Avian malaria

Avian malaria

Taxobox
color = khaki
name = "Plasmodium relictum"


domain = Eukaryota
unranked_phylum = Alveolata
phylum = Apicomplexa
classis = Aconoidasida
ordo = Haemosporida
familia = Plasmodiidae
genus = "Plasmodium"
species = "P. relictum"
species_authority =
binomial = "Plasmodium relictum"

Avian malaria is a parasitic disease affecting birds.

Etiology

Avian malaria is most notably caused by "Plasmodium relictum", a protist that infects birds in tropical regions. There are several other species of "Plasmodium" that infect birds, such as "Plasmodium anasum" and "Plasmodium gallinaceum", but these are of less importance except, in occasional cases, for the poultry industry.

Vector

Its vector is the mosquito "Culex quinquefasciatus", which was introduced to the Hawaiian islands. Since arriving, this disease has devastated the native bird population. Virtually every individual of endemic species below 4000 feet in elevation has been eliminated by the disease, as that matches the range of the mosquito. These mosquitoes are limited to lower elevations by their requirement for warmth. However, they appear to be slowly gaining a foothold at higher elevations and their range may be expanding upwards.Fact|date=May 2008 If so, remaining endemic bird populations may adversely affected.

Most of the Hawaii islands have a maximum elevation of around 5,000 ft, so with the exception of the Big Island and East Maui, native birds may become extinct on every other island if the mosquito is able to occupy higher elevations.

Disease process & epidemiology

"Plasmodium relictum" reproduces in red blood cells. If the parasite load is sufficiently high, the bird begins losing red blood cells, causing anemia (USDI and USGS 2005). Because red blood cells are critical for moving oxygen about the body, loss of these cells can lead to progressive weakness and, eventually, death (USDI and USGS 2005). Malaria mainly affects birds in the order Passeriformes (perching birds). In Hawaii, this includes most of the native honeycreepers and the Hawaiian crow. Susceptibility to the disease varies between species, for example, the iiwi is very susceptible to malaria while the apapane less so (USDI and USGS 2005). Native Hawaiian birds are more susceptible than introduced birds to the disease and exhibit a higher mortality rate (Van Riper et al. 1982; Atkinson et al. 1995). This has serious implications for native bird faunas (SPREP) with P. relictum being blamed for the range restriction and extinctions of a number of bird species in Hawaii, primarily forest birds of low-land forests habitats where the mosquito vector is most common (Warner 1968; Van Riper 1991; USDI and USGS 2005).

Control

The only way to control the effects of avian malaria is to control mosquito populations. This is difficult particularly in remote areas in the wet forests of Hawaii where wallows from feral pigs and hollowed out logs of the native apuu ferns provide ample areas of standing water where the mosquito breeds (USDI and USGS 2005). One effective procedure is to reduce the number of potential water catchment containers in order to reduce the mosquito breeding sites available (SPREP Undated). However, in Hawaii attempts to control the mosquitoes by larval habitat reduction and larvicide use have been largely unsuccessful.

External links

* [http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=39&fr=1&sts= http://www.issg.org/database/species/ecology.asp?si=39&fr=1&sts=]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Malaria — Paludisme Classifications CIM du Paludisme Classification et ressources externes CIM 10 B50 à B54 CIM 9 084 (84.0 à 84.9) …   Wikipédia en Français

  • History of malaria — The history of malaria predates humanity, as this ancient disease evolved before humans did. Malaria, a widespread and potentially lethal infectious disease, has afflicted people for much of human history, and has affected settlement patterns.… …   Wikipedia

  • Plasmodium — This article is about the malaria parasite. For plasmodial slime molds, see Slime mold. Plasmodium Scientific classification Domain: Eukaryota …   Wikipedia

  • Plasmodium relictum —   Plasmodium relictum Clasificación científica Reino …   Wikipedia Español

  • Plasmodium species infecting birds — Species in five subgenera of Plasmodium infect birds Bennettinia , Giovannolaia , Haemamoeba , Huffia and Novyella .Wiersch S.C., Maier W.A., Kampen H. (2005) Plasmodium (Haemamoeba) cathemerium gene sequences for phylogenetic analysis of malaria …   Wikipedia

  • Hawaiian honeycreeper conservation — Hawaiian honeycreepers (Fringillidae), of the subfamily Drepanidinae, were once quite abundant in all forests throughout Hawai i. cite journal|title=Distribution and abundance of forest birds in low altitude habitat on Hawai i Island: evidence… …   Wikipedia

  • ʻApapane — Conservation status Least Concern …   Wikipedia

  • Ross , Sir Ronald — (1857–1932) British physician The son of an Indian Army officer, Ross was born in Almora, India. He originally wished to be an artist but his father was determined that he should join the Indian Medical Service. Consequently, after a medical… …   Scientists

  • Plasmodium — Schizont von Plasmodium malariae, der Typusart der Gattung, im gefärbten Blutausstrich Systematik ohne Rang: Chromalveolata …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ʻIʻiwi — Conservation status Vulnerable ( …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”