Loriculus galgulus L.

Paperna, Ilan, Keong, Malcolm Soh Chu & May, Charlotte Yap Aye, 2008, Haemosporozoan Parasites Found In Birds In Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Sarawak And Java, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 56 (2), pp. 211-243 : 229-231

Loriculus galgulus L.

Locality. – Malaysia: Pasoh, 1998.

Type host. – Psittacula cyanocephala ( Lahore , Pakistan) .

Remarks. – Cacatua sulphurea was kept in the Singapore Zoological Gardens veterinary clinic. Initially the infection was moderate, predominantly by microgametocytes (11:4); in the latest checks, two weeks later, there was an onset of a relapse. Two addional specimens of free ranging Cac. sulphurea and one Cac. galerita from Jurong BirdPark in Singapore were negative. The infection in Lor. galgulus was scanty and the stain was faded: only six infected erythrocytes were detected, two with typical H. handai microgametocytes (size: 22–24 [cross: 12.7, 14.5] × 1.98–2.42) and four with premature macrogametocytes and young gametocytes.

Both the macro- and microgametocytes exhibit wide morphological diversity. Bennett & Peirce (1986) and Valkiunas [1997 (2005)] mentioned the complete occupation of the erythrocyte as a diagnostic feature, but in the Cac. sulphurea blood very few completely invaded erythrocytes were traced. More characteristic to this species are the formation of numerous projections seemingly with aging, in both the macro- and microgametocytes. Projections are absent in premature and seemingly not fully-matured gametocytes. Together with large (aged) gametocytes bearing projection also occur large (aged) gametocytes with smooth surfaces. Gametocytes both with, and without, projections have variable effect on the host cell: all infected erythrocytes become somewhat enlarged, their nuclei either remain in a median position, or become displaced or rotated. The NDR is segregated into two groups: approximately 0.4 and approximately 0.7. Pigment granules, numbering 15 to 26 are conspicuous and scattered; in some smooth surfaced gametocytes, they tend to aggregate into one or several masses. Early gametocytes located in the erythrocyte are detached from both the erythrocyte wall and nucleus and grow into elongated plasmodia, sometimes undulating and remain detached from both the cell wall and nucleus. Only with advanced differentiation do the gametocytes associate intimately with the erythrocyte nuclei.

Infections have been reported from numerous parrots of many species from Southeast Asia (Bennett & Peirce, 1986). Miltgen et al. (1981) described Hae. handai schizogony in muscle fibres of Psittacula roseata from Thailand.