About MalAvi

Haemosporidian parasites:

Avian malaria and related haemosporidians are single-cell microorganisms transmitted by insect vectors. These parasites are more diverse in the tropics, but also have active transmission in temperate regions as far north as the Arctic polar circle. The majority of haemosporidian parasites appears to be host specialists or restricted to a limited number of closely related host species.

Molecular analyses:

To understand the factors driving this parasite-vector-host system requires good knowledge of the host range and geographical distribution of the parasites. Standardised molecular methods have revealed that the global diversity of avian haemosporidians is immense. To confirm that the DNA amplified by PCR is really from developing parasite cells in a competent host, it requires microscopic examination of thin blood films. Please visit the website of P. B. Šivickis Laboratory of Parasitology in Vilnius for images of the parasites.

MalAvi Database:

This public database provides an overview of parasite lineages, host-parasite associations and their global distribution (also see the corresponding article). The database website was initiated by a joint effort of Martin Egerhill, Björn Canbäck and Staffan Bensch at Lund University. The website was revised in the framework and aftermaths of an SNSF-funded postdoc project by Tamara Emmenegger hosted by Staffan Bensch at Lund University. If you find errors in the DATA please report these to Staffan Bensch, if you have problems with the BLAST app, please get in touch with Vincenzo Ellis (who tailored this new shiny app to MalAvi users) and for any roblems with the website, please get in touch with Tamara Emmenegger.