Mentor: Ashley Love, Ph.D.

Trichomonas gallinae is a parasite that infects birds. In raptors it causes thick, cheesy plaques inside the mouth. These plaques cause necrotic lesions in the soft tissue of the head. These lesions can also spread to the ocular cavity and the liver, causing potentially fatal injuries (Gerhold, 2024).

Avian malaria is a disease caused by a group of blood parasites in birds. These parasites (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon) infect blood cells and can cause anemia and sometimes be fatal in birds.

Both parasites cause immune stress to the birds and there is potential for concurrent infections (co-infection).

Objective: Determine the frequency of parasite co-infection in Ohio raptors and examine the effects infection has on the immune system.

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