Avian haemosporidian parasites infection in wild birds inhabiting Minami-daito Island of the Northwest Pacific, Japan.
Haemosporidian parasites infection among wild birds inhabiting Minami-daito Island was studied. Blood films from 183 birds representing 4 species of 4 families were examined microscopically. Avian haemosporidian parasites were detected in 3 species with an overall prevalence of 59.6%. None of the 30 Daito scops owls (Otus scops interpositus) examined were infected. Either Haemoproteus sp. or Plasmodium sp. infection was found in 14 of 31 (45.2%) Borodino islands white-eyes (Zosterops japonicus daitoensis). Plasmodium spp. were found in 94 of 102 (92.2%) bull-headed shrikes (Lanius bucephalus) and 1 of 20 (5%) tree sparrows (Passer montanus).
College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Fujisawa, Kanagawa, Japan. k-murata@brs.nihon-u.ac.jp
Koichi
K
Murata
Ryosuke
R
Nii
Saori
S
Yui
Emi
E
Sasaki
Satoshi
S
Ishikawa
Yukita
Y
Sato
Shin
S
Matsui
Sayaka
S
Horie
Kana
K
Akatani
Masaoki
M
Takagi
Kyoko
K
Sawabe
Yoshio
Y
Tsuda
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D001717:Birds; D016787:Haemosporida / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D007564:Japan; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology