Thesis (M.S.)--Northern Michigan University, 2006. / Bibliography: leaves 61-67.

Thesis (M.S.)--Eastern Illinois University, 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-64).

Siekiant išsiaiškinti paukščių hemosporidijų rūšinę sudėtį, genetinę įvairovę ir paplitimą bei specifiškumą nedidelėse Bulgarijos (Brodilovo) ir Rusijos (Kuršių nerija) teritorijose, buvo ištirta 50 rūšių žvirblinių (Passeriformes) būrio paukščių, priklausančių 16 šeimų. Paukščių gaudymui buvo naudojami voratinkliniai tinklai ir stacionariosios gaudyklės. Medžiaga buvo renkama ne didesniu nei 20 km spinduliu. Medžiaga buvo tiriama tradiciniais parazitologiniais (mikroskopavimas) ir šiuolaikiniais molekuliniais (PGR, sekvenavimas, filogenetinės analizės sudarymas specialių programų pagalba) metodais. Bulgarijoje identifikuota 10 hemosporidijų rūšių, priklausančių Haemoproteus, Plasmodium ir Leucocytozoon gentims; Kuršių nerijoje nustatyta 11 hemosporidijų rūšių, priklausančių toms pačioms gentims. Bulgarijoje nustatytas žymiai didesnis užsikrėtimo L. sp. parazitais ekstensyvumas. Nustatyta, jog Bulgarijoje iš 28 identifikuotų parazitų genetinių linijų, 20-ties linijų transmisija vyksta šioje teritorijoje, Kuršių nerijoje iš 50 linijų vietinė transmisija vyksta tik 7 rūšių. Išaiškinta, kad hemosporidijos mažiau specifiškos stuburiniam šeimininkui Kuršių nerijoje. Pasitelkus programos MEGA 5.0.5 versiją, nubraižyti filogenetiniai medžiai, atspindintys nustatytų parazitų filogenetinius ryšius. / The aim was to find out what haemosporidian parasites are common in the birds of order Passeriformes in certain teritories of Europe, what are particularities of their disstribution and specificity, data were collected in two selected areas of Bulgaria (Brodilovo) and Russia (Curonian spit). Traditional (microscopy) and modern (PCR, DNA sequencing, construction of phylogenetic trees) methods were used for investigation. The birds were captured by mist nets and large „Rybachyj“ tipe trap. There were collected 50 species of birds, refering to 16 families. The material was collected in areas which do not exceed 20 km. 10 species of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon in Bulgaria were detected. 11 species of the same genus parasites were identified in Russia. High intensity of Leucocytozoon parasitaemia in Bulgaria was detected, while in Russia it was very low. The investigation showed that local transmission of 20 (out of 28 identified) genetic lines of parasites take place in Bulgaria and in Curonian spit only 7 (out of 50 identified) genetic lines are transsmited localy. It was cleared out that haemosporidians are less specific to vertebrate host in Curonian spit. Phylogenetic trees were constructed to ascertain which genetic lines are related with phylogenetic traits.

Avian contact zones were suggested to act as barriers to parasite expansions. I studied haemosporidian parasites (genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) of two Nightingale species which meet in a contact zone in Europe. In total 20 lineages of parasites were detected. Surprisingly, all common lineages were shared by the two host species. The parasite prevalence vary between species (Trush Nightingales were more often parasitized than Common Nightingales.) but did not vary to a large extent within zones inside species Parasitemia of the most frequent Haemoproteus LULU1 lineage assessed by Real-Time PCR method did not differ significantly between the two host species. Six out of nine hybrids of the nightingale species were parasitized. Haemosporidian lineages found in hybrids were also frequent in the parental species. In conclusion, the nightingale contact zone seems to have only little (if any) effect on the distribution of haemosporidian parasites.