Within- and between-brood variations in haemosporidian infections of nestlings reveal complex host–vector–parasite relationships
Anna George, Christian Aastrup, Tamara Emmenegger, Arne Hegemann · 2026
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Description
Anna George and colleagues tracked blood parasites in 2026 in jackdaw nestlings over four non consecutive years. Avian blood parasites spread by biting flies cause acute and chronic infections with potential fitness costs, and transmission often hits nestlings whose featherless skin is easily bitten. Yet patterns within and between broods were little known.
Prevalence of haemosporidians, Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium, and Haemoproteus, varied by year and averaged 33.9 percent, with Leucocytozoon most common. No links emerged with body size, sex, or hatching date at population level, though brood level patterns were explored. The study maps early life parasite exposure in a wild bird population.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Anna George, Christian Aastrup, Tamara Emmenegger, Arne Hegemann |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 46 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |