplotypes. We found that open cup nesters have higher Haemoproteus prevalence than cavity or ground nesters. Additionally, we found that male Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s Warblers have higher Haemoproteus prevalence compared to other host species. Conclusions - Our study presents baseline knowledge of haemosporidian parasite presence, prevalence, and diversity among avian species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and adds to our knowledge of host-parasite relationships of blood parasites and their avian hosts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-104
Author(s):  
Regina Carolina Ferreira de Souza Gomes ◽  
Bárbara Luiza Barbosa Teixeira ◽  
Cássia Lima Silva Gusmão ◽  
Alexandre M. Fernandes

2009 ◽  
Vol 18 (19) ◽  
pp. 4121-4133 ◽  
Author(s):  
ANTHONY CHASAR ◽  
CLAIRE LOISEAU ◽  
GEDIMINAS VALKIŪNAS ◽  
TATJANA IEZHOVA ◽  
THOMAS B. SMITH ◽  
...  

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