Browsing by Author "Agbemelo-Tsomafo, Constance"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Phylogeny and Prevalence of Haemosporidian Parasites of Free-ranging Domestic Birds in Northwestern Uganda
    (International Journal of Livestock Research, 2019-12-26) Nakayima, Jesca; Arinaitwe, Eugene; Kabasa, William Microse; Kasaija, Paul Davies; Agbemelo-Tsomafo, Constance; Omotoriogun, Taiwo C.
    Infection of avian malaria parasites is a general problem for both wild and domestic birds. Most infected birds exhibit suppressed immunity, poor productivity and high mortality. Despite this concern, there are limited studies on haemosporidian parasites in free-ranging domestic birds in Africa and its subregions. The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution, prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites among free-ranging domestic birds in Uganda. Blood samples were collected from free-ranging chickens (n=304), ducks (n=70), turkeys (n=14), and guinea fowl (n=19) and screened for haemosporidian parasites. Microscopy and PCR approaches were used to detect and identify parasites based on morphological characteristics and a 600-900 bp amplified fragment of Cytochrome b (cyt b). We detected haemoproteus (17.25%, n=69), plasmodium (22%, n=88) and leucocytozoon (1.75%, n=7) in the sampled birds. The sequences from these genera were nested within their respective clades in a phylogenetic tree constructed using sequences from the MalAvi database. Our study showed that free-ranging domestic birds habour haemosporidian parasites in Uganda thus providing insight for more conscious management practice in poultry systems to prevent widespread infection of the parasites.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Total Immunoglobulin Y Detection in Avian Malaria-infected Domestic Birds from Uganda
    (Academic Journals, 2018-02-09) Kouakanou, Léonce; Agbemelo-Tsomafo, Constance; Nakayima, Jesca; Omotoriogun, Taiwo C.; Dieter, Kabelitz; Baba-Moussa, Lamine
    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.