Fecal samples fail in PCR-based diagnosis of malaria parasite infection in birds

dc.contributor.authorMartinsen, Ellen S.
dc.contributor.authorBrightman, Heidi
dc.contributor.authorFleischer, Robert C.
dc.date.accessioned2015-04-20T15:15:33Z
dc.date.available2015-04-20T15:15:33Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractMalaria parasites are common in wild vertebrates on all warm continents and have recently been isolated from wild apes by non-invasive fecal sampling. Here, we examined the utility of fecal samples for malaria parasite detection in wild birds. We collected both blood and fecal samples from 56 birds sampled in the field, extracted DNA from all samples using various methods, and screened all samples using sensitive PCR-based methods. We found 35 birds to be positive for malaria parasite infection (genera Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus) using blood samples while no fecal samples revealed a positive infection. These results suggest that malaria parasites cannot be efficiently detected from fecal samples of birds and that blood sampling is still necessary for the study of the malaria parasites of wild bird populations.
dc.format.extent15–17
dc.identifier1877-7252
dc.identifier.citationMartinsen, Ellen S., Brightman, Heidi, and Fleischer, Robert C. 2015. "<a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12686-014-0297-2">Fecal samples fail in PCR-based diagnosis of malaria parasite infection in birds</a>." <em>Conservation Genetics Resources</em>, 7 15–17. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-014-0297-2">https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-014-0297-2</a>.
dc.identifier.issn1877-7252
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10088/25348
dc.publisherSpringer Nature
dc.relation.ispartofConservation Genetics Resources 7
dc.titleFecal samples fail in PCR-based diagnosis of malaria parasite infection in birds
dc.typearticle
sro.description.unitnzp
sro.identifier.doi10.1007/s12686-014-0297-2
sro.identifier.itemID127845
sro.identifier.refworksID57859
sro.identifier.urlhttp://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12686-014-0297-2
sro.publicationPlaceDordrecht, Netherlands

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