Haemosporidioses in wild Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (T. philomelos): an in situ hybridization study with emphasis on exo-erythrocytic parasite burden

Table 3 Plasmodium exo-erythrocytic parasite burden in Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) and song thrushes (Turdus philomelos) determined by chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH)

Host species	n Examined	Exo-erythrocytic stages detected by CISH
Host species	n Examined	Negative	Low^a	Moderate^a	High^a	Total positive
Turdus merula	166 (32)	17 (3)	66 (9)	33 (4)	50 (16)	149 (29)
Turdus philomelos	11 (2)	1 (0)	8 (1)	1 (0)	1 (1)	10 (2)
Total	177 (34)	18 (3)	74 (10)	34 (4)	51 (17)	159 (31)

Numbers in parentheses indicate mixed infections with either multiple Plasmodium lineages or Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon lineages
^aNumbers of cases exhibiting low, moderate, and high exo-erythrocytic parasite burdens in at least one of the examined organs

ISSN: 1475-2875