Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon are widespread vector-borne pathogens of birds, yet their tissue distribution and lineage diversity remain poorly understood in many host species. We investigated haemosporidian infections in hooded crows (Corvus cornix) from Northwestern Italy using a multi-organ molecular approach. Forty-seven individuals collected between 2010 and 2011 were screened by nested PCR targeting the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, followed by sequencing. Overall infection prevalence was 97.9%, with Leucocytozoon spp. detected in all infected individuals, followed by Plasmodium spp. (52.2%) and Haemoproteus spp. (17.4%). Five Leucocytozoon lineages were identified, with lineage COCOR09 being dominant and widely distributed across organs (heart, lung, liver, kidney, spleen skeletal muscle and brain), while other lineages showed more restricted tissue patterns. Sequencing also revealed the Haemoproteus lineage CXPIP27 and three globally distributed Plasmodium lineages (LINN1, GRW06, and SGS1) detected for the first time in this host species. Mixed infections were frequent, occurring in over two-thirds of infected birds. These findings demonstrate extensive tissue dissemination, lineage-specific organ tropism, and high infection complexity in hooded crows, underscoring the importance of multi-organ, lineage-level approaches for understanding the ecology and epidemiology of avian malaria parasites.
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