Prevalencia de haemoparásitos en aves de zonas urbanas y bosques conservados en la costa ecuatoriana

Abstract

CONDITION FOR PUBLICATION OF PROJECT. In this project, the prevalence and distribution of haemoparsites in birds from forest located in urban and conserved areas along Ecuador’s coast are analyzed. The objective is to assess infection prevalence between habitats in anthropogenic/urban influence and conserved habitats, under the hypothesis that urbanization increases the likelihood of infections. This analysis helps generate relevant information and fill gaps in the tropical dry forest ecosystem to support effective decision-making for conservation and public health. Birds were sampled using mist nets at Bosque Protector y Vegetación Prosperina, Bosque Protector Cerro Blanco, and the Arbofino ecologic reserve; for the analyses, blood smears were prepared and examined by microscopy alongside PCR assays. One positive case was detected at Bosque Protector y Vegetación Prosperina, with parasitemia of 1.2% in 10,000 erythrocytes. PCR yielded five positives, three at Prosperina, one at Arbofino, and one external, indicating active parasitism in urban environments and lesser presence in conserved areas, with birds functioning as reservoirs and ecological vectors within these ecosystems. Keywords: Parasitemia, Haemosporida, Nested PCR, Blood parasites