1
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Owens LA, Friant S, Martorelli Di Genova B, Knoll LJ, Contreras M, Noya-Alarcon O, Dominguez-Bello MG, Goldberg TL. VESPA: an optimized protocol for accurate metabarcoding-based characterization of vertebrate eukaryotic endosymbiont and parasite assemblages. Nat Commun 2024; 15:402. [PMID: 38195557 PMCID: PMC10776621 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44521-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Protocols for characterizing taxonomic assemblages by deep sequencing of short DNA barcode regions (metabarcoding) have revolutionized our understanding of microbial communities and are standardized for bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Unfortunately, comparable methods for host-associated eukaryotes have lagged due to technical challenges. Despite 54 published studies, issues remain with primer complementarity, off-target amplification, and lack of external validation. Here, we present VESPA (Vertebrate Eukaryotic endoSymbiont and Parasite Analysis) primers and optimized metabarcoding protocol for host-associated eukaryotic community analysis. Using in silico prediction, panel PCR, engineered mock community standards, and clinical samples, we demonstrate VESPA to be more effective at resolving host-associated eukaryotic assemblages than previously published methods and to minimize off-target amplification. When applied to human and non-human primate samples, VESPA enables reconstruction of host-associated eukaryotic endosymbiont communities more accurately and at finer taxonomic resolution than microscopy. VESPA has the potential to advance basic and translational science on vertebrate eukaryotic endosymbiont communities, similar to achievements made for bacterial, archaeal, and fungal microbiomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah A Owens
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
| | - Sagan Friant
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Bruno Martorelli Di Genova
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Larner College of Medicine, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Laura J Knoll
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Monica Contreras
- Center for Biophysics and Biochemistry, Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC), Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Oscar Noya-Alarcon
- Centro Amazónico de Investigación y Control de Enfermedades Tropicales-CAICET, Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, Venezuela
| | - Maria G Dominguez-Bello
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Institute for Food, Nutrition and Health, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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2
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Philippon J, Serrano-Martínez E, Poirotte C. Fecal avoidance and gastrointestinal parasitism in semi-free ranging woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03317-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
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3
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Xu Z, MacIntosh AJ, Castellano-Navarro A, Macanás-Martínez E, Suzumura T, Duboscq J. Linking parasitism to network centrality and the impact of sampling bias in its interpretation. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14305. [PMID: 36420133 PMCID: PMC9677876 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living is beneficial for individuals, but also comes with costs. One such cost is the increased possibility of pathogen transmission because increased numbers or frequencies of social contacts are often associated with increased parasite abundance or diversity. The social structure of a group or population is paramount to patterns of infection and transmission. Yet, for various reasons, studies investigating the links between sociality and parasitism in animals, especially in primates, have only accounted for parts of the group (e.g., only adults), which is likely to impact the interpretation of results. Here, we investigated the relationship between social network centrality and an estimate of gastrointestinal helminth infection intensity in a whole group of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata). We then tested the impact of omitting parts of the group on this relationship. We aimed to test: (1) whether social network centrality -in terms of the number of partners (degree), frequency of interactions (strength), and level of social integration (eigenvector) -was linked to parasite infection intensity (estimated by eggs per gram of faeces, EPG); and, (2) to what extent excluding portions of individuals within the group might influence the observed relationship. We conducted social network analysis on data collected from one group of Japanese macaques over three months on Koshima Island, Japan. We then ran a series of knock-out simulations. General linear mixed models showed that, at the whole-group level, network centrality was positively associated with geohelminth infection intensity. However, in partial networks with only adult females, only juveniles, or random subsets of the group, the strength of this relationship - albeit still generally positive - lost statistical significance. Furthermore, knock-out simulations where individuals were removed but network metrics were retained from the original whole-group network showed that these changes are partly a power issue and partly an effect of sampling the incomplete network. Our study indicates that sampling bias can thus hamper our ability to detect real network effects involving social interaction and parasitism. In addition to supporting earlier results linking geohelminth infection to Japanese macaque social networks, this work introduces important methodological considerations for research into the dynamics of social transmission, with implications for infectious disease epidemiology, population management, and health interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihong Xu
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan,Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Andrew J.J. MacIntosh
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan,Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Alba Castellano-Navarro
- Ethology and Animal Welfare Section, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Valencia, Spain,Institute of Biology, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
| | - Emilio Macanás-Martínez
- Ethology and Animal Welfare Section, Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, Valencia, Valencia, Spain,Institute of Biology, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony, Germany
| | | | - Julie Duboscq
- UMR7206 Eco-Anthropologie, CNRS-MNHN-Université de Paris, Paris, Île-de-France, France,Department of Behavioural Ecology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany
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4
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Wittman TN, Carlson TA, Robinson CD, Bhave RS, Cox RM. Experimental removal of nematode parasites increases growth, sprint speed, and mating success in brown anole lizards. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:852-866. [PMID: 35871281 PMCID: PMC9796785 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasites interact with nearly all free-living organisms and can impose substantial fitness costs by reducing host survival, mating success, and fecundity. Parasites may also indirectly affect host fitness by reducing growth and performance. However, experimentally characterizing these costs of parasitism is challenging in the wild because common antiparasite drug formulations require repeated dosing that is difficult to implement in free-living populations, and because the extended-release formulations that are commercially available for livestock and pets are not suitable for smaller animals. To address these challenges, we developed a method for the long-term removal of nematode parasites from brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) using an extended-release formulation of the antiparasite drug ivermectin. This treatment eliminated two common nematode parasites in captive adult males and dramatically reduced the prevalence and intensity of infection by these parasites in wild adult males and females. Experimental parasite removal significantly increased the sprint speed of captive adult males, the mating success of wild adult males, and the growth of wild juveniles of both sexes. Although parasite removal did not have any effect on survival in wild anoles, parasites may influence fitness directly through reduced mating success and indirectly through reduced growth and performance. Our method of long-term parasite manipulation via an extended-release formulation of ivermectin should be readily adaptable to many other small vertebrates, facilitating experimental tests of the extent to which parasites affect host phenotypes, fitness, and eco-evolutionary dynamics in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler N. Wittman
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | - Torun A. Carlson
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | | | - Rachana S. Bhave
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
| | - Robert M. Cox
- Department of BiologyUniversity of VirginiaCharlottesvilleVirginiaUSA
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5
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Mason B, Petrzelkova KJ, Kreisinger J, Bohm T, Cervena B, Fairet E, Fuh T, Gomez A, Knauf S, Maloueki U, Modry D, Shirley MH, Tagg N, Wangue N, Pafco B. Gastrointestinal symbiont diversity in wild gorilla: a comparison of bacterial and strongylid communities across multiple localities. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4127-4145. [PMID: 35661299 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16558] [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: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) are Critically Endangered and show continued population decline. Consequently, pressure mounts to better understand their conservation threats and ecology. Gastrointestinal symbionts, such as bacterial and eukaryotic communities, are believed to play vital roles in the physiological landscape of the host. Gorillas host a broad spectrum of eucaryotes, so called parasites, with strongylid nematodes being particularly prevalent. While these communities are partially consistent, they are also shaped by various ecological factors, such as diet or habitat type. To investigate gastrointestinal symbionts of wild western lowland gorillas, we analysed 215 faecal samples from individuals in five distinct localities across the Congo Basin, using high-throughput sequencing techniques. We describe the gut bacterial microbiome and genetic diversity of strongylid communities, including strain-level identification of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs). We identified strongylid ASVs from eight genera and bacterial ASVs from twenty phyla. We compared these communities across localities, with reference to varying environmental factors among populations, finding differences in alpha diversity and community compositions of both gastrointestinal components. Moreover, we also investigated covariation between strongylid nematodes and the bacterial microbiome, finding correlations between strongylid taxa and Prevotellaceae and Rikenellaceae ASVs that were consistent across multiple localities. Our research highlights complexity of the bacterial microbiome and strongylid communities in several gorilla populations and emphasizes potential interactions between these two symbiont communities. This study provides a framework for ongoing research into strongylid nematode diversity, and their interactions with the bacterial microbiome, amongst great apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethan Mason
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences
| | - Klara J Petrzelkova
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences.,Liberec Zoo, Liberec, Czech Republic
| | | | - Torsten Bohm
- African Parks, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of, Congo
| | | | - Emilie Fairet
- SFM Safari Gabon, Loango National Park, Gabon.,Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Andres Gomez
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota
| | - Sascha Knauf
- Institute of International Animal Health / One Health, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ulrich Maloueki
- African Parks, Odzala-Kokoua National Park, Republic of, Congo
| | - David Modry
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences.,Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources/CINeZ, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
| | - Matthew H Shirley
- SFM Safari Gabon, Loango National Park, Gabon.,Institute of Environment, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, USA
| | - Nikki Tagg
- Project Grands Singes, , Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp
| | | | - Barbora Pafco
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences
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6
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Torfs JRR, Eens M, Laméris DW, Staes N. Respiratory Disease Risk of Zoo-Housed Bonobos Is Associated with Sex and Betweenness Centrality in the Proximity Network. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3597. [PMID: 34944372 PMCID: PMC8698162 DOI: 10.3390/ani11123597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Infectious diseases can be considered a threat to animal welfare and are commonly spread through both direct and indirect social interactions with conspecifics. This is especially true for species with complex social lives, like primates. While several studies have investigated the impact of sociality on disease risk in primates, only a handful have focused on respiratory disease, despite it being a major cause of morbidity and mortality in both wild and captive populations and thus an important threat to primate welfare. Therefore, we examined the role of social-network position on the occurrence of respiratory disease symptoms during one winter season in a relatively large group of 20 zoo-housed bonobos with managed fission-fusion dynamics. We found that within the proximity network, symptoms were more likely to occur in individuals with higher betweenness centrality, which are individuals that form bridges between different parts of the network. Symptoms were also more likely to occur in males than in females, independent of their social-network position. Taken together, these results highlight a combined role of close proximity and sex in increased risk of attracting respiratory disease, two factors that can be taken into account for further welfare management of the species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas R. R. Torfs
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
| | - Daan W. Laméris
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Nicky Staes
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.E.); (D.W.L.); (N.S.)
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
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7
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Abstract
Understanding variation in host-associated microbial communities is important given the relevance of microbiomes to host physiology and health. Using 560 fecal samples collected from wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) across their range, we assessed how geography, genetics, climate, vegetation, and diet relate to gut microbial community structure (prokaryotes, eukaryotic parasites) at multiple spatial scales. We observed a high degree of regional specificity in the microbiome composition, which was associated with host genetics, available plant foods, and potentially with cultural differences in tool use, which affect diet. Genetic differences drove community composition at large scales, while vegetation and potentially tool use drove within-region differences, likely due to their influence on diet. Unlike industrialized human populations in the United States, where regional differences in the gut microbiome are undetectable, chimpanzee gut microbiomes are far more variable across space, suggesting that technological developments have decoupled humans from their local environments, obscuring regional differences that could have been important during human evolution. IMPORTANCE Gut microbial communities are drivers of primate physiology and health, but the factors that influence the gut microbiome in wild primate populations remain largely undetermined. We report data from a continent-wide survey of wild chimpanzee gut microbiota and highlight the effects of genetics, vegetation, and potentially even tool use at different spatial scales on the chimpanzee gut microbiome, including bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotic parasites. Microbial community dissimilarity was strongly correlated with chimpanzee population genetic dissimilarity, and vegetation composition and consumption of algae, honey, nuts, and termites were potentially associated with additional divergence in microbial communities between sampling sites. Our results suggest that host genetics, geography, and climate play a far stronger role in structuring the gut microbiome in chimpanzees than in humans.
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8
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Parasitism and host social behaviour: a meta-analysis of insights derived from social network analysis. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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9
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Sandel AA, Rushmore J, Negrey JD, Mitani JC, Lyons DM, Caillaud D. Social Network Predicts Exposure to Respiratory Infection in a Wild Chimpanzee Group. ECOHEALTH 2020; 17:437-448. [PMID: 33404931 PMCID: PMC7786864 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-020-01507-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory pathogens are expected to spread through social contacts, but outbreaks often occur quickly and unpredictably, making it challenging to simultaneously record social contact and disease incidence data, especially in wildlife. Thus, the role of social contacts in the spread of infectious disease is often treated as an assumption in disease simulation studies, and few studies have empirically demonstrated how pathogens spread through social networks. In July-August 2015, an outbreak of respiratory disease was observed in a wild chimpanzee community in Kibale National Park, Uganda, during an ongoing behavioral study of male chimpanzees, offering a rare opportunity to evaluate how social behavior affects individual exposure to socially transmissible diseases. From May to August 2015, we identified adult and adolescent male chimpanzees displaying coughs and rhinorrhea and recorded 5-m proximity data on males (N = 40). Using the network k-test, we found significant relationships between male network connectivity and the distribution of cases within the network, supporting the importance of short-distance contacts for the spread of the respiratory outbreak. Additionally, chimpanzees central to the network were more likely to display clinical signs than those with fewer connections. Although our analyses were limited to male chimpanzees, these findings underscore the value of social connectivity data in predicting disease outcomes and elucidate a potential evolutionary cost of being social.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, 2201 Speedway Stop C3200, Austin, TX, 78712, USA.
| | - Julie Rushmore
- One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Jacob D Negrey
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - John C Mitani
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel M Lyons
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Damien Caillaud
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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10
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Defolie C, Merkling T, Fichtel C. Patterns and variation in the mammal parasite-glucocorticoid relationship. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:74-93. [PMID: 31608587 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are ubiquitous and can strongly affect their hosts through mechanisms such as behavioural changes, increased energetic costs and/or immunomodulation. When parasites are detrimental to their hosts, they should act as physiological stressors and elicit the release of glucocorticoids. Alternatively, previously elevated glucocorticoid levels could facilitate parasite infection due to neuroimmunomodulation. However, results are equivocal, with studies showing either positive, negative or no relationship between parasite infection and glucocorticoid levels. Since factors such as parasite type, infection severity or host age and sex can influence the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship, we review the main mechanisms driving this relationship. We then perform a phylogenetic meta-analysis of 110 records from 65 studies in mammalian hosts from experimental and observational studies to quantify the general direction of this relationship and to identify ecological and methodological drivers of the observed variability. Our review produced equivocal results concerning the direction of the relationship, but there was stronger support for a positive relationship, although causality remained unclear. Mechanisms such as host manipulation for parasite survival, host response to infection, cumulative effects of multiple stressors, and neuro-immunomodulatory effects of glucocorticoids could explain the positive relationship. Our meta-analysis results revealed an overall positive relationship between glucocorticoids and parasitism among both experimental and observational studies. Because all experimental studies included were parasite manipulations, we conclude that parasites caused in general an increase in glucocorticoid levels. To obtain a better understanding of the directionality of this link, experimental manipulation of glucocorticoid levels is now required to assess the causal effects of high glucocorticoid levels on parasite infection. Neither parasite type, the method used to assess parasite infection nor phylogeny influenced the relationship, and there was no evidence for publication bias. Future studies should attempt to be as comprehensive as possible, including moderators potentially influencing the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship. We particularly emphasise the importance of testing hosts of a broad age range, concomitantly measuring sex hormone levels or at least reproductive status, and for observational studies, also considering food availability, host body condition and social stressors to obtain a better understanding of the parasite-glucocorticoid relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Defolie
- Sociobiology/Anthropology Department, University of Göttingen, Kellnerweg 6, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Merkling
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Macdonald-Stewart Building, 21111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Québec, H9X 3V9, Canada
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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11
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Akinyi MY, Jansen D, Habig B, Gesquiere LR, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Costs and drivers of helminth parasite infection in wild female baboons. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:1029-1043. [PMID: 30972751 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Helminth parasites can have wide-ranging, detrimental effects on host reproduction and survival. These effects are best documented in humans and domestic animals, while only a few studies in wild mammals have identified both the forces that drive helminth infection risk and their costs to individual fitness. Working in a well-studied population of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus) in the Amboseli ecosystem in Kenya, we pursued two goals, to (a) examine the costs of helminth infections in terms of female fertility and glucocorticoid hormone levels and (b) test how processes operating at multiple scales-from individual hosts to social groups and the population at large-work together to predict variation in female infection risk. To accomplish these goals, we measured helminth parasite burdens in 745 faecal samples collected over 5 years from 122 female baboons. We combine these data with detailed observations of host environments, social behaviours, hormone levels and interbirth intervals (IBIs). We found that helminths are costly to female fertility: females infected with more diverse parasite communities (i.e., higher parasite richness) exhibited longer IBIs than females infected by fewer parasite taxa. We also found that females exhibiting high Trichuris trichiura egg counts also had high glucocorticoid levels. Female infection risk was best predicted by factors at the host, social group and population level: females facing the highest risk were old, socially isolated, living in dry conditions and infected with other helminths. Our results provide an unusually holistic understanding of the factors that contribute to inter-individual differences in parasite infection, and they contribute to just a handful of studies linking helminths to host fitness in wild mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mercy Y Akinyi
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - David Jansen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
| | - Bobby Habig
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana.,Department of Biology, Queens college, City University of New York, Flushing, New York
| | | | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.,Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Elizabeth A Archie
- Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana
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12
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Balasubramaniam KN, Beisner BA, Hubbard JA, Vandeleest JJ, Atwill ER, McCowan B. Affiliation and disease risk: social networks mediate gut microbial transmission among rhesus macaques. Anim Behav 2019; 151:131-143. [PMID: 32831349 PMCID: PMC7434028 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
In social animals, affiliative behaviours bring many benefits, but also costs such as disease risk. The ways in which affiliation may affect the risk of infectious agent transmission remain unclear. Moreover, studies linking variation in affiliative interactions to infectious agent incidence/diversity have speculated that disease transmission may have occurred, rather than revealing that transmission did occur. We address these gaps using the phylogenetics of commensal gut Escherichia coli to determine whether affiliative grooming and huddling social networks mediated microbial transmission among rhesus macaques. We collected behavioural and microbial data from adult macaques across a 12-week period that was split into two 6-week phases to better detect dyadic transmission. We reconstructed undirected social networks from affiliative interactions and reconstructed microbial transmission networks from the pairwise phylogenetic similarity of E. coli pulsotypes from macaques within and across adjacent sampling events. Macaque E. coli pulsotypes were more phylogenetically similar to each other than to environmental isolates, which established a premise for socially mediated transmission. Dyadic grooming and huddling frequencies strongly influenced the likelihood of E. coli transmission during the second data collection phase, but not the first. Macaques that were more central/well connected in both their grooming and huddling networks were also more central in the E. coli transmission networks. Our results confirmed that affiliative grooming and huddling behaviours mediate the transmission of gut microbes among rhesus macaques, particularly among females and high-ranking individuals. The detectability of socially mediated E. coli transmission maybe partially masked by environmental acquisition in males, or by high frequencies of interactions in captivity. Predicting the potential transmission pathways of gastrointestinal parasites and pathogens, our findings add to current knowledge of the coevolutionary relationships between affiliative behaviour and health and may be used to identify 'superspreader' individuals as potential targets for disease control strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna N. Balasubramaniam
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Brianne A. Beisner
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
- Neuroscience & Behavior Unit, California National
Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Josephine A. Hubbard
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California,
Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Jessica J. Vandeleest
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
- Neuroscience & Behavior Unit, California National
Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Edward R. Atwill
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
| | - Brenda McCowan
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School
of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
- Neuroscience & Behavior Unit, California National
Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, U.S.A
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13
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Müller‐Klein N, Heistermann M, Strube C, Franz M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Exposure and susceptibility drive reinfection with gastrointestinal parasites in a social primate. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Müller‐Klein
- Behavioural Ecology University of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition German Primate Center and University of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Göttingen Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Hanover Germany
| | - Mathias Franz
- Department of Wildlife Diseases Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Behavioural Ecology University of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition German Primate Center and University of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
- Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Centre Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Goettingen Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Behavioural Ecology University of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus Primate Cognition German Primate Center and University of Goettingen Göttingen Germany
- Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Centre Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Goettingen Germany
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14
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Müller-Klein N, Heistermann M, Strube C, Morbach ZM, Lilie N, Franz M, Schülke O, Ostner J. Physiological and social consequences of gastrointestinal nematode infection in a nonhuman primate. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Müller-Klein
- Department for Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Heistermann
- Endocrinology Laboratory, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hanover, Germany
| | - Zina M Morbach
- Department for Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Parkstead House, Whitelands, London, UK
| | - Navina Lilie
- Department for Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Department for Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Mathias Franz
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department for Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department for Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Centre, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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15
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Blaszczyk MB. Consistency in social network position over changing environments in a seasonally breeding primate. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2425-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Friant S, Ziegler TE, Goldberg TL. Changes in physiological stress and behaviour in semi-free-ranging red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus) following antiparasitic treatment. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1201. [PMID: 27466454 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites are ubiquitous in wildlife populations, but physiological and behavioural responses of hosts to infection are difficult to measure. We experimentally treated semi-free-ranging red-capped mangabeys (Cercocebus torquatus) in Nigeria with antiparasitic drugs and examined subsequent changes in glucocorticoid production and individual behaviour. Because both parasites and stress impact energy balance and health, we measured (i) behavioural time re-allocation via activity budgets, (ii) social relationships (e.g. social connectivity and dominance hierarchy stability) and (iii) body condition. We collected triplicate faecal samples (n = 441) from 49 individuals prior to and following treatment. Cortisol levels fluctuated in parallel with parasite abundance. Elevations in cortisol, but not parasitism, were related to reduced body condition. Behaviour also shifted according to infection status, with uninfected individuals spending more time foraging and less time resting and vigilant compared with when they were infected. Time spent feeding, travelling or socializing did not differ between pre- and post-treatment time periods. Group cohesion, but not dominance stability, changed following treatment, suggesting parasite-induced social avoidance. Together, these findings show a coordinated response to infection that promotes host tolerance through stress and energy conservation, reduces transmission risk and increases protection when infected hosts are vulnerable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sagan Friant
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Toni E Ziegler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Centre, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Tony L Goldberg
- Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin--Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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17
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Carne C, Semple S, MacLarnon A, Majolo B, Maréchal L. Implications of Tourist-Macaque Interactions for Disease Transmission. ECOHEALTH 2017; 14:704-717. [PMID: 29150827 PMCID: PMC5725503 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-017-1284-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
During wildlife tourism, proximity or actual contact between people and animals may lead to a significant risk of anthropozoonotic disease transmission. In this paper, we use social network analysis, disease simulation modelling and data on animal health and behaviour to investigate such risks at a site in Morocco, where tourists come to see wild Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus). Measures of individual macaques' network centrality-an index of the strength and distribution of their social relationships and thus potentially their ability to spread disease-did not show clear and consistent relationships with their time spent in close proximity to, or rate of interacting with, tourists. Disease simulation modelling indicated that while higher-ranked animals had a significantly greater ability to spread disease within the group, in absolute terms there was little difference in the size of outbreaks that different individuals were predicted to cause. We observed a high rate of physical contact and close proximity between humans and macaques, including during three periods when the macaques were coughing and sneezing heavily, highlighting the potential risk of disease transmission. We recommend that general disease prevention strategies, such as those aimed at reducing opportunities for contact between tourists and macaques, should be adopted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Carne
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Stuart Semple
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Ann MacLarnon
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | - Bonaventura Majolo
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Sarah Swift Building, Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln, LN5 7AY, UK
| | - Laëtitia Maréchal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, Sarah Swift Building, Brayford Wharf East, Lincoln, LN5 7AY, UK.
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18
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Rushmore J, Bisanzio D, Gillespie TR. Making New Connections: Insights from Primate-Parasite Networks. Trends Parasitol 2017; 33:547-560. [PMID: 28279627 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2017.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Social interactions are important in everyday life for primates and many other group-living animals; however, these essential exchanges also provide opportunities for parasites to spread through social groups. Network analysis is a unique toolkit for studying pathogen transmission in a social context, and recent primate-parasite network studies shed light on linkages between behavior and infectious disease dynamics, providing insights for conservation and public health. We review existing literature on primate-parasite networks, examining determinants of infection risk, issues of network scale and temporal dynamics, and applications for disease control. We also discuss analytical and conceptual gaps that should be addressed to improve our understanding of how individual and group-level factors affect infection risk, while highlighting interesting areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Rushmore
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Donal Bisanzio
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Thomas R Gillespie
- Department of Environmental Sciences and Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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