title: Genetic characterization of avian malaria (Protozoa) in the endangered lesser kestrel, Falco naumanni.
abstract: We genetically analyzed avian malaria (Protozoa) isolated from lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) breeding in La Mancha, Central Spain. A total of 586 adult individuals were screened for blood parasites using a very efficient polymerase chain reaction approach that amplifies a partial segment (498 bp) of the cytochrome b gene of avian malaria of the genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium. The prevalence of Plasmodium was 8.2%, and the prevalence of Haemoproteus was 4.1%. Sequence analyses revealed six unique lineages of avian malaria, three Plasmodium (LK5, LK6, RTSR1) and three Haemoproteus (LK2, LK3, LK4). According to sequence divergence, these lineages seem to correspond to at least three different species, although all recovered lineages could be independent evolutionary units. The third most common lineage (RTSR1) has been previously retrieved from two other avian host species, including a resident African bird species and a trans-Saharan migrant passerine, suggesting that lesser kestrels could acquire this Plasmodium lineage at their winter quarters in Africa.
authors.affiliation: Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural, Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos-IREC (CSIC, UCLM, JCCM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain. joaquin.ortego@uclm.es
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ortego
authors.forename: Gustau
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Calabuig
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Cordero
authors.forename: José Miguel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Aparicio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D046093:Falconiformes / Q000469:parasitology*; D008289:Malaria, Avian / Q000469:parasitology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013030:Spain
chemical_list: D045303:Cytochromes b