Hawaii Island forest bird avian malaria detection using whole blood preserved in lysis buffer, 2005-2006

Publication Date

2020-04-24

Start Date

2005-01-01

End Date

2006-01-01

Atkinson, C.T., 2020, Hawaii Island forest bird avian malaria detection using whole blood preserved in lysis buffer, 2005-2006: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P98CVJJG.

Recent detections of avian malarial parasites in native and non-native forest birds at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge and reports of epidemic transmission of the disease in high elevation habitats (Freed et al. 2005) as well as controversy over accuracy of the PCR diagnostic test that was being used (Jarvi et al. 2002) led to a request by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to see if existing blood samples that were preserved in a DNA lysis buffer could be used for independent confirmation of the findings with antibody based serological methods (Jarvi et al. 2002). The primary objective of this study was to test whether some DNA buffers used for preservation of blood samples (Feldman et al. 1995, Jarvi et al. 2002) cause denaturation and loss of antigenicity of antibody molecules. If the buffer does not destroy antigenicity of these molecules, then the samples can be used in serological assays to provide an independent assessment of the accuracy of the PCR test. REFERENCES: (1) Feldman, R. A., L. A. Freed, and R. L. Cann. 1995. A PCR test for avian malaria in Hawiian birds. Molecular Ecology 4: 663-673. (2) Freed, L. A., R. L. Cann, M. L. Goff, W. A. Kuntz, and G. R. Bodner. 2005. Increase in avian malaria at upper elevation in Hawai`i. The Condor 107: 753-764. (3) Jarvi, S. I., J. J. Schultz, and C. T. Atkinson. 2002. PCR diagnostics underestimate the prevalence of avian malaria (Plasmodium relictum) in experimentally-infected passerines. Journal of Parasitology 88: 153-158.

ScienceBase WMS

• Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center
• USGS Data Release Products