Avian Haemosporidian Parasites: Causes and Consequences of Infection

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last few decades, there have been important advances in our knowledge regarding bird Haemosporidians, especially in terms of their diversity, taxonomy, specificity and distribution. These advances allow for a better comprehension of the interactions between parasites and hosts and of the parasite effects on hosts, as well as of the factors that increase the risk of infections and their control. The development and application of molecular techniques to detect and identify parasites speed up the development of this area of research.

However, there is still much to be uncovered in terms of our understanding of the causes of the infection and its relapse in birds, as well as of the factors modulating their effects on the hosts both at the individual and population levels. Some studies, mostly in captive hosts, point to an effect caused by hormones on the increase in infections on peripheral blood but without reaching firm conclusions. In addition, medication experiments and long-term studies have allowed researchers to determine important detrimental effects of infections in birds although these results are usually obscured by the potential interaction of several concurrent infections within the same individual. There is a plethora of factors that wild animals confront in their life which can influence their possibility to be infected and to suffer from more or less important consequences of these infections. In addition, factors that indirectly affect the vertebrate host could be highly important for invertebrate hosts transmitting infections to birds. The interaction between vectors, parasites and birds is still being explored in many cases. Thus, there is a need for important research advancement in these areas.

The aim of this Special Issue is to present recent research and reviews on the causes and consequences of Haemosporidian infections in birds from different perspectives and at different levels, from the individual to the population, with the aim of stimulating interest, understanding and exploration of this important subject.

Prof. Dr. Santiago Merino Rodríguez
Guest Editor

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• factors affecting Haemosporidian transmission and effects on birds and vectors
• bird-related factors
• climate effects on transmissions and host infections
• factors affecting distribution and incidence of infections
• bird–Haemosporidian–vector interactions