Seasonal Dynamics and Diversity of Haemosporidians in a Natural Woodland Bird Community in Slovakia

• Main Authors: Alžbeta Šujanová, Eva Špitalská, Radovan Václav
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
• Series: Diversity
• Subjects: avian blood parasites; cytochrome <i>b</i> lineages; avian migration; avian and parasite communities; seasonality; infection prevalence and intensity
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/9/439

Despite the ubiquity of disease seasonality, mechanisms behind the fluctuations in seasonal diseases are still poorly understood. Avian hemosporidiosis is increasingly used as a model for ecological and evolutionary studies on disease dynamics, but the results are complex, depending on the focus (hosts, parasites, vectors) and scale (individuals, community, populations) of the study. Here, we examine the local diversity of haemosporidian parasites and the seasonal patterns of infections, parasite richness, and diversity in a natural woodland bird community in Slovakia. In 35 avian species, we detected 111, including 19 novel, haemosporidian cytochrome <i>b</i> lineages. The highest numbers of lineages were detected during spring and autumn, corresponding with higher avian species richness and infection prevalence in the avian community during these periods of time. Nevertheless, the haemosporidian community in the local breeders in summer was relatively stable,<i> Haemoproteus</i> lineages dominated in the local avian haemosporidian community, and only few parasite lineages were abundant within each genus. While prevailing <i>Leucocytozoon</i> infections in spring suggest that the majority of sampled birds wintered in the Mediterranean region, <i>Plasmodium</i> infections in spring can be due to relapses in reproductively active short-distance migrants. Multiple haemosporidian infections, both intra- and inter-generic ones, were common in the local avian community. Infection intensity peaked during summer and tended to be higher in older birds, pointing to the role of supressed immunity in reproductively active birds.