Patterns of avian haemosporidia in birds within the greater Cape Town area
Master Thesis
2007
Permanent link to this Item
Authors
Journal Title
Link to Journal
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Publisher
University of Cape Town
Department
Faculty
License
Series
Abstract
Every species of bird has at least one species of endoparasite or ectoparasite, if not several. Thus it cannot be taken for granted that a particular individual avian species is free from haemosporidian infections. Birds have the richest diversity of intracellular, single cell, protozoan parasites with complicated life cycles, changing between the vector as definitive host (blood-feeding arthropod) and bird as intermediate host. Avian haemosporidian parasites belong to the order Haemospororida, to which the families Haemoprotidae, Plasmodiidae, Garniidae and Leucocytozoidae belong, consisting of the genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Fallisia and Leucocytozoon.
Description
Includes bibliographical references.
Keywords
Reference:
Schultz, A. 2007. Patterns of avian haemosporidia in birds within the greater Cape Town area. University of Cape Town.