Total Immunoglobulin Y Detection in Avian Malaria-infected Domestic Birds from Uganda

Abstract

Background and Aim: The use of microscopy-based and polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based methods have offered considerable insights in detecting avian blood malaria infection in domestic and wild birds. The infection has a significant impact on the immunity of birds. However, some observations concerning the role of immune system in controlling the infection continue to question the extent of immune factors involved. To address this, the current study hypothesized that avian malaria infection may influence the humoral response of domestic birds. Materials and Methods: The prevalence of avian malaria parasites (both Plasmodium and Haemoproteus spp.) in free-ranging domestic birds from Uganda was evaluated using PCR and the level of Immunoglobulin Y (IgY) antibody in malaria-infected and uninfected birds was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Result: The results showed that 10 (15.15%) of 66 individually tested birds were infected with avian malaria parasites. Interestingly, an increase in the level of IgY associated with the infection was found. Of note, the uninfected birds exhibited a consistent level of IgY, however, less than in malaria-positive birds. It is likely that avian malaria-independent factors may have been involved in this induction in uninfected birds. Conclusion: The data obtained in this study suggest that avian malaria infections influence the production of IgY in domestic birds, therefore indicating the potential of IgY as an immune biomarker for screening avian malaria infection in domestic birds. However, these observations are subject to further investigation with larger sample size.