10.1371/journal.pone.0099501 Yanhua Zhang Yanhua Zhang Yuchun Wu Yuchun Wu Qiang Zhang Qiang Zhang Dongdong Su Dongdong Su Fasheng Zou Fasheng Zou Prevalence Patterns of Avian <i>Plasmodium</i> and <i>Haemoproteus</i> Parasites and the Influence of Host Relative Abundance in Southern China Public Library of Science 2014 ecology biodiversity Evolutionary biology Evolutionary systematics phylogenetics Parasitology Zoology Avian biology Infectious diseases Parasitic diseases malaria prevalence patterns avian parasites abundance china 2014-06-09 02:59:02 Dataset https://plos.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Prevalence_Patterns_of_Avian_Plasmodium_and_Haemoproteus_Parasites_and_the_Influence_of_Host_Relative_Abundance_in_Southern_China/1050849 <div><p>Infectious diseases threaten the health and survival of wildlife populations. Consequently, relationships between host diversity, host abundance, and parasite infection are important aspects of disease ecology and conservation research. Here, we report on the prevalence patterns of avian <i>Plasmodium</i> and <i>Haemoproteus</i> infections and host relative abundance influence based on sampling 728 wild-caught birds representing 124 species at seven geographically widespread sites in southern China. The overall prevalence of two haemoprotozoan parasites, <i>Plasmodium</i> and <i>Haemoproteus</i>, was 29.5%, with 22.0% attributable to <i>Haemoproteus</i> and 7.8% to <i>Plasmodium</i>. <i>Haemoproteus</i> prevalence differed significantly among different avian host families, with the highest prevalence in Nectariniidae, Pycnonotidae and Muscicapidae, whereas <i>Plasmodium</i> prevalence varied significantly among host species. Seventy-nine mitochondrial lineages including 25 from <i>Plasmodium</i> and 54 from <i>Haemoproteus</i> were identified, 80% of which were described here for the first time. The phylogenetic relationships among these parasites indicated stronger host-species specificity for <i>Haemoproteus</i> than <i>Plasmodium</i>. Well-supported host-family (Timaliidae) specific clades were found in both <i>Plasmodium</i> and <i>Haemoproteus</i>. The <i>Haemoproteus</i> tree shows regional subclades, whereas the <i>Plasmodium</i> clades are “scattered” among different geographical regions. Interestingly, there were statistically significant variations in the prevalence of <i>Plasmodium</i> and <i>Haemoproteus</i> among the geographical regions. Furthermore, the prevalence of <i>Plasmodium</i> and <i>Haemoproteus</i> were not significantly correlated with host relative abundance. Further efforts will focus on exploring the relationships between parasite prevalence and sex, age, and immune defense of the host.</p></div>