Multiple host-switching of Haemosporidia parasites in bats.
BACKGROUND
There have been reported cases of host-switching in avian and lizard species of Plasmodium (Apicomplexa, Haemosporidia), as well as in those infecting different primate species. However, no evidence has previously been found for host-swapping between wild birds and mammals.


METHODS
This paper presents the results of the sampling of blood parasites of wild-captured bats from Madagascar and Cambodia. The presence of Haemosporidia infection in these animals is confirmed and cytochrome b gene sequences were used to construct a phylogenetic analysis.


RESULTS
Results reveal at least three different and independent Haemosporidia evolutionary histories in three different bat lineages from Madagascar and Cambodia.


CONCLUSIONS
Phylogenetic analysis strongly suggests multiple host-switching of Haemosporidia parasites in bats with those from avian and primate hosts.
Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, USM 504 et UMR 5202, 55-61 rue Buffon, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. linda@pasteur-kh.org
Linda
L
Duval
Vincent
V
Robert
Gabor
G
Csorba
Alexandre
A
Hassanin
Milijaona
M
Randrianarivelojosia
Joe
J
Walston
Thy
T
Nhim
Steve M
SM
Goodman
Frédéric
F
Ariey
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000469:parasitology; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000469:parasitology*; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000235:genetics*; D016787:Haemosporida / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010802:Phylogeny
D003573:Cytochrome b Group