Hawk Blood Smear, California (ID: 7)
May 25, 2018 • 2:23 PM UTC
United States
140x Magnification
Microorganisms
shuj
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This sample is a stained blood smear of a Hawk found in California, United States. The hawk appears to have haemosporidian parasites. The black flecks in the image look may be misshapen red blood cells, which would be indicative of a parasite with a life cycle in red blood cells. After a bird is infected, parasites finish development into gametocytes in the blood cells, deforming and eventually lysing the blood cells.
Stained blood smear of a North American hawk.
Red blood cells typically have a diameter of around 6 by 12 microns in birds. With the Foldscope, the field of view was around 1000 microns, so diagnosing blood smears was difficult, as it requires precise focusing to see any abnormal or misshapen blood cells. The staining helps with visualization of the blood cells and other smaller targets.
Haemosporidian parasites are a common parasite among birds in North America and have been linked to disease among birds and the parasite’s blood-sucking insect vectors. Countless resources are devoted to solving major human diseases, but they are not just a human problem. Some of the world’s deadliest diseases have non-human vectors, such as malaria or plague. The health and ecology of insects, and animals are essential to our own health and environment, which is one of the many reasons why studying and tracking non-human diseases is an important task.
Red blood cells typically have a diameter of around 6 by 12 microns in birds. With the Foldscope, the field of view was around 1000 microns, so diagnosing blood smears was difficult, as it requires precise focusing to see any abnormal or misshapen blood cells. The staining helps with visualization of the blood cells and other smaller targets.
Haemosporidian parasites are a common parasite among birds in North America and have been linked to disease among birds and the parasite’s blood-sucking insect vectors. Countless resources are devoted to solving major human diseases, but they are not just a human problem. Some of the world’s deadliest diseases have non-human vectors, such as malaria or plague. The health and ecology of insects, and animals are essential to our own health and environment, which is one of the many reasons why studying and tracking non-human diseases is an important task.
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