Prevalence of Haemosporidians in birds from Northern Michigan

Abstract

Haemosporidians, such as Leucocyozoon, Haemoproteus, and Plasmodium are blood parasites. Plasmodium is one that affects both human and birds. A total of 189 avian birds were sampled from Douglas Lake and three sites along the Maple River in Emmett County, Michigan from July 10th to August 3rd. Forty-five (23.8%) were infected with haematozoa. Leucocyozoon simondi infected 100% of the common merganser (Mergus merganser) and common raven (Corvus corax). Seventeen of the 159 passerine birds that were sampled from the Maple River were infected with Plasmodium sp. Emberizidae and Parulidae families had the highest prevalence of infection (3.1 and 3.8%, respectively). Prevalence of infection differed among avian families and sites, but not among ages.