1
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Messina S, Edwards DP, Van Houtte N, Tomassi S, Benedick S, Eens M, Costantini D. Impacts of selective logging on haemosporidian infection and physiological correlates in tropical birds. Int J Parasitol 2021; 52:87-96. [PMID: 34450133 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2021.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Tropical forest degradation affects host-parasite interactions, determining the probability of animals acquiring an infection. The activation of an immune response to fight off infections requires energy and other resources such as antioxidants which may be redirected from growth and reproduction. A key question is how selective logging-the most common form of tropical forest degradation-impacts the prevalence of avian haemosporidian infection and its correlated physiological responses (nutritional and oxidative status markers). We investigated the prevalence of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon parasites in 14 understorey bird species in lowland, logged and unlogged, old-growth forests of Borneo. Prevalences of infections were similar between selectively logged and unlogged forests. To explore nutritional and oxidative status effects of haemosporidian infections, we examined associations between infections and plasma proteins, plasma triglycerides, and multiple blood-based markers of oxidative status, testing for an impact of selective logging on those markers. Birds infected with Plasmodium showed higher levels of plasma proteins and non-enzymatic antioxidant capacity, and lower levels of plasma triglycerides and glutathione, compared with haemosporidian-free individuals. Conversely, birds infected with Haemoproteus showed no changes in nutritional or physiological markers compared with uninfected individuals. These results indicate higher metabolic and physiological costs of controlling Plasmodium infection, compared with Haemoproteus, possibly due to higher pathogenicity of Plasmodium. Selectively logged forests had no effect on the responses of birds to infection, suggesting that the environmental conditions of degraded forests do not appear to induce any appreciable physiological demands in parasitised birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Messina
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium.
| | - David Paul Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Natalie Van Houtte
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Suzanne Tomassi
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Suzan Benedick
- School of Sustainable Agriculture, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - David Costantini
- UMR 7221 CNRS/MNHN, Muséum National d'Histoirie Naturelle, Sorbonne Universités, 7 rue Cuvier, 75005 Paris, France
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2
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Rodriguez MD, Doherty PF, Piaggio AJ, Huyvaert KP. Sex and nest type influence avian blood parasite prevalence in a high-elevation bird community. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:145. [PMID: 33685479 PMCID: PMC7938522 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04612-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites and the factors influencing infection in the Colorado Rocky Mountains are largely unknown. With climate change expected to promote the expansion of vector and avian blood parasite distributions, baseline knowledge and continued monitoring of the prevalence and diversity of these parasites is needed. Methods Using an occupancy modeling framework, we conducted a survey of haemosporidian parasite species infecting an avian community in the Colorado Rocky Mountains in order to estimate the prevalence and diversity of blood parasites and to investigate species-level and individual-level characteristics that may influence infection. Results We estimated the prevalence and diversity of avian Haemosporidia across 24 bird species, detecting 39 parasite haplotypes. We found that open-cup nesters have higher Haemoproteus prevalence than cavity or ground nesters. Additionally, we found that male Ruby-crowned Kinglets, White-crowned Sparrows, and Wilson’s Warblers have higher Haemoproteus prevalence compared to other host species. Plasmodium prevalence was relatively low (5%), consistent with the idea that competent vectors may be rare at high altitudes. Conclusions Our study presents baseline knowledge of haemosporidian parasite presence, prevalence, and diversity among avian species in the Colorado Rocky Mountains and adds to our knowledge of host–parasite relationships of blood parasites and their avian hosts.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina D Rodriguez
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.
| | - Paul F Doherty
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Antoinette J Piaggio
- National Wildlife Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Kathryn P Huyvaert
- Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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3
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Huang X, Jönsson J, Bensch S. Persistence of avian haemosporidians in the wild: a case study to illustrate seasonal infection patterns in relation to host life stages. Int J Parasitol 2020; 50:611-619. [PMID: 32598873 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Infection patterns of avian haemosporidians result from the evolution of their associations with hosts, and can be shaped by multiple biotic factors. However, at the level of parasite species, few studies have investigated the details of the temporal dynamics of infection patterns in wild bird communities. We hereby studied a wild bird community in southern Sweden to investigate two generalist parasites (cyt b lineages PARUS1 and WW2) of the morphological species Haemoproteus majoris in their main host species (tits and warblers, respectively) to look for seasonal (spring to autumn) and age class related variation in infection patterns. For both lineages, we detected a similar temporal pattern in prevalence and infection intensity, with peak levels during the main nesting season in adults and a few weeks later in juveniles. Infections in juveniles were detected as soon as they started to be caught by mist nets, implying that they became infected when still in the nest or during the first weeks post-fledging. The initially high intensities in juveniles were followed by a significant decrease during the hatching year, emphasising the importance of studying haemosporidian infections in nestlings and fledglings. Both prevalence and infection intensity in adults increased from spring to early summer, either due to spring relapses or new infections. Both prevalence and infection intensity declined in adults at the time when independent juveniles of the respective species started to appear, suggesting that the rate of parasite withdrawal from blood exceeded the rates of new infections gained and relapses of previous infections. Prevalence in both juveniles and adults approached zero towards the end of the summer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Huang
- College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai St. 19, 100875 Beijing, China; Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden.
| | - Jane Jönsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden
| | - Staffan Bensch
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 22362 Lund, Sweden
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4
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Santiago-Alarcon D, MacGregor-Fors I, Falfán I, Lüdtke B, Segelbacher G, Schaefer HM, Renner S. Parasites in space and time: a case study of haemosporidian spatiotemporal prevalence in urban birds. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:235-246. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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5
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Pedro R, Claudio N, Elena C, Claudio V. Low occurrence of hemosporidian parasites in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus) in Chile. Parasitol Res 2018; 118:325-333. [PMID: 30448937 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-6146-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Hemosporidian parasites rarely infect aquatic birds. Few studies have been conducted in South America identifying some lineages of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus, but none has been done in the Neotropic cormorant (Phalacrocorax brasilianus). This species is widely distributed through the American continent, from Southern USA to Tierra del Fuego, using a wide range of aquatic habitats. We molecularly studied the occurrence and diversity of hemosporidian lineages infecting individuals of Neotropic cormorant across a broad latitudinal gradient in Chile (Arica to Tierra del Fuego). As expected, a very low occurrence of individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. (4/123, 3.3%) and Leucocytozoon sp. (2/123, 1.6%) was detected. We found no evidence of Haemoproteus sp. We identified one lineage of Plasmodium (ZEMAC01) and one new lineage of Leucocytozoon (PHABRA01) infecting cormorants. Individuals infected by Plasmodium sp. were birds from only one site (i.e., Chillán), whereas Leucocytozoon sp. was found in one bird from Valdivia and another one from Tierra del Fuego. Our results expand the known range of hemosporidian parasite lineages in aquatic birds providing an essential baseline data that contribute to a better understanding of the geographic range of hemosporidian parasites infecting Phalacrocoracidae in South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigues Pedro
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Navarrete Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Campos Elena
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
| | - Verdugo Claudio
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile. .,Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.
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6
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Evolutionary Ecology of Avian Malaria: Past to Present. Trends Parasitol 2018; 34:712-726. [PMID: 29937414 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2018.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Avian malaria is the oldest experimental system for investigating the biology and transmission of Plasmodium parasites. Recent molecular protocols for detecting and characterizing avian malaria lineages in the field are providing an ever-growing picture of the prevalence, distribution, host range, and diversity hotspots of avian malaria across the world. The unparalleled genetic diversity uncovered rivals anything that has been found in other vertebrate malarias and seems to be matched by an equally rich phenotypic diversity, providing endless opportunities for exploring the selective pressures under which hosts and parasites evolve. We review the most important milestones in avian Plasmodium research and explain why this is a unique animal model to understand the ecology and evolution of malaria.
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7
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Smith JD, Gill SA, Baker KM, Vonhof MJ. Prevalence and diversity of avian Haemosporida infecting songbirds in southwest Michigan. Parasitol Res 2017; 117:471-489. [PMID: 29282527 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5724-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Avian blood parasites from the genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon (Haemosporida) affect hosts in numerous ways. They influence species interactions, host behavior, reproductive success, and cause pathology and mortality in birds. The Great Lakes region of North America has extensive aquatic and wetland habitat and supports a diverse vector community. Here we describe the community of bird-infecting Haemosporida in southwest Michigan and their host associations by measuring parasite prevalence, diversity, and host breadth across a diverse community of avian hosts. Over 700 songbirds of 55 species were screened for Haemosporida infection across southwest Michigan, including 11 species that were targeted for larger sample sizes. In total, 71 parasite lineages infected over 40% of birds. Of these, 42 were novel, yet richness estimates suggest that approximately half of the actual parasite diversity in the host community was observed despite intensive sampling of multiple host species. Parasite prevalence varied among parasite genera (7-24%) and target host species (0-85%), and parasite diversity was consistently high across most target species. Host breadth varied widely across the most prevalent parasite lineages, and we detected around 60% of host species richness for these parasite lineages. We report many new lineages and novel host-parasite associations, but substantial parasite diversity remains undiscovered in the Midwest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie D Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Sharon A Gill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Kathleen M Baker
- Department of Geography, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA.,W.E. Upjohn Center for the Study of Geographical Change, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA
| | - Maarten J Vonhof
- Department of Biological Sciences, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA. .,Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, Western Michigan University, 1903 W. Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA.
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8
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Schoenle LA, Kernbach M, Haussmann MF, Bonier F, Moore IT. An experimental test of the physiological consequences of avian malaria infection. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1483-1496. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Meredith Kernbach
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
- Department of Integrative Biology University of South Florida Tampa FL USA
| | | | - Frances Bonier
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
- Biology Department Queen's University Kingston ON Canada
| | - Ignacio T. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences Virginia Tech Blacksburg VA USA
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9
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Grégoir AF, Philippe C, Pinceel T, Reniers J, Thoré ESJ, Vanschoenwinkel B, Brendonck L. Life stage dependent responses to desiccation risk in the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2017; 91:880-895. [PMID: 28758279 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To assess whether the annual killifish Nothobranchius wattersi responds plastically to a desiccation risk and whether this response is life stage dependent, life-history traits such as maturation time, fecundity and life span were experimentally measured in N. wattersi that were subjected to a drop in water level either as juveniles, as adults or both as juveniles and adults. Fish that were exposed to simulated pool drying as juveniles did not show changes in reproductive output or life span. Adults reacted by doubling short term egg deposition at the cost of a shorter lifespan. Overall, these results suggest that annual fish species can use phenotypic plasticity to maximize their reproductive output when faced with early pond drying, but this response appears to be life-stage specific. In addition to frogs and aquatic insects, phenotypic plasticity induced by forthcoming drought is now also confirmed in annual fishes and could well be a common feature of the limited number of fish taxa that manage to survive in this extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- A F Grégoir
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - C Philippe
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Systemic Physiological and Ecotoxicological Research, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - T Pinceel
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
- Centre for Environmental Management, University of the Free State, P.O. Box 339, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa
| | - J Reniers
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - E S J Thoré
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - B Vanschoenwinkel
- Department of Biology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium
| | - L Brendonck
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Leuven, Ch. Deberiotstraat 32, B-3000, Leuven, Belgium
- Research Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520, South Africa
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10
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Abstract
Hosts frequently harbour multiple parasite infections, yet patterns of parasite co-occurrence are poorly documented in nature. In this study, we asked whether two common avian blood parasites, one haemosporidian and one trypanosome, affect each other's occurrence in individuals of a single host species. We used molecular genotyping to survey protozoan parasites in the peripheral blood of yellow-breasted chats (Aves: Passeriformes [Parulidae]: Icteria virens) from the Ozarks of Southern Missouri. We also determined whether single and co-infections differently influence white blood cell and polychromatic erythrocyte counts, the latter being a measure of regenerative anaemia. We found a positive association between the haemosporidian and trypanosome parasites, such that infection by one increases the probability that an individual host is infected by the other. Adult individuals were more likely than juveniles to exhibit haemosporidian infection, but co-infections and single trypanosome infections were not age-related. We found evidence of pathogenicity of trypanosomes in that infected individuals exhibited similar levels of regenerative anaemia as birds infected with haemosporidian parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Counts of white blood cells did not differ with respect to infection status.
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11
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Fokkema RW, Ubels R, Tinbergen JM. Great tits trade off future competitive advantage for current reproduction. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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12
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Zélé F, Vézilier J, L'Ambert G, Nicot A, Gandon S, Rivero A, Duron O. Dynamics of prevalence and diversity of avian malaria infections in wild Culex pipiens mosquitoes: the effects of Wolbachia, filarial nematodes and insecticide resistance. Parasit Vectors 2014; 7:437. [PMID: 25228147 PMCID: PMC4261254 DOI: 10.1186/1756-3305-7-437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2014] [Accepted: 08/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Identifying the parasites transmitted by a particular vector and the factors that render this vector susceptible to the parasite are key steps to understanding disease transmission. Although avian malaria has become a model system for the investigation of the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of Plasmodium parasites, little is still known about the field prevalence, diversity and distribution of avian Plasmodium species within the vectors, or about the extrinsic factors affecting Plasmodium population dynamics in the wild. Methods We examined changes in avian malaria prevalence and Plasmodium lineage composition in female Culex pipiens caught throughout one field season in 2006, across four sampling sites in southern France. Using site occupancy models, we correct the naive estimates of Plasmodium prevalence to account for PCR-based imperfect detection. To establish the importance of different factors that may bear on the prevalence and diversity of avian Plasmodium in field mosquitoes, we focus on Wolbachia and filarial parasite co-infections, as well as on the insecticide resistance status of the mosquito. Results Plasmodium prevalence in Cx. pipiens increased from February (0%) to October (15.8%) and did not vary significantly among the four sampling sites. The application of site occupancy models leads to a 4% increase in this initial (naive) estimate of prevalence. The parasite community was composed of 15 different haemosporidian lineages, 13 of which belonged to the Plasmodium genus, and 2 to the Haemoproteus genus. Neither the presence of different Wolbachia types and of filarial parasites co-infecting the mosquitoes, nor their insecticide resistance status were found to affect the Plasmodium prevalence and diversity. Conclusion We found that haemosporidian parasites are common and diverse in wild-caught Cx. pipiens mosquitoes in Southern France. The prevalence of the infection in mosquitoes is unaffected by Wolbachia and filarial co-infections as well as the insecticide resistant status of the vector. These factors may thus have a negligible impact on the transmission of avian malaria. In contrast, the steady increase in prevalence from February to October indicates that the dynamics of avian malaria is driven by seasonality and supports that infected birds are the reservoir of a diverse community of lineages in southern France. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1756-3305-7-437) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flore Zélé
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle, (UMR CNRS-UM1-UM2 5290, IRD 224), Centre de Recherche IRD, 911 Avenue Agropolis, 34394 Montpellier, France.
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13
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Granroth-Wilding HMV, Burthe SJ, Lewis S, Reed TE, Herborn KA, Newell MA, Takahashi EA, Daunt F, Cunningham EJA. Parasitism in early life: environmental conditions shape within-brood variation in responses to infection. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3408-19. [PMID: 25535557 PMCID: PMC4228615 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2014] [Revised: 07/18/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites play key ecological and evolutionary roles through the costs they impose on their host. In wild populations, the effect of parasitism is likely to vary considerably with environmental conditions, which may affect the availability of resources to hosts for defense. However, the interaction between parasitism and prevailing conditions is rarely quantified. In addition to environmental variation acting on hosts, individuals are likely to vary in their response to parasitism, and the combined effect of both may increase heterogeneity in host responses. Offspring hierarchies, established by parents in response to uncertain rearing conditions, may be an important source of variation between individuals. Here, we use experimental antiparasite treatment across 5 years of variable conditions to test how annual population productivity (a proxy for environmental conditions) and parasitism interact to affect growth and survival of different brood members in juvenile European shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis). In control broods, last-hatched chicks had more plastic growth rates, growing faster in more productive years. Older siblings grew at a similar rate in all years. Treatment removed the effect of environment on last-hatched chicks, such that all siblings in treated broods grew at a similar rate across environmental conditions. There were no differences in nematode burden between years or siblings, suggesting that variation in responses arose from intrinsic differences between chicks. Whole-brood growth rate was not affected by treatment, indicating that within-brood differences were driven by a change in resource allocation between siblings rather than a change in overall parental provisioning. We show that gastrointestinal parasites can be a key component of offspring's developmental environment. Our results also demonstrate the value of considering prevailing conditions for our understanding of parasite effects on host life-history traits. Establishing how environmental conditions shape responses to parasitism is important as environmental variability is predicted to increase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna M V Granroth-Wilding
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories King's Buildings, West Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, U.K
| | - Sarah J Burthe
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, U.K
| | - Sue Lewis
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories King's Buildings, West Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, U.K
| | - Thomas E Reed
- School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University College Cork Cork, Ireland
| | - Katherine A Herborn
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, U.K
| | - Mark A Newell
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, U.K
| | - Emi A Takahashi
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories King's Buildings, West Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, U.K
| | - Francis Daunt
- NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, U.K
| | - Emma J A Cunningham
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biology, University of Edinburgh, Ashworth Laboratories King's Buildings, West Mains Rd, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, U.K
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Grogan LF, Berger L, Rose K, Grillo V, Cashins SD, Skerratt LF. Surveillance for emerging biodiversity diseases of wildlife. PLoS Pathog 2014; 10:e1004015. [PMID: 24875394 PMCID: PMC4038591 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1004015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Laura F. Grogan
- One Health Research Group, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lee Berger
- One Health Research Group, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Karrie Rose
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Victoria Grillo
- Wildlife Health Australia (formerly Australian Wildlife Health Network), Georges Heights, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Scott D. Cashins
- One Health Research Group, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Lee F. Skerratt
- One Health Research Group, School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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15
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Szafrańska PA, Zub K, Wieczorek M, Książek A, Speakman JR, Konarzewski M. Shaving increases daily energy expenditures in free living root voles. J Exp Biol 2014; 217:3964-7. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.103754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Experimental manipulation of energy expenditure has long been recognized as an effective means for identifying causative effects and avoiding confounded interpretations arising from spurious correlations. This approach has been successfully applied mainly in studies on birds, particularly on reproducing adults, while manipulations in mammals have proved more problematic. Here we tested the hypothesis that shaving off 50% of the dorsal pelage should effectively increase energy expenditure in the wild root voles (Microtus oeconomus) in their natural environment. We measured daily energy expenditures (DEE), using doubly labelled water (DLW), in shaved and unshaved voles at the beginning of winter. The difference in DEE (corrected for body mass and year effects) between experimental and control group fluctuated from 11.5% to 17.3%. Probability of recapture over the 3-days DEE assay was strongly dependent on body mass but did not differ between shaved and unshaved animals, however the prevalence of larger (heavier) shaved individuals was observed. Shaved animals lost more weight between the release and recapture. Shaving therefore appears an effective method of increasing costs of total daily energy expenditures in wild endotherms in their natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karol Zub
- Mammal Research Institute Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland
| | | | | | - John R. Speakman
- University of Aberdeen, Scotland; Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, CAS, China
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Garroway CJ, Radersma R, Sepil I, Santure AW, De Cauwer I, Slate J, Sheldon BC. FINE-SCALE GENETIC STRUCTURE IN A WILD BIRD POPULATION: THE ROLE OF LIMITED DISPERSAL AND ENVIRONMENTALLY BASED SELECTION AS CAUSAL FACTORS. Evolution 2013; 67:3488-500. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.12121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 03/24/2013] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Garroway
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Reinder Radersma
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Irem Sepil
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
| | - Anna W. Santure
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN United Kingdom
| | - Isabelle De Cauwer
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN United Kingdom
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Evolution des Populations Végétales UMR CNRS 8198, Bâtiment SN2; Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille-Lille 1; F-59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex France
| | - Jon Slate
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN United Kingdom
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology, University of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS United Kingdom
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17
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Sepil I, Lachish S, Sheldon BC. Mhc-linked survival and lifetime reproductive success in a wild population of great tits. Mol Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.12123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Irem Sepil
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Shelly Lachish
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Department of Zoology; Edward Grey Institute; University of Oxford; South Parks Road Oxford OX1 3PS UK
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18
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Robert A, Paiva VH, Bolton M, Jiguet F, Bried J. The interaction between reproductive cost and individual quality is mediated by oceanic conditions in a long-lived bird. Ecology 2012; 93:1944-52. [PMID: 22928422 DOI: 10.1890/11-1840.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Environmental variability, costs of reproduction, and heterogeneity in individual quality are three important sources of the temporal and interindividual variations in vital rates of wild populations. Based on an 18-year monitoring of an endangered, recently described, long-lived seabird, Monteiro's Storm-Petrel (Oceanodroma monteiroi), we designed multistate survival models to separate the effects of the reproductive cost (breeders vs. nonbreeders) and individual quality (successful vs. unsuccessful breeders) in relation to temporally variable demographic and oceanographic properties. The analysis revealed a gradient of individual quality from nonbreeders, to unsuccessful breeders, to successful breeders. The survival rates of unsuccessful breeders (0.90 +/- 0.023, mean +/- SE) tended to decrease in years of high average breeding success and were more sensitive to oceanographic variation than those of both (high-quality) successful breeders (0.97 +/- 0.015) and (low-quality) nonbreeders (0.83 +/- 0.028). Overall, our results indicate that reproductive costs act on individuals of intermediate quality and are mediated by environmental harshness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Robert
- UMR 7204 MNHN-CNRS-UPMC, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, 55, Rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France.
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19
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Santos ESA, Nakagawa S. The costs of parental care: a meta-analysis of the trade-off between parental effort and survival in birds. J Evol Biol 2012; 25:1911-7. [PMID: 22830387 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2012.02569.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 05/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
A fundamental premise of life-history theory is that organisms that increase current reproductive investment suffer increased mortality. Possibly the most studied life-history phenotypic relationship is the trade-off between parental effort and survival. However, evidence supporting this trade-off is equivocal. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis to test the generality of this tenet. Using experimental studies that manipulated parental effort in birds, we show that (i) the effect of parental effort on survival was similar across species regardless of phylogeny; (ii) individuals that experienced reduced parental effort had similar survival probabilities than control individuals, regardless of sex; and (iii) males that experienced increased parental effort were less likely to survive than control males, whereas females that experienced increased effort were just as likely to survive as control females. Our results suggest that the trade-off between parental effort and survival is more complex than previously assumed. Finally, our study provides recommendations of unexplored avenues of future research into life-history trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- E S A Santos
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
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20
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LaPointe DA, Atkinson CT, Samuel MD. Ecology and conservation biology of avian malaria. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2012; 1249:211-26. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06431.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 176] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Lachish S, Knowles SCL, Alves R, Wood MJ, Sheldon BC. Fitness effects of endemic malaria infections in a wild bird population: the importance of ecological structure. J Anim Ecol 2011; 80:1196-206. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01836.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Knowles SCL, Wood MJ, Alves R, Wilkin TA, Bensch S, Sheldon BC. Molecular epidemiology of malaria prevalence and parasitaemia in a wild bird population. Mol Ecol 2010; 20:1062-76. [PMID: 21073677 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2010.04909.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Avian malaria (Plasmodium spp.) and other blood parasitic infections of birds constitute increasingly popular model systems in ecological and evolutionary host-parasite studies. Field studies of these parasites commonly use two traits in hypothesis testing: infection status (or prevalence at the population level) and parasitaemia, yet the causes of variation in these traits remain poorly understood. Here, we use quantitative PCR to investigate fine-scale environmental and host predictors of malaria infection status and parasitaemia in a large 4-year data set from a well-characterized population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus). We also examine the temporal dynamics of both traits within individuals. Both infection status and parasitaemia showed marked temporal and spatial variation within this population. However, spatiotemporal patterns of prevalence and parasitaemia were non-parallel, suggesting that different biological processes underpin variation in these two traits at this scale. Infection probability and parasitaemia both increased with host age, and parasitaemia was higher in individuals investing more in reproduction (those with larger clutch sizes). Several local environmental characteristics predicted parasitaemia, including food availability, altitude, and distance from the woodland edge. Although infection status and parasitaemia were somewhat repeatable within individuals, infections were clearly dynamic: patent infections frequently disappeared from the bloodstream, with up to 26% being lost between years, and parasitaemia also fluctuated within individuals across years in a pattern that mirrored annual population-level changes. Overall, these findings highlight the ecological complexity of avian malaria infections in natural populations, while providing valuable insight into the fundamental biology of this system that will increase its utility as a model host-parasite system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C L Knowles
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK.
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