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Encyclopedia of Malaria pp 1–11Cite as

Avian Malaria Models of Disease

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Synonyms

Damage; Immunity; Infection; Parasitemia; Pathogenicity; Plasmodium gallinaceum ; Plasmodium relictum ; Resistance; Tolerance; Virulence

Definition

Avian malaria parasites are widespread disease agents infecting hundreds of bird species in the five continents. They exhibit a large taxonomic variation especially if based on genetic classification. Pathogenicity is also very variable and depends on the parasite species, the host species, and the environmental conditions where the interaction takes place. Factors that shape the severity of the infection include parasite and host genetics, host age, and immune reactivity. The combinations of parasite traits, host traits, and environmental traits therefore produce infection patterns that range from being highly lethal to the host or asymptomatic. Two avian Plasmodium species have been used as model systems both in laboratory and field studies: Plasmodium relictum and P. gallinaceum. P. gallinaceumis relevant because it infects...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre de Biologie et Gestion des Populations, UMR IRD (UR 022)-INRA-CIRAD, Campus International de Baillarguet, Montferrier sur Lez, France

    Stéphane Cornet

  2. Biogéosciences CNRS, UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France

    Gabriele Sorci

Authors
  1. Stéphane Cornet
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  2. Gabriele Sorci
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Stéphane Cornet .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Heswall, United Kingdom

    Marcel Hommel

  2. Institut für Tropenmedizin, Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

    Peter G. Kremsner

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Cornet, S., Sorci, G. (2014). Avian Malaria Models of Disease. In: Hommel, M., Kremsner, P. (eds) Encyclopedia of Malaria. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8757-9_126-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8757-9_126-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8757-9

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