ANIMA’s close international collaboration with the State Scientific Research Institute Nature Research Centre has led to a new scientific discovery that has just been published.
The study concerned wild birds in Greece and Lithuania and investigated the presence of the parasite Sarcocystis spp. in them through DNA analysis of their blood. Sarcocystis spp. is a coccidian parasite that forms cysts in the muscle tissue of many mammals, birds, and reptiles, and its diagnosis normally requires examination of the host’s muscle tissue. In our study, Sarcocystis halieti was detected in 9 of the 93 samples (in 17.4% of griffon vultures in Greece and in 7.5% and 6.7% of barn swallows and house martins in Lithuania, respectively).
This is the first detection of Sarcocystis spp. in bird blood. Thus, this study demonstrates that molecular detection from blood samples can serve as an important and non-invasive diagnostic tool for this parasitic infection. In addition, the presence of Sarcocystis halieti in these bird species was detected for the first time. These results are important both for understanding the spread and biology of parasites and for studying their impact on the health and conservation of wild animals.
See here the link for the publication (free access after one year).
