Avian Malaria infection and its effect on cellular metabolic rate in Ficedula Flycatchers

Abstract: Chronic avian malaria and low-intensity parasite infections can have a negative influence on reproduction and survival which can reduce the fitness of the host. Therefore, the effect on host due to avian malaria infection can affect a bird’s lifespan. Consequently, avian parasites can influence evolution, physiology, and host morphology. Among birds, there are several blood parasites used as model organisms for the study of parasite interactions with hosts, of which three genera of a haemosporidian parasite called avian malaria parasite. It is possible nowadays, to investigate and detect if the organism is infected with a blood parasite using fast and accurate molecular techniques.     In this study, I investigated how cellular respiration, an important trait regulating energy demands in animals, is affected by the infection of malaria in pied and collared flycatchers and if sex and age have a cross-relation influence on the cellular respiration rate. I used recently collected respiratory data and molecular techniques to evaluate the infection’s influence on cellular respiration. 138 samples were extracted and the nested-Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to assess the presence of the parasite. Data was collected and interpreted and statistical analyses were performed.     I found that, females and juvenile flycatchers have higher cellular respiration rates and that there is a significant difference in respiration rate between the sexes. Also, I found that Leucocytozoon, but not Haemoproteus and/or Plasmodium infection show significant effect on flycatcher cellular respiration rate. However, parasite infection shows no significant effect on the total number of red blood cells count. Therefore, our study supports the idea that parasites can influence the organism’s metabolic activity. The study also shows how the identification of factors underlying the effect on cellular respiration rate can get us closer to understanding the important links between infection, age, sex and metabolic activity and performance