| Abstract [eng] |
The parasites of the order Haemosporida belong to the type Apicomplexa. These are cosmopolitan endoparasites of vertebrate with a complex two-host life cycle. Infection with Haemosporida parasites is mainly studied worldwide in sparrows, but data on the prevalence of these protozoa in birds of prey is very limited. For the first time in Lithuania, a study was performed to determine the prevalence and abundance of hemosporidian parasites in juvenile common buzzards. The aim of the study was to determine the infestation of predatory birds (Buteo buteo - common buzzard) and biting midgets with hemosporidian parasites, their abundance and species. The collected material was analyzed based on the traditional microscopic method and molecular methods: DNA extraction using ammonium acetate, polymerase chain reaction, electrophoresis and sequencing. The obtained DNA sequences were processed using the BioEdit program, and the hemosporidia species were determined using the GenBank and MalAvi databases. All tested juveniles of Buteo buteo were found to be infected with Leucocytozoon parasites. Examination of the infection of biting midgets with hemosporidial parasites revealed that 4.04% of all examined individuals were infected with hemosporidia. The diversity of hemosporidian parasites was greater in the samples of small mosquitoes. Leucocytozoon sp. and L. toddi. The abundance of hemosporidian parasites was found to be highest in the blood of the second nest juvenile (1,2). |
