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Blood Protozoa of Wild Turkeys in Florida *
Author(s) -
FORRESTER DONALD J.,
HON L. T.,
WILLIAMS LOVETT E.,
AUSTIN DAVID H.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1974.tb03685.x
Subject(s) - haemoproteus , leucocytozoon , blood smear , biology , plasmodium (life cycle) , veterinary medicine , protozoan infection , protozoa , meleagris gallopavo , zoology , parasite hosting , immunology , microbiology and biotechnology , malaria , medicine , gametocyte , world wide web , computer science , plasmodium falciparum
SYNOPSIS From 1969 through 1972, 605 wild turkeys ( Meleagris gallopavo Linnaeus) from 10 localities in Florida were examined for blood protozoans. The prevalence in turkeys more than a month old was 84% for Haemoproteus meleagridis Levine, 1961 and 72% for Leucocytozoon smithi Laveran and Lucet, 1905. Sixty‐three percent of the birds were infected by both parasites. Infections were most prevalent in juveniles 8–12 months of age. No infection of H. meleagridis or L. smithi was found in 111 poults younger than 35 days. Prevalences were similar in both sexes. Haemoproteus meleagridis was more prevalent (87%) in the southern part of the state; L. smithi was more prevalent (75%) in the north. The prevalence of H. meleagridis did not change during the 4 year period, but L. smithi decreased markedly in 1971, a year of low rainfall. None of the 605 blood films was positive for Plasmodium , but 24 (75%) of 32 blood samples were found by subinoculation technics to be positive for a species of Plasmodium morphologically similar to P. durae Herman, 1941. No trypanosomes were seen on the 605 blood films or in bone marrow cultures (saline‐neopeptone‐blood) made from 11 turkeys.