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Biting midges (Culicoides, Diptera) transmit Haemoproteus parasites of owls: evidence from sporogony and molecular phylogeny

Overview of attention for article published in Parasites & Vectors, June 2015
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  • In the top 25% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric
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  • High Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (83rd percentile)

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Title
Biting midges (Culicoides, Diptera) transmit Haemoproteus parasites of owls: evidence from sporogony and molecular phylogeny
Published in
Parasites & Vectors, June 2015
DOI 10.1186/s13071-015-0910-6
Pubmed ID
Authors

Dovilė Bukauskaitė, Rita Žiegytė, Vaidas Palinauskas, Tatjana A. Iezhova, Dimitar Dimitrov, Mikas Ilgūnas, Rasa Bernotienė, Mikhail Yu. Markovets, Gediminas Valkiūnas

Abstract

Haemoproteus parasites are widespread, and several species cause diseases both in birds and blood-sucking insects. These pathogens are transmitted by dipterans belonging to the Ceratopogonidae and Hippoboscidae, however certain vector species remain unknown for the majority of Haemoproteus spp. Owls are often infected by Haemoproteus parasites, but experimental studies on vectors of these infections are lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate sporogonic development of two widespread Haemoproteus parasites of owls, H. noctuae and H. syrnii in experimentally infected biting midges Culicoides impunctatus and Culicoides nubeculosus. We also followed in vitro sporogonic development of these infections and determined their phylogenetic relationships with Haemoproteus spp., for which vectors have been identified. Wild-caught C. impunctatus and laboratory reared C. nubeculosus were infected experimentally by allowing them to take blood meals on one individual long-eared owl (Asio otus) and one tawny owl (Strix aluco) harbouring mature gametocytes of H. noctuae (lineage hCIRCUM01) and H. syrnii (hCULCIB01), respectively. The engorged insects were maintained in the laboratory at 16-18 °C, and dissected at intervals in order to follow the development of ookinetes, oocysts and sporozoites. We also observed in vitro development of sexual stages of both parasites by exposure of infected blood to air. The parasite lineages were determined by polymerase chain reaction-based methods. Bayesian phylogeny was constructed in order to determine the relationships of owl parasites with other avian Haemoproteus spp., for which vectors have been identified. Both H. noctuae and H. syrnii completed sporogony in C. nubeculosus, and H. noctuae completed sporogony in C. impunctatus. Ookinetes, oocysts and sporozoites of these parasites were reported and described. Gametes and ookinetes of both species readily developed in vitro. In accordance with sporogony data, the phylogenetic analysis placed both parasite lineages in a clade of Culicoides spp.-transmitted avian Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) spp. Culicoides nubeculosus and C. impunctatus are vectors of H. noctuae and H. syrnii. Phylogenies based on cytochrome b gene indicate parasite-vector relationships, and we recommend using them in predicting possible parasite-vector relationships and planning research on avian Haemoproteus spp. vectors in wildlife.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 98 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
United States 2 2%
Spain 1 1%
Colombia 1 1%
Brazil 1 1%
Unknown 93 95%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 17 17%
Student > Master 15 15%
Student > Bachelor 14 14%
Student > Ph. D. Student 12 12%
Student > Doctoral Student 9 9%
Other 18 18%
Unknown 13 13%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 44 45%
Environmental Science 8 8%
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine 7 7%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 6 6%
Unspecified 3 3%
Other 11 11%
Unknown 19 19%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 6. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 15 February 2018.
All research outputs
#6,282,718
of 25,517,918 outputs
Outputs from Parasites & Vectors
#1,252
of 6,029 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#67,973
of 281,303 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Parasites & Vectors
#21
of 118 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,517,918 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done well and is in the 75th percentile: it's in the top 25% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 6,029 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 6.1. This one has done well, scoring higher than 79% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 281,303 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done well, scoring higher than 75% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 118 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done well, scoring higher than 83% of its contemporaries.