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Krasnov BR, Korallo-Vinarskaya N, Vinarski MV, Khokhlova IS. Temporal variation of metacommunity structure in arthropod ectoparasites harboured by small mammals: the effects of scale and climatic fluctuations. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:537-549. [PMID: 35076775 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07416-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We applied the elements of metacommunity structure (EMS) approach and studied the temporal dynamics of metacommunity structure in arthropod ectoparasites (fleas, gamasid mites and ixodid ticks) harboured by six small mammalian hosts sampled for three decades in the same locality in Western Siberia at three hierarchical scales (inframetacommunities, component metacommunities and a compound metacommunity). All metacommunities were positively coherent. Inframetacommunity structures varied across sampling periods in all host species. The main structural pattern in an inframetacommunity of the same host varied across sampling times but was mostly characterized by clumped species distributions (Clementsian, Gleasonian and their quasi-versions). Component metacommunities in five of the six host species were characterized by either a Clementsian or a quasi-Clementsian distribution. In four of the six host species, this pattern was driven by mite distribution. The temporal structure of compound metacommunity was characterized by a Clementsian pattern. In contrast to the majority of component metacommunities, this pattern was driven by fleas, whereas the temporal structure of gamasid mite compound metacommunities demonstrated a Gleasonian distribution. The temporal gradient in infracommunity composition was not associated with temporal changes in either air temperature or precipitation, whereas the precipitation gradient was positively correlated with the structure of component (in five host species) and compound metacommunities. In conclusion, the best-fit metacommunity structure of ectoparasites varies temporally due to temporal changes in distribution patterns that can be associated with year-to-year climatic variation, affecting both hosts and parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, 8499000, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
| | - Natalia Korallo-Vinarskaya
- Laboratory of Arthropod-Borne Viral Infections, Omsk Research Institute of Natural Foci Infections, Mira str. 7, 644080, Omsk, Russia.,Omsk State Pedagogical University, Tukhachevskogo Emb. 14, 644099, Omsk, Russia
| | - Maxim V Vinarski
- Laboratory of Macroecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates, Saint-Petersburg State University, University Emb. 7/9, 199034, Saint-Petersburg, Russia.,Omsk State University, Neftezavodskaya Str. 11, 644053, Omsk, Russia
| | - Irina S Khokhlova
- Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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Humane Use of Cardiac Puncture for Non-Terminal Phlebotomy of Wild-Caught and Released Peromyscus spp. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10050826. [PMID: 32397470 PMCID: PMC7278385 DOI: 10.3390/ani10050826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary When researching tick-borne diseases and their management in the interest of improving public health, blood samples often need to be obtained from small rodents, which are the main source of the various pathogens that are picked up by ticks and can infect humans. In such research projects, animals are handled and released back into the environment with the least amount of harm done to ensure their continued survival. Post-sampling animal care is not an option on released animals as it is in a laboratory in a captive setting, therefore, sampling protocols need to reflect this fact. Blood sampling via cardiac puncture (sampling blood directly from the heart) tends to have a negative connotation because it is often associated with a procedure used for humane euthanasia in which sedated animals are bled to death per study protocols. We argue its use for obtaining blood samples is preferred in a field setting in which rodents are released. We show that our recapture and mortality rates rival or are better than other studies that utilize more familiar techniques. Death is not a requirement of its use and we suggest cardiac puncture for blood sampling is in the best interest of animal welfare because it does not make small rodents more prone to infection or negatively impact their vision or survival as can other blood sampling procedures. Abstract The cardiac puncture technique for obtaining relatively large volume (50–150 µL) blood samples from sedated rodents has been used in research for nearly a century. Historically, its use to phlebotomize and then release live rodents was more common. However, recently its use in a non-terminal capacity frequently imparts negative connotations in part because exsanguination of sedated animals via cardiac puncture is now an American Veterinary Medical Association-approved euthanasia technique. This association has resulted in ethical concerns by manuscript reviewers and in a few instances, outright refusal by some peer-reviewed journals to publish research that utilized the technique. To counter the perceived negative associations with its non-terminal use, we summarized nearly two decades (2001–2019) of capture and handling data throughout Connecticut, resulting in over 7000 cardiac punctures performed on nearly 5000 sedated, live-captured and released Peromyscus spp. We show that our total handling mortality rate (3.7%) was comparable, if not lower, than similar field studies that utilized other phlebotomy techniques. Many public health, integrated tick management, and vector-borne disease ecology studies require samples from individual wild-caught Peromyscus spp. over time to determine intervention efficacy and pathogen infection monitoring, and in such field studies, post-operative care is not an option. Proper execution of cardiac puncture does not increase susceptibility of individuals to predation upon release as can potential ocular abnormalities or infections that can occur as the result of use of other techniques. We posit that neither exsanguination nor resulting euthanasia are requirements of cardiac puncture and that its use is entirely appropriate for obtaining blood samples from live-captured and released Peromyscus spp. Properly performed cardiac puncture is an excellent technique to obtain blood samples from sedated, individual Peromyscus spp. on multiple appropriately-spaced occasions over single trapping seasons while keeping animal welfare a top priority.
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Špitalská E, Kraljik J, Miklisová D, Boldišová E, Sparagano OAE, Stanko M. Circulation of Rickettsia species and rickettsial endosymbionts among small mammals and their ectoparasites in Eastern Slovakia. Parasitol Res 2020; 119:2047-2057. [PMID: 32382991 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06701-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Bacteria belonging to the genus Rickettsia are known as causative agents of vector-borne zoonotic diseases, such as spotted fevers, epidemic typhus and endemic typhus. Different species of ticks, mites and fleas could act as reservoirs and arthropod vectors of different pathogenic Rickettsia species. The aim of this work was to establish active surveillance of Rickettsia spp. in mites, ticks and fleas collected from small mammals (rodents and shrews) in Eastern Slovakia. A total of 964 animal ear biopsies, 871 mites, 667 ticks and 743 fleas were collected from small mammals in the Košice region, Eastern Slovakia. All specimens were identified using specialized taxonomic keys, and were conserved in ethanol until DNA extraction was performed. After DNA extraction, identification of Rickettsia species was performed by PCR-based methods. The total prevalence of rickettsiae from ear biopsies was 4.6% (95% CI, 3.2-5.9), in tested mites 9.3% (95% CI, 7.4-11.2), 17.2% (95% CI, 14.3-20.1) in I. ricinus ticks and 3.5% (95% CI, 2.2-4.8) in fleas. Sequence analysis of the partial gltA gene and Rickettsia helvetica-, Rickettsia slovaca-, Rickettsia raoultii- species specific real-time PCR tests revealed the presence of R. helvetica, R. slovaca, unidentified Rickettsia and rickettsial endosymbionts. These pathogenic and symbiotic species were confirmed in the following ectoparasite species-Laelaps jettmari, Haemogamasus nidi, Laelaps agilis and Eulaelaps stabularis mites, Ixodes ricinus ticks, Ctenophthalmus solutus, C. assimilis and Megabothris turbidus fleas infesting host-Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, Microtus arvalis and Myodes glareolus small mammals. These results confirm the circulation of R. helvetica, R. slovaca, unidentified Rickettsia and rickettsial endosymbionts in mites, ticks and fleas collected on small mammals in the Košice region, Eastern Slovakia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Špitalská
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
| | - Jasna Kraljik
- Institute of Zoology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Dana Miklisová
- Institute of Parasitology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic
| | - Eva Boldišová
- Institute of Virology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 05, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - Olivier A E Sparagano
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Public Health, Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Zoology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
- Institute of Parasitology Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 040 01, Košice, Slovak Republic
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Rynkiewicz EC, Clerc M, Babayan SA, Pedersen AB. Variation in Local and Systemic Pro-Inflammatory Immune Markers of Wild Wood Mice after Anthelmintic Treatment. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 59:1190-1202. [PMID: 31368489 PMCID: PMC6863754 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icz136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The immune system represents a host's main defense against infection to parasites and pathogens. In the wild, a host's response to immune challenges can vary due to physiological condition, demography (age, sex), and coinfection by other parasites or pathogens. These sources of variation, which are intrinsic to natural populations, can significantly impact the strength and type of immune responses elicited after parasite exposure and infection. Importantly, but often neglected, a host's immune response can also vary within the individual, across tissues and between local and systemic scales. Consequently, how a host responds at each scale may impact its susceptibility to concurrent and subsequent infections. Here we analyzed how characteristics of hosts and their parasite infections drive variation in the pro-inflammatory immune response in wild wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) at both the local and systemic scale by experimentally manipulating within-host parasite communities through anthelmintic drug treatment. We measured concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) produced in vitro in response to a panel of toll-like receptor agonists at the local (mesenteric lymph nodes [MLNs]) and systemic (spleen) scales of individuals naturally infected with two gastrointestinal parasites, the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus and the protozoan Eimeria hungaryensis. Anthelmintic-treated mice had a 20-fold lower worm burden compared to control mice, as well as a four-fold higher intensity of the non-drug targeted parasite E. hungaryensis. Anthelmintic treatment differentially impacted levels of TNF-α expression in males and females at the systemic and local scales, with treated males producing higher, and treated females lower, levels of TNF-α, compared to control mice. Also, TNF-α was affected by host age, at the local scale, with MLN cells of young, treated mice producing higher levels of TNF-α than those of old, treated mice. Using complementary, but distinct, measures of inflammation measured across within-host scales allowed us to better assess the wood mouse immune response to changes in parasite infection dynamics after anthelmintic treatment. This same approach could be used to understand helminth infections and responses to parasite control measures in other systems in order to gain a broader view of how variation impacts the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C Rynkiewicz
- Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, New York, NY 10001, USA
| | - Melanie Clerc
- MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, The Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Simon A Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Amy B Pedersen
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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Becker DJ, Albery GF, Kessler MK, Lunn TJ, Falvo CA, Czirják GÁ, Martin LB, Plowright RK. Macroimmunology: The drivers and consequences of spatial patterns in wildlife immune defence. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:972-995. [PMID: 31856309 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence and intensity of parasites in wild hosts varies across space and is a key determinant of infection risk in humans, domestic animals and threatened wildlife. Because the immune system serves as the primary barrier to infection, replication and transmission following exposure, we here consider the environmental drivers of immunity. Spatial variation in parasite pressure, abiotic and biotic conditions, and anthropogenic factors can all shape immunity across spatial scales. Identifying the most important spatial drivers of immunity could help pre-empt infectious disease risks, especially in the context of how large-scale factors such as urbanization affect defence by changing environmental conditions. We provide a synthesis of how to apply macroecological approaches to the study of ecoimmunology (i.e. macroimmunology). We first review spatial factors that could generate spatial variation in defence, highlighting the need for large-scale studies that can differentiate competing environmental predictors of immunity and detailing contexts where this approach might be favoured over small-scale experimental studies. We next conduct a systematic review of the literature to assess the frequency of spatial studies and to classify them according to taxa, immune measures, spatial replication and extent, and statistical methods. We review 210 ecoimmunology studies sampling multiple host populations. We show that whereas spatial approaches are relatively common, spatial replication is generally low and unlikely to provide sufficient environmental variation or power to differentiate competing spatial hypotheses. We also highlight statistical biases in macroimmunology, in that few studies characterize and account for spatial dependence statistically, potentially affecting inferences for the relationships between environmental conditions and immune defence. We use these findings to describe tools from geostatistics and spatial modelling that can improve inference about the associations between environmental and immunological variation. In particular, we emphasize exploratory tools that can guide spatial sampling and highlight the need for greater use of mixed-effects models that account for spatial variability while also allowing researchers to account for both individual- and habitat-level covariates. We finally discuss future research priorities for macroimmunology, including focusing on latitudinal gradients, range expansions and urbanization as being especially amenable to large-scale spatial approaches. Methodologically, we highlight critical opportunities posed by assessing spatial variation in host tolerance, using metagenomics to quantify spatial variation in parasite pressure, coupling large-scale field studies with small-scale field experiments and longitudinal approaches, and applying statistical tools from macroecology and meta-analysis to identify generalizable spatial patterns. Such work will facilitate scaling ecoimmunology from individual- to habitat-level insights about the drivers of immune defence and help predict where environmental change may most alter infectious disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | | | - Tamika J Lunn
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Caylee A Falvo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lynn B Martin
- Department of Global and Planetary Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
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6
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Hofmeester TR, Bügel EJ, Hendrikx B, Maas M, Franssen FFJ, Sprong H, Matson KD. Parasite Load and Site-Specific Parasite Pressure as Determinants of Immune Indices in Two Sympatric Rodent Species. Animals (Basel) 2019; 9:ani9121015. [PMID: 31766647 PMCID: PMC6940963 DOI: 10.3390/ani9121015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Wildlife is exposed to parasites from the environment. This parasite pressure, which differs among areas, likely shapes the immunological strategies of animals. Individuals differ in the number of parasites they encounter and host, and this parasite load also influences the immune system. The relative impact of parasite pressure vs. parasite load on different host species, particularly those implicated as important reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens, is poorly understood. We captured bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus) at four sites in the Netherlands. We sampled sub-adult males to quantify their immune function, infestation load for ecto- and gastrointestinal parasites, and infection status for vector-borne microparasites. We then used regression trees to test if variation in immune indices could be explained by among-site differences (parasite pressure), among-individual differences in infestation intensity and infection status (parasite load), or other intrinsic factors. Regression trees revealed splits among sites for haptoglobin, hemagglutination, and body-mass corrected spleen size. We also found splits based on infection/infestation for haptoglobin, hemolysis, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. Furthermore, we found a split between species for hemolysis and splits based on body mass for haptoglobin, hemagglutination, hematocrit, and body-mass corrected spleen size. Our results suggest that both parasite pressure and parasite load influence the immune system of wild rodents. Additional studies linking disease ecology and ecological immunology are needed to understand better the complexities of host-parasite interactions and how these interactions shape zoonotic disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim R. Hofmeester
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (T.R.H.); (E.J.B.); (B.H.)
| | - Esther J. Bügel
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (T.R.H.); (E.J.B.); (B.H.)
| | - Bob Hendrikx
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (T.R.H.); (E.J.B.); (B.H.)
| | - Miriam Maas
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; (M.M.); (F.F.J.F.); (H.S.)
| | - Frits F. J. Franssen
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; (M.M.); (F.F.J.F.); (H.S.)
| | - Hein Sprong
- Centre for Infectious Disease Control, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Antonie van Leeuwenhoeklaan 9, 3721 MA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; (M.M.); (F.F.J.F.); (H.S.)
| | - Kevin D. Matson
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands; (T.R.H.); (E.J.B.); (B.H.)
- Correspondence:
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7
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Tavalire HF, Hoal EG, le Roex N, van Helden PD, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Risk alleles for tuberculosis infection associate with reduced immune reactivity in a wild mammalian host. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190914. [PMID: 31311473 PMCID: PMC6661349 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrating biological processes across scales remains a central challenge in disease ecology. Genetic variation drives differences in host immune responses, which, along with environmental factors, generates temporal and spatial infection patterns in natural populations that epidemiologists seek to predict and control. However, genetics and immunology are typically studied in model systems, whereas population-level patterns of infection status and susceptibility are uniquely observable in nature. Despite obvious causal connections, organizational scales from genes to host outcomes to population patterns are rarely linked explicitly. Here we identify two loci near genes involved in macrophage (phagocyte) activation and pathogen degradation that additively increase risk of bovine tuberculosis infection by up to ninefold in wild African buffalo. Furthermore, we observe genotype-specific variation in IL-12 production indicative of variation in macrophage activation. Here, we provide measurable differences in infection resistance at multiple scales by characterizing the genetic and inflammatory variation driving patterns of infection in a wild mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah F. Tavalire
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Eileen G. Hoal
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Nikki le Roex
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Paul D. van Helden
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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8
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Tavalire HF, Beechler BR, Buss PE, Gorsich EE, Hoal EG, le Roex N, Spaan JM, Spaan RS, van Helden PD, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Context-dependent costs and benefits of tuberculosis resistance traits in a wild mammalian host. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12712-12726. [PMID: 30619576 PMCID: PMC6308860 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease acts as a powerful driver of evolution in natural host populations, yet individuals in a population often vary in their susceptibility to infection. Energetic trade-offs between immune and reproductive investment lead to the evolution of distinct life history strategies, driven by the relative fitness costs and benefits of resisting infection. However, examples quantifying the cost of resistance outside of the laboratory are rare. Here, we observe two distinct forms of resistance to bovine tuberculosis (bTB), an important zoonotic pathogen, in a free-ranging African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) population. We characterize these phenotypes as "infection resistance," in which hosts delay or prevent infection, and "proliferation resistance," in which the host limits the spread of lesions caused by the pathogen after infection has occurred. We found weak evidence that infection resistance to bTB may be heritable in this buffalo population (h 2 = 0.10) and comes at the cost of reduced body condition and marginally reduced survival once infected, but also associates with an overall higher reproductive rate. Infection-resistant animals thus appear to follow a "fast" pace-of-life syndrome, in that they reproduce more quickly but die upon infection. In contrast, proliferation resistance had no apparent costs and was associated with measures of positive host health-such as having a higher body condition and reproductive rate. This study quantifies striking phenotypic variation in pathogen resistance and provides evidence for a link between life history variation and a disease resistance trait in a wild mammalian host population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah F. Tavalire
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- The Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon
- Present address:
Prevention Science InstituteUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon
- Present address:
Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon
| | | | | | - Erin E. Gorsich
- College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- Present address:
Erin E. Gorsich, Zeeman Institute: Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research (SBIDER)University of WarwickCoventryUK
- Present address:
School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryUK
| | - Eileen G. Hoal
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityTygerbergSouth Africa
| | - Nikki le Roex
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityTygerbergSouth Africa
| | - Johannie M. Spaan
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
| | - Robert S. Spaan
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
| | - Paul D. van Helden
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityTygerbergSouth Africa
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
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9
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Smyth KN, Caruso NM, Davies CS, Clutton-Brock TH, Drea CM. Social and endocrine correlates of immune function in meerkats: implications for the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:180435. [PMID: 30225031 PMCID: PMC6124081 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.180435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Social status can mediate effects on the immune system, with profound consequences for individual health; nevertheless, most investigators of status-related disparities in free-ranging animals have used faecal parasite burdens to proxy immune function in the males of male-dominant species. We instead use direct measures of innate immune function (complement and natural antibodies) to examine status-related immunocompetence in both sexes of a female-dominant species. The meerkat is a unique model for such a study because it is a cooperatively breeding species in which status-related differences are extreme, evident in reproductive skew, morphology, behaviour, communication and physiology, including that dominant females naturally express the greatest total androgen (androstenedione plus testosterone) concentrations. We found that, relative to subordinates, dominant animals had reduced serum bacteria-killing abilities; also, relative to subordinate females, dominant females had reduced haemolytic complement activities. Irrespective of an individual's sex or social status, androstenedione concentrations (but not body condition, age or reproductive activity) negatively predicted concurrent immunocompetence. Thus, dominant meerkats of both sexes are immunocompromised. Moreover, in female meerkats, androstenedione perhaps acting directly or via local conversion, may exert a double-edged effect of promoting dominance and reproductive success at the cost of increased parasitism and reduced immune function. Given the prominent signalling of dominance in female meerkats, these findings may relate to the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis (ICHH); however, our data would suggest that the endocrine mechanism underlying the ICHH need not be mediated solely by testosterone and might explain trade-offs in females, as well as in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra N. Smyth
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Nicholas M. Caruso
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Charli S. Davies
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim H. Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Christine M. Drea
- University Program in Ecology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Kalahari Research Trust, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, Northern Cape, South Africa
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10
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Antibodies and coinfection drive variation in nematode burdens in wild mice. Int J Parasitol 2018; 48:785-792. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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11
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Radzijevskaja J, Kaminskienė E, Lipatova I, Mardosaitė-Busaitienė D, Balčiauskas L, Stanko M, Paulauskas A. Prevalence and diversity of Rickettsia species in ectoparasites collected from small rodents in Lithuania. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:375. [PMID: 29954410 PMCID: PMC6025725 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2947-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rickettsiae are emerging pathogens causing public health problems in many countries around the world. Rickettsia spp. are found in association with a wide range of arthropods which feed on different species of animals. However, the distribution and natural cycle of Rickettsia species and their association with different arthropod vectors are not fully established. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and prevalence of Rickettsia spp. in ticks, mites and fleas parasitizing different species of small mammals in Lithuania and to molecularly characterize the Rickettsia spp. obtained from different ectoparasites. RESULTS A total of 1261 ectoparasites (596 Ixodes ricinus ticks, 550 mites of five species and 115 fleas of eight species) collected from 238 rodents in Lithuania during 2013-2014 were investigated for the presence of Rickettsia pathogens. Infection rates were calculated as the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The infection rate varied among ectoparasites and was found highest in fleas 43.5%, followed by I. ricinus ticks (MLE = 26.5%; 95% CI: 22.2-31.3%) and then mites (MLE = 9.3%; 95% CI: 7.0-12.2%). Sequence analysis of partial gltA and 17kDa genes revealed the presence of Rickettsia helvetica, R. felis, R. monacensis, Rickettsia sp. and rickettsial endosymbionts. Four Rickettsia spp. were identified in fleas, while three Rickettsia spp. were identified in Laelapidae mites and only one (R. helvetica) in I. ricinus ticks. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first report of the occurrence and molecular characterization of Rickettsia spp. in 11 species of ectoparasites of small rodents in Lithuania. The present data extend the knowledge on the distribution of Rickettsia spp. and their association with different arthropod vectors. Prior to our study, R. felis had never been identified in Lithuania. To our knowledge, this is also the first report of R. felis in L. agilis and H. microti mites and in Ct. agyrtes and H. talpae fleas, as well as the first detection of R. monacensis in Ct. agyrtes fleas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Radzijevskaja
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos 8, LT-44404 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Evelina Kaminskienė
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos 8, LT-44404 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Indrė Lipatova
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos 8, LT-44404 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | | | - Linas Balčiauskas
- Laboratory of Mammalian Ecology, Nature Research Centre, Akademijos st. 2, LT-08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Michal Stanko
- Institute of Parasitology and Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Hlinkova 3, 04000 Košice, Slovakia
| | - Algimantas Paulauskas
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Vytautas Magnus University, Vileikos 8, LT-44404 Kaunas, Lithuania
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12
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Álvarez-Ruiz L, Megía-Palma R, Reguera S, Ruiz S, Zamora-Camacho FJ, Figuerola J, Moreno-Rueda G. Opposed elevational variation in prevalence and intensity of endoparasites and their vectors in a lizard. Curr Zool 2018; 64:197-204. [PMID: 30402060 PMCID: PMC5905508 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the causes of parasite geographic distribution is relevant to understand ecological and evolutionary processes that affect host populations as well as for species conservation. Temperature is one of the most important environmental variables affecting parasite distribution, as raising temperatures positively affect development, reproduction, and rate of transmission of both endo- and ectoparasites. In this context, it is generally accepted that, in mountains, parasite abundance decreases with elevation. However, empirical evidence on this topic is limited. In the present study, we analyzed the elevational variation of hemoparasites and ectoparasites of a lizard, Psammodromus algirus, along a 2,200-m elevational gradient in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). As predicted, ectoparasite (mites, ticks, mosquitoes, and sandflies) abundance decreased with elevation. However, hemoparasite prevalence and intensity in the lizard augmented with altitude, showing a pattern contrary to their vectors (mites). We suggest that tolerance to hemoparasites may increase with elevation as a consequence of lizards at high altitudes taking advantage of increased body condition and food availability, and reduced oxidative stress. Moreover, lizards could have been selected for higher resistance against hemoparasites at lowlands (where higher rates of replication are expected), thus reducing hemoparasite prevalence and load. Our findings imply that, in a scenario of climate warming, populations of lizards at high elevation may face increased abundance of ectoparasites, accompanied with strong negative effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lola Álvarez-Ruiz
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación-CSIC, Ctra. Náquera Km. 4.5, Moncada, Valencia, E-46113, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, c/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, E-28006, Spain
| | - Senda Reguera
- Unit of Ethology and Animal Welfare, Faculty of Veterinary, University CEU Cardenal Herrera, Alfara del Patriarca, (Valencia), E-46113, Spain
| | - Santiago Ruiz
- Servicio de Control de Mosquitos, Diputación Provincial de Huelva, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Huelva, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Francisco J Zamora-Camacho
- Departamento de Biogeografía y Cambio Global, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, C/José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, E-28006, Spain
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- Departamento de Ecología de Humedales, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Américo Vespucio s/n, Sevilla, E-41092, Spain
| | - Gregorio Moreno-Rueda
- Departamento de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Granada, E-18071, Spain
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13
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Perez G, Bastian S, Chastagner A, Agoulon A, Plantard O, Vourc'h G, Butet A. Ecological factors influencing small mammal infection byAnaplasma phagocytophilumandBorrelia burgdorferis.l. in agricultural and forest landscapes. Environ Microbiol 2017; 19:4205-4219. [DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.13885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire Perez
- ECOBIO; UMR CNRS 6553-Université de Rennes 1, 263 avenue du général Leclerc; Rennes 35042 France
- INRA, Oniris; BIOEPAR; Nantes 44307 France
| | | | - Amélie Chastagner
- INRA, VetAgro Sup; UR INRA 0346 EPIA; Saint-Genès-Champanelle 63122 France
- Evolutionary Ecology Group; University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1; Wilrijk 2610 Belgium
| | | | | | - Gwenaël Vourc'h
- INRA, VetAgro Sup; UR INRA 0346 EPIA; Saint-Genès-Champanelle 63122 France
| | - Alain Butet
- ECOBIO; UMR CNRS 6553-Université de Rennes 1, 263 avenue du général Leclerc; Rennes 35042 France
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14
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Marcinkiewicz AL, Kraiczy P, Lin YP. There Is a Method to the Madness: Strategies to Study Host Complement Evasion by Lyme Disease and Relapsing Fever Spirochetes. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:328. [PMID: 28303129 PMCID: PMC5332432 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease and relapsing fever are caused by various Borrelia species. Lyme disease borreliae, the most common vector-borne pathogens in both the U.S. and Europe, are transmitted by Ixodes ticks and disseminate from the site of tick bites to tissues leading to erythema migrans skin rash, arthritis, carditis, and neuroborreliosis. Relapsing fever borreliae, carried by ticks and lice, trigger reoccurring fever episodes. Following transmission, spirochetes survive in the blood to induce bacteremia at the early stages of infection, which is thought to promote evasion of the host complement system. The complement system acts as an important innate immune defense mechanism in humans and vertebrates. Upon activation, the cleaved complement components form complexes on the pathogen surface to eventually promote bacteriolysis. The complement system is negatively modulated by a number of functionally diverse regulators to avoid tissue damage. To evade and inhibit the complement system, spirochetes are capable of binding complement components and regulators. Complement inhibition results in bacterial survival in serum (serum resistance) and is thought to promote bloodstream survival, which facilitates spirochete dissemination and disease manifestations. In this review, we discuss current methodologies to elucidate the mechanisms of Borrelia spp. that promote serum resistance and bloodstream survival, as well as novel methods to study factors responsible for bloodstream survival of Lyme disease borreliae that can be applied to relapsing fever borreliae. Understanding the mechanisms these pathogens utilize to evade the complement system will ultimately aid in the development of novel therapeutic strategies and disease prevention to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L Marcinkiewicz
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health Albany, NY, USA
| | - Peter Kraiczy
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, University Hospital of Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yi-Pin Lin
- Division of Infectious Disease, Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health Albany, NY, USA
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15
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Sagonas K, Rota IA, Tsitsilonis OE, Pafilis P, Valakos ED. Infection risk dictates immunological divergence among populations in a Mediterranean lizard. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1680-8. [PMID: 27208549 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The ability of vertebrates to evolve different defence strategies in response to varying parasitism regimes remains poorly understood. Hosts may adopt two different strategies to defend themselves against parasites: tolerance (hosts alleviate the negative fitness consequences of parasite infection) and resistance (hosts strengthen their immune response as parasite burden increases). Both strategies are effective, but fitness has been reported to decline faster in less-tolerant individuals. Here, we assessed the number of splenocytes and the cell-mediated response (proxies for resistance) and body condition (a proxy for tolerance) in four populations of a Greek endemic lizard (Podarcis gaigeae), each exposed to different infection risks (defined as the cumulative effect of parasite burden and duration of exposure). We anticipated that populations with heavy parasite burden would enhance the efficacy of their immune response (resistance) compared to lizards deriving from parasite-poor habitats. We also predicted that populations with longer exposure to parasites would be adopted and be more tolerant. Each factor (duration of exposure and parasite burden) had a distinct effect on the immune response, and thus, our results were rather complicated. Lizards with heavy parasite burden and aperiodic exposure demonstrated resistance, whereas lizards with heavy parasite burden and chronic exposure were more tolerant. Populations with low parasite burden and minimal exposure were more resistant. Our results suggest that the development of some immunological strategies may be differentiated under different infection risks, even within the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Sagonas
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
| | - I A Rota
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - O E Tsitsilonis
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - P Pafilis
- Department of Zoology and Marine Biology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - E D Valakos
- Department of Human and Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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16
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Moravvej G, Hamidi K, Nourani L, Bannazade H. Occurrence of ectoparasitic arthropods (Siphonaptera, Acarina, and Anoplura) on rodents of Khorasan Razavi Province, northeast of Iran. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(15)60919-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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17
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Rynkiewicz EC, Hemmerich C, Rusch DB, Fuqua C, Clay K. Concordance of bacterial communities of two tick species and blood of their shared rodent host. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:2566-79. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Evelyn C. Rynkiewicz
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology & Centre for Immunity; Infection and Evolution; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh EH9 3JT UK
- Department of Biology; Indiana University; 1001 E 3rd St Bloomington IN 47405 USA
| | - Chris Hemmerich
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics; Indiana University; 1001 E 3rd St Bloomington IN 47405 USA
| | - Douglas B. Rusch
- Center for Genomics and Bioinformatics; Indiana University; 1001 E 3rd St Bloomington IN 47405 USA
| | - Clay Fuqua
- Department of Biology; Indiana University; 1001 E 3rd St Bloomington IN 47405 USA
| | - Keith Clay
- Department of Biology; Indiana University; 1001 E 3rd St Bloomington IN 47405 USA
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18
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Miťková K, Berthová L, Kalúz S, Kazimírová M, Burdová L, Kocianová E. First detections of Rickettsia helvetica and R. monacensis in ectoparasitic mites (Laelapidae and Trombiculidae) infesting rodents in south-western Slovakia. Parasitol Res 2015; 114:2465-72. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4443-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Accepted: 03/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Rynkiewicz EC, Clay K. Tick community composition in Midwestern US habitats in relation to sampling method and environmental conditions. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2014; 64:109-19. [PMID: 24705853 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-014-9798-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2014] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The ranges of many tick species are changing due to climate change and human alteration of the landscape. Understanding tick responses to environmental conditions and how sampling method influences measurement of tick communities will improve our assessment of human disease risk. We compared tick sampling by three collection methods (dragging, CO2 trapping and rodent surveys) in adjacent forested and grassland habitats in the lower Midwest, USA, and analyzed the relationship between tick abundance and microclimate conditions. The study areas were within the overlapping ranges of three tick species, which may provide conditions for pathogen exchange and spread into new vectors. Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick) was found using all methods, Amblyomma americanum (lonestar tick) was found by dragging and CO2 trapping and Ixodes scapularis (blacklegged deer tick) was found only on rodents. Proportion of each species differed significantly among sampling methods. More ticks were found in forests compared to open habitats. Further, more ticks were collected by dragging and from rodents in hotter, drier conditions. Our results demonstrate that multiple sampling methodologies better measure the tick community and that microclimate conditions strongly influence the abundance and activity of individual tick species.
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