Double gametocyte infections in apicomplexan parasites of birds and reptiles.
The simultaneous occurrence of male and female gametocytes inside a single host blood cell has been suggested to enhance apicomplexan transmission ["double gametocyte infection (DGI) hypothesis"]. We did a bibliographic search and a direct screen of blood smears from wild birds and reptiles to answer, for the first time, how common are these infections in the wild. Taking these two approaches together, we report here cases of DGIs in Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon and Hepatozoon, and cases of male-female DGIs in Haemoproteus of birds and reptiles and in Leucocytozoon of birds. Thus, we suggest that DGIs and male female DGIs are more widespread than previously thought, opening a new research avenue on apicomplexan transmission.
Department of Applied Biology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Avda Maria Luisa s/n, 41013 Sevilla, Spain. jovani@ebd.csic.es
Roger
R
Jovani
Luisa
L
Amo
Elena
E
Arriero
Oliver
O
Krone
Alfonso
A
Marzal
Peter
P
Shurulinkov
Gustavo
G
Tomás
Daniel
D
Sol
Jana
J
Hagen
Pilar
P
López
José
J
Martín
Carlos
C
Navarro
Jordi
J
Torres
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000469:parasitology*; D012104:Reptiles / Q000469:parasitology*