Resumen de Altitudinal range broadening and a new host for plasmodium (haemamoeba) lutzi in colombia
Estela Nubia Matta, Juan Sebastián Mantilla, Daniela González Angie, Ligia Inés Moncada
Plasmodium (H.) lutzi was observed for the first time by Lutz and Meyer in 1908, in Brazil, in the bird Aramides cajanea (Rallidae), and later described by Lucena (1939). Gabaldón & Ulloa (1976) found this parasite again in A. cajanea in Venezuela (454 masl) and referred that the forms found by Renfijo et al 1952, could also be P. (H.) lutzi. The present work reports the P. (H.) lutzi finding for Colombia in Turdus fuscater, (Turdidae) a resident bird captured at 2560 masl in Bogotá. It is important to highlight that despite change of host at an order level (from Gruiformes to Passeriformes), the blood stages morphology is maintained. It is possible that A. cajanea sympatrically exists with T. fuscater in Colombia; nonetheless, both species would be at their altitudinal distribution limit. In the lower areas, where P. (H.) lutzi has been previously reported, other Turdus species exist, and in higher altitudes like Bogotá, other species from the Rallidae family that could serve as bridges in the transmission to a new host can be found. The above, associated with the feeding habits of their possible vectors, could be the responsible for the altitudinal increment and the host change reported here. These results could reflect a true host change, or a new parasite-host association previously undetected by the absence of previous studies in this geographic area.
