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Belkhir S, Hamede R, Thomas F, Ujvari B, Dujon AM. Season, weight, and age, but not transmissible cancer, affect tick loads in the endangered Tasmanian devil. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 98:105221. [PMID: 35065301 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) is a carnivorous marsupial threatened by a transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD). While we have a good understanding of the effect of the transmissible cancer on its host, little information is available about its potential interactions with ectoparasites. With this study, we aimed to determine the factors driving tick loads in a DFTD affected Tasmanian devil population, using long-term mark-recapture data. We investigated the effect of a range of life history traits (age, weight, sex, body condition) and of DFTD (time since DFTD arrival and presence of tumours) on the ectoparasitic tick load of the devils. Mixed effect models revealed that tick load in Tasmanian devils was primarily driven by season, weight, body condition and age. Young devils had more ticks compared to older or healthier devils. The reduction in Tasmanian devil population size over the past 14 years at the studied site had little effect on tick infestation. We also found that devils infected by DFTD had a similar tick load compared to those free of observable tumours, suggesting no interaction between the transmissible cancer and tick load. Our study highlights seasonality and life cycle as primary drivers of tick infestation in Tasmanian devils and the need for further investigations to integrate devil stress and immune dynamics with ectoparasite counts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Belkhir
- Deakin University, Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Waurn Ponds, Vic, 3216, Australia; École normale supérieure de Lyon, Département de biologie, Master biologie, Lyon, France
| | - Rodrigo Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 55, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Frédéric Thomas
- CREEC, MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Beata Ujvari
- Deakin University, Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Waurn Ponds, Vic, 3216, Australia
| | - Antoine M Dujon
- Deakin University, Geelong, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Waurn Ponds, Vic, 3216, Australia; CREEC, MIVEGEC, UMR IRD 224-CNRS 5290-Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
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