Last Updated: 08/10/2025
Identification of vector species transmitting avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites on the South-East Baltic cost
Objectives
This research project aims to identify previously unknown vector species transmitting avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites along the South-East Baltic coast. By sampling blood-sucking insects and employing molecular identification techniques, the study seeks to enhance understanding of the relationship between these vectors and avian haemosporidians, addressing a significant gap in current knowledge.
Zoological Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian Federation
Blood-sucking dipteran insects (Insecta, Diptera) serve as vectors for numerous parasitic infections affecting both humans and animals. Many of these parasites cause severe diseases that can result in high mortality among susceptible hosts, particularly when the pathogen spreads to new regions. Consequently, identifying vector species is essential for understanding transmission dynamics, while assessing infection prevalence within vectors is crucial for accurately predicting the risk of epizootic outbreaks.
Avian haemosporidians (Apicomplexa, Haemosporida) are common, globally distributed parasites of birds (Valkiūnas, 2005). This group includes three main genera—Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon—all of which display high inter- and intraspecific diversity. Over 250 species of avian haemosporidians have been identified (Harl et al., 2020), with new species regularly described (MalAvi database, Bensch et al., 2009). All three genera have complex life cycles that involve a vertebrate host (birds) and an insect vector: Plasmodium parasites are transmitted by mosquitoes (Culicidae), Haemoproteus by biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), and Leucocytozoon by black flies (Simuliidae).
Haemosporidian infections can be highly virulent to avian hosts, causing various pathologies through the destruction of blood cells and damage to internal organs. Numerous reports have documented large-scale bird mortality events, both in the wild and in captivity, due to malaria (Plasmodium spp.) and other haemosporidioses (Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon spp.) (Valkiūnas, 2005; Atkinson, 2008).
While the relationships between these parasites and their avian hosts are relatively well studied, much less is known about their vectors. In particular, data on the dipteran species transmitting avian haemosporidians—and on the specificity of vector–parasite associations—remain limited and insufficiently systematized.
The research team plans to conduct systematic sampling of blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes, biting midges, and black flies) from April to September 2023–2024 on the Curonian Spit of the Baltic Sea (Kaliningrad region). Using molecular parasite identification methods (PCR) and screening salivary gland preparations from collected insects for the presence of infective parasite stages (sporozoites), the investigators aim to generate precise data on the species diversity and vector competence of dipterans transmitting avian haemosporidians.
Jan 2023 — Dec 2024
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