ABSTRACT
Differences in habitat types affect host-parasite interactions and can increase the risk of epizootic outbreaks in wild populations. It is thought that parasitism is a necessary factor in conservation biology and is important in understanding ecological parasitology and vertebrate conservation management. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of avian malaria in forest and savanna birds. A total of 132 birds of 39 species belonging to 20 families were trapped in two wildlife protected areas in Ghana (Kakum National Park and Shai Hills Resource Reserve) and screened for the presence of the haemoparasites, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus spp. A combination of microscopy and PCR detected an overall prevalence of 45.4%. Comparatively, prevalence varied between the two sites with a higher prevalence of 69.20% in Kakum National Park compared to 12.90% in Shai Hills Resource Reserve. Sequencing of the positive PCR amplicons identified 20 mitochondrial lineages of 11 Plasmodium and 9 Haemoproteus lineages. Plasmodium and Haemoproteus prevalences varied in both sites with Plasmodium recording the highest prevalence in each site. The results of the study did not only confirm the presence of avian malaria in the Ghanaian wildlife protected areas, but also differences of these in the different habitats. The study also recommended that investigations should be carried out in both dry and wet seasons as well as including more study sites to make better comparison.
AGBEMELO-TSOMAFO, C (2021). Prevalence of Avian Malaria in Some Protected Areas in Ghana. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/prevalence-of-avian-malaria-in-some-protected-areas-in-ghana
AGBEMELO-TSOMAFO, CONSTANCE "Prevalence of Avian Malaria in Some Protected Areas in Ghana" Afribary. Afribary, 11 Apr. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/prevalence-of-avian-malaria-in-some-protected-areas-in-ghana. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
AGBEMELO-TSOMAFO, CONSTANCE . "Prevalence of Avian Malaria in Some Protected Areas in Ghana". Afribary, Afribary, 11 Apr. 2021. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/prevalence-of-avian-malaria-in-some-protected-areas-in-ghana >.
AGBEMELO-TSOMAFO, CONSTANCE . "Prevalence of Avian Malaria in Some Protected Areas in Ghana" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 23, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/prevalence-of-avian-malaria-in-some-protected-areas-in-ghana