1
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Butterworth NJ, Heffernan L, Hall MD. Is there a sicker sex? Dose relationships modify male-female differences in infection prevalence. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232575. [PMID: 38196362 PMCID: PMC10777155 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2575] [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: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Throughout the animal kingdom, there are striking differences in the propensity of one sex or the other to become infected. However, precisely when we should expect males or females to be the sicker sex remains unclear. A major barrier to answering this question is that very few studies have considered how the susceptibility of males and females changes across the full range of pathogen doses encountered in nature. Without quantifying this 'dose-susceptibility' relationship, we have likely underestimated the scope for sex differences to arise. Here, we use the Daphnia magnia-Pasteuria ramosa system to reveal that sex differences in susceptibility are entirely dose-dependent, with pathogens having a higher probability of successfully establishing an infection in mature males at low doses, but mature females at high doses. The scope for male-female differences to emerge is therefore much greater than previously appreciated-extending to sex differences in the upper limits to infection success, per-propagule infectivity risks and density-dependent pathogen behaviour. Applying this expanded scope across the animal kingdom will help us understand when and why a sicker sex emerges, and the implications for diseases in nature-where sex ratios, age structure and pathogen densities vary drastically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan J. Butterworth
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Lindsey Heffernan
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Matthew D. Hall
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Wellington Road, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
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2
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Kailing MJ, Hoyt JR, White JP, Kaarakka HM, Redell JA, Leon AE, Rocke TE, DePue JE, Scullon WH, Parise KL, Foster JT, Kilpatrick AM, Langwig KE. Sex-biased infections scale to population impacts for an emerging wildlife disease. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230040. [PMID: 36946110 PMCID: PMC10031401 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Demographic factors are fundamental in shaping infectious disease dynamics. Aspects of populations that create structure, like age and sex, can affect patterns of transmission, infection intensity and population outcomes. However, studies rarely link these processes from individual to population-scale effects. Moreover, the mechanisms underlying demographic differences in disease are frequently unclear. Here, we explore sex-biased infections for a multi-host fungal disease of bats, white-nose syndrome, and link disease-associated mortality between sexes, the distortion of sex ratios and the potential mechanisms underlying sex differences in infection. We collected data on host traits, infection intensity and survival of five bat species at 42 sites across seven years. We found females were more infected than males for all five species. Females also had lower apparent survival over winter and accounted for a smaller proportion of populations over time. Notably, female-biased infections were evident by early hibernation and likely driven by sex-based differences in autumn mating behaviour. Male bats were more active during autumn which likely reduced replication of the cool-growing fungus. Higher disease impacts in female bats may have cascading effects on bat populations beyond the hibernation season by limiting recruitment and increasing the risk of Allee effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macy J Kailing
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Joseph R Hoyt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - J Paul White
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI 53707, USA
| | | | | | - Ariel E Leon
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Tonie E Rocke
- US Geological Survey, National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - John E DePue
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Baraga, MI 49908, USA
| | | | - Katy L Parise
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - A Marm Kilpatrick
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Kate E Langwig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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3
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Logging effects on parasitic infections in a swamp rat (Malacomys edwardsi) in West Africa. J Mammal 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Habitat disturbance can have negative impacts on biodiversity, such as reducing species richness. The effects of habitat disturbances on parasite infections of host species, potentially altering their survival rate and thus abundance, are less well known. We examined the influence of forest logging in combination with seasonality, host abundance, host body condition, and host sex, on the community composition of gastrointestinal parasites infecting Edward’s swamp rat, Malacomys edwardsi. Community composition of parasites did not differ between logged and undisturbed sites, but the abundance of some nematodes (i.e., Ascaris and hookworm) was higher in undisturbed than logged sites. The higher abundance of these nematode species implies a changed host-parasite relationship, thus potentially influencing host persistence.
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4
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Fracasso G, Matthysen E, Heylen D. Heritable variation in host quality as measured through an ectoparasite's performance. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dieter Heylen
- Interuniversity Inst. for Biostatistics and Statistical Bioinformatics, Hasselt Univ. Diepenbeek Belgium
- Eco‐Epidemiology Group, Dept of Biomedical Sciences, Inst. of Tropical Medicine Antwerp Belgium
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5
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Adalid R, Feliu C, Somoano A, Miñarro M, Ventura J, Torres J, Miquel J, Fuentes MV. Ecological Analysis of the Helminth Community of Microtus lusitanicus (Gerbe, 1879) (Rodentia) in Asturias (NW Spain). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3055. [PMID: 34827787 PMCID: PMC8614527 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Lusitanian pine vole, Microtus lusitanicus, an endemic fossorial rodent of the Iberian Peninsula, has a burrowing behaviour and prefers to live underground. It feeds on bark and roots causing severe damage to trees. In Asturias (NW Spain), where M. lusitanicus is considered a pest in several orchards, a faunistic-ecological study was carried out to describe the helminth community of this species and the main factors that could influence its helminth component species. For this purpose, our own collection of 710 voles from several orchards of various locations in Asturias was used. Eight helminth species, four cestodes and four nematodes, were found. Statistical non-parametric tests were used to analyse the effects of extrinsic and intrinsic factors on the diversity of the helminth community and species prevalence and abundance. The results show the influence of climate variables, the year and season of capture, as well as host age, on the diversity of the helminth community and the infection parameters of some helminth species, underlining the importance of their life cycles. In addition to shedding light on the helminth community of this rodent in Asturias, the results obtained could be used to improve the biological methods applied to fight the M. lusitanicus pest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roser Adalid
- Secció de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, sn, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (R.A.); (C.F.); (J.T.); (J.M.)
| | - Carles Feliu
- Secció de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, sn, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (R.A.); (C.F.); (J.T.); (J.M.)
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aitor Somoano
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Ctra. AS-267, PK 19, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain; (A.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Marcos Miñarro
- Servicio Regional de Investigación y Desarrollo Agroalimentario (SERIDA), Ctra. AS-267, PK 19, 33300 Villaviciosa, Spain; (A.S.); (M.M.)
| | - Jacint Ventura
- Departament de Biologia Animal, Biologia Vegetal i Ecologia, Facultat de Biociències, Campus de Bellaterra, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain;
- Àrea de Recerca en Petits Mamífers, Museu de Ciències Naturals de Granollers “La Tela”, C/Palaudàries, 102, 08402 Granollers, Spain
| | - Jordi Torres
- Secció de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, sn, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (R.A.); (C.F.); (J.T.); (J.M.)
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Miquel
- Secció de Parasitologia, Departament de Biologia, Sanitat i Medi Ambient, Facultat de Farmàcia i Ciències de l’Alimentació, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Joan XXIII, sn, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (R.A.); (C.F.); (J.T.); (J.M.)
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Màrius Vicent Fuentes
- Parasites and Health Research Group, Departament de Farmàcia i Tecnologia Farmacèutica i Parasitologia, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Valencia, Av. Vicent Andrés Estellés, 46100 Burjassot, Spain
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6
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Mair I, Else KJ, Forman R. Trichuris muris as a tool for holistic discovery research: from translational research to environmental bio-tagging. Parasitology 2021; 148:1-13. [PMID: 33952360 PMCID: PMC8660646 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202100069x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Trichuris spp. (whipworms) are intestinal nematode parasites which cause chronic infections associated with significant morbidities. Trichuris muris in a mouse is the most well studied of the whipworms and research on this species has been approached from a number of different disciplines. Research on T. muris in a laboratory mouse has provided vital insights into the host–parasite interaction through analyses of the immune responses to infection, identifying factors underpinning host susceptibility and resistance. Laboratory studies have also informed strategies for disease control through anthelmintics and vaccine research. On the contrary, research on naturally occurring infections with Trichuris spp. allows the analysis of the host–parasite co-evolutionary relationships and parasite genetic diversity. Furthermore, ecological studies utilizing Trichuris have aided our knowledge of the intricate relationships amongst parasite, host and environment. More recently, studies in wild and semi-wild settings have combined the strengths of the model organism of the house mouse with the complexities of context-dependent physiological responses to infection. This review celebrates the extraordinarily broad range of beneficiaries of whipworm research, from immunologists and parasitologists, through epidemiologists, ecologists and evolutionary biologists to the veterinary and medical communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Mair
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, ManchesterM13 9PT, UK
| | - Kathryn J. Else
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, ManchesterM13 9PT, UK
| | - Ruth Forman
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, ManchesterM13 9PT, UK
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7
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Behnke JM, Rogan MT, Craig PS, Jackson JA, Hide G. Long-term trends in helminth infections of wood mice ( Apodemus sylvaticus) from the vicinity of Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire, England. Parasitology 2021; 148:451-463. [PMID: 33256865 PMCID: PMC11010161 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Helminth infections in wood mice (n = 483), trapped over a period of 26 years in the woods surrounding Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire, were analysed. Although 10 species of helminths were identified, the overall mean species richness was 1.01 species/mouse indicating that the helminth community was relatively depauperate in this wood mouse population. The dominant species was Heligmosomoides polygyrus, the prevalence (64.6%) and abundance (10.4 worms/mouse) of which declined significantly over the study period. Because of the dominance of this species, analyses of higher taxa (combined helminths and combined nematodes) also revealed significantly declining values for prevalence, although not abundance. Helminth species richness (HSR) and Brillouin's index of diversity (BID) did not show covariance with year, neither did those remaining species whose overall prevalence exceeded 5% (Syphacia stroma, Aonchotheca murissylvatici and Plagiorchis muris). Significant age effects were detected for the prevalence and abundance of all higher taxa, H. polygyrus and P. muris, and for HSR and BID, reflecting the accumulation of helminths with increasing host age. Only two cases of sex bias were found; male bias in abundance of P. muris and combined Digenea. We discuss the significance of these results and hypothesize about the underlying causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, NottinghamNG7 2RD, UK
| | - Michael T. Rogan
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
| | - Philip S. Craig
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
| | - Joseph A. Jackson
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
| | - Geoff Hide
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
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8
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Mair I, McNeilly TN, Corripio-Miyar Y, Forman R, Else KJ. Embracing nature's complexity: Immunoparasitology in the wild. Semin Immunol 2021; 53:101525. [PMID: 34785137 PMCID: PMC8713030 DOI: 10.1016/j.smim.2021.101525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of research is dedicated to understanding how resistance against parasites is conferred and how parasite-driven pathology is regulated. This research is in part driven by the hope to better treatments for parasitic diseases of humans and livestock, and in part by immunologists who use parasitic infections as biomedical tools to evoke physiological immune responses. Much of the current mechanistic knowledge has been discovered in laboratory studies using model organisms, especially the laboratory mouse. However, wildlife are also hosts to a range of parasites. Through the study of host-parasite interactions in these non-laboratory systems we can gain a deeper understanding of parasite immunology in a more natural, complex environment. With a focus on helminth parasites, we here explore the insights gained into parasite-induced immune responses through (for immunologists) non-conventional experimental systems, and how current core findings from laboratory studies are reflected in these more natural conditions. The quality of the immune response is undoubtedly a central player in susceptibility versus resistance, as many laboratory studies have shown. Yet, in the wild, parasite infections tend to be chronic diseases. Whilst reading our review, we encourage the reader to consider the following questions which may (only) be answered by studying naturally occurring parasites in the wild: a) what type of immune responses are mounted against parasites in different hosts in the wild, and how do they vary within an individual over time, between individuals of the same species and between species? b) can we use wild or semi-wild study systems to understand the evolutionary drivers for tolerance versus resistance towards a parasite? c) what determines the ability of the host to cope with an infection and is there a link with the type of immune response mounted? d) can we modulate environmental factors to manipulate a wild animal's immune response to parasitic infections, with translation potential for humans, wildlife, and livestock? and e) in context of this special issue, what lessons for Type 2 immunity can we glean from studying animals in their natural environments? Further, we aim to integrate some of the knowledge gained in semi-wild and wild settings with knowledge gained from traditional laboratory-based research, and to raise awareness for the opportunities (and challenges) that come with integrating a multitude of naturally-occurring variables into immunoparasitological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Mair
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
| | - Tom N McNeilly
- Disease Control Department, Moredun Research Institute, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Yolanda Corripio-Miyar
- Disease Control Department, Moredun Research Institute, Midlothian, EH26 0PZ, Scotland, UK
| | - Ruth Forman
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Kathryn J Else
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Oxford Road Manchester, M13 9PT, UK.
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9
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Siva-Jothy JA, Vale PF. Dissecting genetic and sex-specific sources of host heterogeneity in pathogen shedding and spread. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1009196. [PMID: 33465160 PMCID: PMC7846003 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Host heterogeneity in disease transmission is widespread but precisely how different host traits drive this heterogeneity remains poorly understood. Part of the difficulty in linking individual variation to population-scale outcomes is that individual hosts can differ on multiple behavioral, physiological and immunological axes, which will together impact their transmission potential. Moreover, we lack well-characterized, empirical systems that enable the quantification of individual variation in key host traits, while also characterizing genetic or sex-based sources of such variation. Here we used Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila C Virus as a host-pathogen model system to dissect the genetic and sex-specific sources of variation in multiple host traits that are central to pathogen transmission. Our findings show complex interactions between genetic background, sex, and female mating status accounting for a substantial proportion of variance in lifespan following infection, viral load, virus shedding, and viral load at death. Two notable findings include the interaction between genetic background and sex accounting for nearly 20% of the variance in viral load, and genetic background alone accounting for ~10% of the variance in viral shedding and in lifespan following infection. To understand how variation in these traits could generate heterogeneity in individual pathogen transmission potential, we combined measures of lifespan following infection, virus shedding, and previously published data on fly social aggregation. We found that the interaction between genetic background and sex explained ~12% of the variance in individual transmission potential. Our results highlight the importance of characterising the sources of variation in multiple host traits to understand the drivers of heterogeneity in disease transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon A. Siva-Jothy
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Pedro F. Vale
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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10
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Payne E, Sinn DL, Spiegel O, Leu ST, Wohlfeil C, Godfrey SS, Gardner M, Sih A. Consistent individual differences in ecto‐parasitism of a long‐lived lizard host. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eric Payne
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616‐5270 USA
| | - David L. Sinn
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616‐5270 USA
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - Orr Spiegel
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv Univ. Tel Aviv Israel
| | - Stephan T. Leu
- Dept of Biological Sciences, Macquarie Univ. Sydney Australia
| | - Caroline Wohlfeil
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders Univ. Adelaide Australia
| | | | - Michael Gardner
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders Univ. Adelaide Australia
- Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum North Terrace Adelaide Australia
| | - Andy Sih
- Dept of Environmental Science and Policy, Univ. of California Davis 1 Shields Ave. Davis CA 95616‐5270 USA
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11
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Kruth PS, Michel C, Amery-Gale J, Barta JR. Full Mitochondrial Genome and Nuclear 18S rDNA Sequences Refine the Taxonomic Placement of Choleoeimeria taggarti n. comb. from the Prostate of Antechinus flavipes (Yellow-Footed Antechinus). J Parasitol 2020. [DOI: 10.1645/19-57] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- P. S. Kruth
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - C. Michel
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - J. Amery-Gale
- Melbourne Veterinary School, Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - J. R. Barta
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
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12
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Koprivnikar J, Riepe TB, Calhoun DM, Johnson PTJ. Whether larval amphibians school does not affect the parasite aggregation rule: testing the effects of host spatial heterogeneity in field and experimental studies. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janet Koprivnikar
- Dept of Chemistry and Biology; Ryerson Univ., 350 Victoria Street; Toronto ON, M5B 2K3 Canada
| | - Tawni B. Riepe
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Univ. of Colorado; Boulder CO USA
| | - Dana M. Calhoun
- Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Univ. of Colorado; Boulder CO USA
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13
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Reproductive effort and seasonality associated with male-biased parasitism in Gracilinanus agilis (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae) infected by Eimeria spp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) in the Brazilian cerrado. Parasitology 2015; 142:1086-94. [PMID: 25877479 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182015000402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The aggregation of parasites among hosts is associated with differential host exposure and susceptibility to parasites, which varies according to host gender, body size, reproductive status and environmental factors. We evaluated the role of these factors on infestation by Eimeria spp. (Eimeriidae) in the agile gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis), a semelparous didelphid inhabiting neotropical savannahs. Eimeria spp. abundance and prevalence among G. agilis were associated with the breeding status of individuals and to a lesser extent to climatic season, with both sexes presenting higher Eimeria spp. burdens during late breeding/wet season. On the other hand, male-biased parasitism was restricted to dry/mating season. We suggest that male spatial organization and diet may account for increased parasite burdens within this sex, although future studies should evaluate the role of physiological differences associated with androgen hormones. Finally, a rapid increase in Eimeria spp. loads among females during the late breeding/wet season seems associated with seasonal changes in susceptibility, due to breeding costs related to semelparity, and exposure to infective propagules, while male-die off seems to explain maintenance of higher Eimeria spp. burdens within this sex in the same period.
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PARASITE PREVALENCE AND COMMUNITY DIVERSITY IN SYMPATRIC AND ALLOPATRIC POPULATIONS OF TWO WOODRAT SPECIES (SIGMODONTINAE:NEOTOMA) IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. J Wildl Dis 2015; 51:419-30. [DOI: 10.7589/2014-04-099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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15
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Lin JW, Lo HY, Wang HC, Shaner PJL. The effects of mite parasitism on the reproduction and survival of the Taiwan field mice (Apodemus semotus). Zool Stud 2014. [DOI: 10.1186/s40555-014-0079-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Background
The effects of parasitism on host survival and reproduction can be highly complex depending on the type of parasites, host sex and life-history characteristics, and ecological conditions. In this study, we tested sex-biased parasitism from Trombiculid mites (Acarina: Trombiculidae) and their sex-specific effects on host reproduction and survival, in a natural population of the Taiwan field mouse (Apodemus semotus). We performed surveys of A. semotus and their Trombiculid mites between April 2010 and August 2011 and again between June and September 2012 in a subtropical evergreen forest in Taiwan.
Results
Contrary to the commonly reported male-biased parasitism in mammals, we did not find sex-biased parasitism in A. semotus. We found that mite abundance was negatively associated with A. semotus reproduction and survival in both males and females. The mite abundance and rodent reproduction fluctuated seasonally, and the peak reproductive season coincided with the time period of relatively low mite abundance.
Conclusions
Trombiculid mites could potentially regulate A. semotus populations through reducing their reproduction and survival. The overlapping periods of peak reproduction and low parasitism implied that A. semotus may adjust their reproductive phenology to avoid periods of high parasitism or be constrained by parasites to reproduce only during periods of low parasitism. Although our results are correlational, host breeding season has been shown to increase in response to experimental reduction of parasitism. We suggest that parasites may shape host reproduction phenology through which they may influence host population dynamics.
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Grzybek M, Bajer A, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Al-Sarraf M, Behnke JM. Female host sex-biased parasitism with the rodent stomach nematode Mastophorus muris in wild bank voles (Myodes glareolus). Parasitol Res 2014; 114:523-33. [PMID: 25395256 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-014-4214-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Abundance and prevalence of helminth infections often differ between host sexes, and are usually biased in favor of males. Relatively few cases of female-biased parasitism have been reported. We sampled bank voles in three woodland sites in N.E. Poland over 11 years at 3-4-year intervals, and assessed their parasite burdens. Prevalence and abundance of the stomach nematode Mastophorus muris were consistently higher among females. Among adult female bank voles from the two sites that showed the highest prevalence with M. muris, both prevalence and abundance were significantly higher in lactating bank voles, but not pregnant animals, and the effect of lactation was evident in both sites, in all four surveys, and in both age classes. Although the magnitude of the effect of lactation varied between years, it was not confounded by any significant interactions with other factors. We hypothesize that mature and reproductively active female bank voles are subject to higher exposure compared with males of similar age, as a consequence of the increased content of invertebrates in their diet, including the intermediate hosts of M. muris, required to meet the higher increased energy and protein demands of nursing litters throughout the summer months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Disease, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 12 Akademicka Street, 20-950, Lublin, Poland
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Bordes F, Ponlet N, de Bellocq JG, Ribas A, Krasnov BR, Morand S. Is there sex-biased resistance and tolerance in Mediterranean wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus) populations facing multiple helminth infections? Oecologia 2012; 170:123-35. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2300-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/01/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Abstract
Parasites are often aggregated on a minority of the individuals in their host populations. Although host characteristics are commonly presumed to explain parasite aggregation on hosts, spatio-temporal aggregation of parasites during their host-seeking stages may have a dominant effect on the aggregation on hosts. We aimed to quantify, using mixed models, repeatability and autocorrelation analyses, the degree to which the aggregation of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) on white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) is influenced by spatio-temporal distributions of the host-seeking ticks and by heterogeneity among mice. Host-seeking ticks were spatially aggregated at both the larval and nymphal life-stages. However, this spatial aggregation accounted for little of the variation in larval and nymphal burdens observed on mice (3% and 0%, respectively). Conversely, mouse identity accounted for a substantial proportion of the variance in tick burdens. Mouse identity was a significant explanatory factor as the majority of ticks parasitized a consistent set of mice throughout the activity seasons. Of the characteristics associated with mouse identity investigated, only gender affected larval burdens, and body mass and home range sizes in males were correlated with nymphal burdens. These analyses suggest that aggregation of ticks on a minority of mice does not result from the distribution of host-seeking ticks but from characteristics of the hosts.
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