Recent advances in the study of avian malaria: an overview with an emphasis on the distribution of Plasmodium spp in Brazil
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
;
106(supl.1): 3-11, Aug. 2011. tab
Artigo
em Inglês
| LILACS
| ID: lil-597239
ABSTRACT
Avian malaria parasites (Plasmodium) have a worldwide distribution except for Antarctica. They are transmitted exclusively by mosquito vectors (Diptera Culicidae) and are of particular interest to health care research due to their phylogenetic relationship with human plasmodia and their ability to cause avian malaria, which is frequently lethal in non-adapted avian hosts. However, different features of avian Plasmodium spp, including their taxonomy and aspects of their life-history traits, need to be examined in more detail. Over the last 10 years, ecologists, evolutionary biologists and wildlife researchers have recognized the importance of studying avian malaria parasites and other related haemosporidians, which are the largest group of the order Haemosporida by number of species. These studies have included understanding the ecological, behavioral and evolutionary aspects that arise in this wildlife host-parasite system. Molecular tools have provided new and exiting opportunities for such research. This review discusses several emerging topics related to the current research of avian Plasmodium spp and some related avian haemosporidians. We also summarize some important discoveries in this field and emphasize the value of using both polymerase chain reaction-based and microscopy-based methods in parallel for wildlife studies. We will focus on the genus Plasmodium, with an emphasis on the distribution and pathogenicity of these parasites in wild birds in Brazil.
Texto completo:
DisponíveL
Índice:
LILACS (Américas)
Assunto principal:
Plasmodium
/
Insetos Vetores
/
Malária Aviária
/
Culicidae
Limite:
Animais
País/Região como assunto:
América do Sul
/
Brasil
Idioma:
Inglês
Revista:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Assunto da revista:
Medicina Tropical
/
Parasitologia
Ano de publicação:
2011
Tipo de documento:
Artigo
País de afiliação:
Brasil
/
Lituânia
Instituição/País de afiliação:
Nature Research Centre/LT
/
Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais/BR
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