Relevance of genomics for a better understanding of the host-parasite interaction in birds

Abstract

Anthropogenic pressure and global change are favouring the increase of infectious diseases not only in humans but also in wildlife. The negative effects of pathogens can be devastating, affecting natural populations and even causing the extinction of species. Therefore, it is fundamental to understand the mechanisms and strategies that these agents develop during their life cycle, as well as the immunological and biochemical responses that natural hosts show during host-pathogen interaction. Development of new molecular tools such as genomics or the analysis of transcriptomes have provided the scientific community significant information about host-pathogen interactions, including the biochemical cascades and immunological responses that occur. This article focuses on showing the advances in this field in birds infected with avian Plasmodium and West Nile Virus. In addition, we also review the problems that scientists must face in order to better understand the host-pathogen dynamics.