Phylogeny and Prevalence of Haemosporidian Parasites of Free-ranging Domestic Birds in Northwestern Uganda
Jesca Nakayima1*, Eugene Arinaitwe2, William Microse Kabasa3, Paul Davies Kasaija1, Constance Agbemelo-Tsomafo4, and Taiwo Crossby Omotoriogun,5,6,7
1National Livestock Resources Research Institute (NaLIRRI), P.O. Box 5704, Nakyesasa, Wakiso, Uganda.
2National Animal Disease Diagnostics and Epidemiology Centre (NADDEC). P.O. Box 513, Entebbe, Uganda
3Department of Biotechnical & Diagnostic Sciences, The School of Veterinary and Animal Resources, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security, (CoVAB); Makerere University. P.O. Box 7062 Kampala, Uganda
3Department of Animal Experimentation, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Ghana
4Department of Biological Sciences, Biotechnology Unit, Elizade University, P.M.B 002, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Nigeria
5AP Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, University of Jos, Nigeria
6Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Norway
Citation: Nakayima J, Arinaitwe E, Kabasa WM, Kasaija PD, Tsomafo CA, Omotoriogun TC (2023) Phylogeny and Prevalence of Haemosporidian Parasites of Free-ranging Domestic Birds in Northwestern Uganda. SciTech Infectious Diseases 2023.
Received: October 04, 2023 Accepted: October 07, 2023 Published: October 07, 2023
Abstract
Infection of avian malaria parasites is a general problem for both wild and domestic birds. Most infected birds exhibit suppressed immunity, poor productivity and high mortality. Despite this concern, there are limited studies on haemosporidian parasites in free-ranging domestic birds in Africa and its subregions. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution, prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites among free-ranging domestic birds in Uganda. Blood samples were collected from free-ranging chickens (n=304), ducks (n=70), turkeys (n=14), and guinea fowl (n=19) and screened for haemosporidian parasites. Microscopy and PCR approaches were used to detect and identify parasites based on morphological characteristics and a 600-900 bp amplified fragment of Cytochrome b (cyt b). We detected Haemoproteus (17.25%, n=69), Plasmodium (22%, n=88) and Leucocytozoon (1.75%, n=7) in the sampled birds. The sequences from these genera were nested within their respective clades in a phylogenetic tree constructed using sequences from the MalAvi database. Our study showed that free-ranging domestic birds habour haemosporidian parasites in Uganda thus providing insight for more conscious management practice in poultry systems to prevent widespread infection of the parasites.
Keywords: Avian malaria, Birds, Ecosystem, Haemosporidia, Uganda
