Village chicken production, a traditional, small-scale, and extensive backyard poultry industry, has been profitable for local farmers in Myanmar. However, there is scanty information available concerning the infection of these chickens with avian pathogens, including haemoprotozoan parasites. In the present study, we provide the first report of microscopic detection and molecular identification of Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium parasites from seven different areas of Myanmar. Leucocytozoon gametocytes were detected in 17.6% (81/461) of the blood smears from village chickens. The nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for targeting Leucocytozoon mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) genes had a 17.6% positive rate. Although the positive rate of nested PCR targeting Plasmodium/Haemoproteus cyt b was 34.1%, the PCR protocol was observed to possibly amplify DNA of a certain species of Leucocytozoon. There were no obvious clinical signs in the infected birds. Statistical analysis of the microscopic detection and PCR detection rates using the age and sex of birds as internal factors revealed that the statistical significances differed according to the study area. The sequencing of 32 PCR products obtained from each study area revealed infection by Leucocytozoon caulleryi in three birds, Leucocytozoon sabrazesi in two birds, Leucocytozoon schoutedeni in two birds, Leucocytozoon sp. in eighteen birds, and Plasmodium juxtanucleare in seven birds; however, Haemoproteus infection was not detected. While L. sabrazesi was detected in chickens from the central region of Myanmar, the other haemosporidians were detected in those from different areas. In the haplotype analysis, we detected 17 haemosporidian cyt b haplotypes, including two for L. caulleryi, one for L. sabrazesi, two for L. schoutedeni, nine for Leucocytozoon sp., and three for P. juxtanucleare. Phylogenetic analysis of the cyt b haplotypes revealed a considerably close genetic relationship among chicken haemosporidians detected in Myanmar, Thailand, and Malaysia. These results indicate that well-recognized widespread species of chicken Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium are distributed nationwide in Myanmar, providing new insights into the ecosystem and control strategies of haemosporidian parasites in domesticated chickens in Myanmar.

乡村鸡的生产是传统的，小规模的，广泛的后院家禽业，已经为缅甸当地农民带来了利润。但是，关于这些鸡被禽类病原体（包括血原虫寄生虫）感染的信息很少。在本研究中，我们提供了来自缅甸七个不同地区的白细胞活菌和疟原虫寄生虫的显微检测和分子鉴定的第一份报告。住白细胞在17.6％（461分之81）的血液从村鸡涂片检测配子体。巢式聚合酶链反应（PCR）靶向Leucocytozoon线粒体细胞色素b（cyt b）基因的阳性率为17.6％。尽管靶向疟原虫/血红蛋白cyt b的巢式PCR的阳性率为34.1％，但观察到该PCR方案可能会扩增某些类白细胞共生动物的DNA 。受感染的鸟类没有明显的临床体征。以鸟类的年龄和性别为内在因素的显微镜检出率和PCR检出率的统计分析表明，统计意义因研究区域而异。从每个研究区域获得32的PCR产物的测序揭示感染住白细胞caulleryi在三种鸟，住白细胞sabrazesi在两只鸟，住白细胞schoutedeni在两只鸟，Leucocytozoon sp。在十八只鸟中，而在疟原虫中的七只鸟中；但是，未检测到血红蛋白感染。虽然L. sabrazesi在缅甸中部地区的鸡中检测到，这些来自不同领域的检测其他haemosporidians。在单倍型分析，我们发现17个haemosporidian细胞色素b单倍型，其中包括两名为L. caulleryi，一个L. sabrazesi，二为L. schoutedeni，九人住白细胞属，三为P. juxtanucleare。cyt b的系统发育分析单倍型显示在缅甸，泰国和马来西亚发现的鸡血孢子虫之间有相当密切的遗传关系。这些结果表明，公认的广泛传播的鸡白细胞增生和疟原虫在缅甸全国范围内分布，这为缅甸驯养鸡的血吸虫病寄生虫的生态系统和控制策略提供了新见解。