RNA Viruses of Avian Haemosporidian Parasites in the San Francisco Bay Area
Author: Carlos Esperanza
Faculty Supervisor: Ravinder Sehgal
Department: Biology
Parasitic protozoan viruses (PPV's) are becoming increasingly widespread as research methods and technology improve. New viruses are being discovered that are associated with single-celled eukaryotic parasites, including the novel Matryoshka RNA viruses (MaRNAV) that have been found to be associated with avian haemosporidian parasites that cause malaria and similar infections. Virtually nothing is known about these viruses, including how common they are in nature. Here, we set out to test wild bird populations in the bay area with the goal of understanding how common and diverse MaRNAV's are in avian haemosporida. We specifically target avian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon.