Speciation, transmission, and schizogony of Leucocytozoon in corvid birds

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Abstract
Leucocytozoon sakharoffi, L. berestneffi, L. laverani, and L. zuccarelli have been described from corvids although their gametocytes are indistinguishable. Experimental evidence suggests that the raven, Corvus corax, and crow, C. brachyrhynvhos harbor a species which is distinct from that in the blue jay, Cyanocitta cristata. The minimum prepatent period (92 h) in the jay is about a day shorter than that in the crow and raven. Hepatic, renal, and splenic schizonts occur in the jay and are probably initiated by sporozoites. Only hepatic and renal stages have been seen in a crow and raven but the relationship to each other is unknown. Hepatic schizonts are probably derived from sporozoites but the enormous number of the former at autopsy of two birds is suggestive of more than one hepatic generation. Our material exhibited neither megaloschizonls (as reported for L. sakharoffi) nor small hepatic schizonts (known from L. berestneffi). Additional studies of life cycles of Leucocytozoon in other corvids are necessary for the satisfactory elucidation of the specific status of these parasites.

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