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Salomon J, Sambado SB, Crews A, Sidhu S, Seredian E, Almarinez A, Grgich R, Swei A. Macro-parasites and micro-parasites co-exist in rodent communities but are associated with different community-level parameters. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 22:51-59. [PMID: 37680651 PMCID: PMC10481151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife species are often heavily parasitized by multiple infections simultaneously. Yet research on sylvatic transmission cycles, tend to focus on host interactions with a single parasite and neglects the influence of co-infections by other pathogens and parasites. Co-infections between macro-parasites and micro-parasites can alter mechanisms that regulate pathogenesis and are important for understanding disease emergence and dynamics. Wildlife rodent hosts in the Lyme disease system are infected with macro-parasites (i.e., ticks and helminths) and micro-parasites (i.e., Borrelia spp.), however, there has not been a study that investigates the interaction of all three parasites (i.e., I. pacificus, Borrelia spp., and helminths) and how these co-infections impact prevalence of micro-parasites. We live-trapped rodents in ten sites in northern California to collect feces, blood, ear tissue, and attached ticks. These samples were used to test for infection status of Borrelia species (i.e., micro-parasite), and describe the burden of ticks and helminths (i.e., macro-parasites). We found that some rodent hosts were co-infected with all three parasites, however, the burden or presence of concurrent macro-parasites were not associated with Borrelia infections. For macro-parasites, we found that tick burdens were positively associated with rodent Shannon diversity while negatively associated with predator diversity, whereas helminth burdens were not significantly associated with any host community metric. Ticks and tick-borne pathogens are associated with rodent host diversity, predator diversity, and abiotic factors. However, it is still unknown what factors helminths are associated with on the community level. Understanding the mechanisms that influence co-infections of multiple types of parasites within and across hosts is an increasingly critical component of characterizing zoonotic disease transmission and maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Salomon
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Program at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Samantha B. Sambado
- Ecology, Evolution, & Marine Biology Department at University of California Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Arielle Crews
- San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control, Burlingame, CA, USA
| | - Sukhman Sidhu
- Biology Department at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Eric Seredian
- Biology Department at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Adrienne Almarinez
- Biology Department at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rachel Grgich
- Biology Department at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Andrea Swei
- Biology Department at San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Seguel M, Budischak SA, Jolles AE, Ezenwa VO. Helminth-associated changes in host immune phenotype connect top-down and bottom-up interactions during co-infection. Funct Ecol 2023; 37:860-872. [PMID: 37214767 PMCID: PMC10195069 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
1. Within-host parasite interactions can be mediated by the host and changes in host phenotypes often serve as indicators of the presence or intensity of parasite interactions. 2. Parasites like helminths induce a range of physiological, morphological, and immunological changes in hosts that can drive bottom-up (resource-mediated) or top-down (immune-mediated) interactions with co-infecting parasites. Although top-down and bottom-up interactions are typically studied in isolation, the diverse phenotypic changes induced by parasite infection may serve as a useful tool for understanding if, and when, these processes act in concert. 3. Using an anthelmintic treatment study of African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), we tracked changes in host immunological and morphological phenotypes during helminth-coccidia co-infection to investigate their role in driving independent and combinatorial bottom-up and top-down parasite interactions. We also examined repercussions for host fitness. 4. Clearance of a blood-sucking helminth, Haemonchus, from the host gastrointestinal tract induced a systemic Th2 immune phenotype, while clearance of a tissue-feeding helminth, Cooperia, induced a systemic Th1 phenotype. Furthermore, the Haemonchus-associated systemic Th2 immune phenotype drove simultaneous top-down and bottom-up effects that increased coccidia shedding by changing the immunological and morphological landscapes of the intestine. 5. Higher coccidia shedding was associated with lower host body condition, a lower chance of pregnancy, and older age at first pregnancy, suggesting that coccidia infection imposed significant condition and reproductive costs on the host. 6. Our findings suggest that top-down and bottom-up interactions may commonly co-occur and that tracking key host phenotypes that change in response to infection can help uncover complex pathways by which parasites interact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Seguel
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah A. Budischak
- W.M. Keck Science Department, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, USA
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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3
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Field EK, Hartzheim A, Terry J, Dawson G, Haydt N, Neuman-Lee LA. Reptilian Innate Immunology and Ecoimmunology: What Do We Know and Where Are We Going? Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:1557-1571. [PMID: 35833292 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reptiles, the only ectothermic amniotes, employ a wide variety of physiological adaptations to adjust to their environments but remain vastly understudied in the field of immunology and ecoimmunology in comparison to other vertebrate taxa. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed the current state of research on reptilian innate immunology by conducting an extensive literature search of peer-reviewed articles published across the four orders of Reptilia (Crocodilia, Testudines, Squamata, and Rhynchocephalia). Using our compiled dataset, we investigated common techniques, characterization of immune components, differences in findings and type of research among the four orders, and immune responses to ecological and life-history variables. We found that there are differences in the types of questions asked and approaches used for each of these reptilian orders. The different conceptual frameworks applied to each group has led to a lack of unified understanding of reptilian immunological strategies, which, in turn, have resulted in large conceptual gaps in the field of ecoimmunology as a whole. To apply ecoimmunological concepts and techniques most effectively to reptiles, we must combine traditional immunological studies with ecoimmunological studies to continue to identify, characterize, and describe the reptilian immune components and responses. This review highlights the advances and gaps that remain to help identify targeted and cohesive approaches for future research in reptilian ecoimmunological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Field
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Alyssa Hartzheim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Jennifer Terry
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Grant Dawson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Natalie Haydt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
| | - Lorin A Neuman-Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR 72401, USA
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4
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Tober AV, Govender D, Russo IRM, Cable J. The microscopic five of the big five: Managing zoonotic diseases within and beyond African wildlife protected areas. ADVANCES IN PARASITOLOGY 2022; 117:1-46. [PMID: 35878948 DOI: 10.1016/bs.apar.2022.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
African protected areas strive to conserve the continent's great biodiversity with a targeted focus on the flagship 'Big Five' megafauna. Though often not considered, this biodiversity protection also extends to the lesser-known microbes and parasites that are maintained in these diverse ecosystems, often in a silent and endemically stable state. Climate and anthropogenic change, and associated diversity loss, however, are altering these dynamics leading to shifts in ecological interactions and pathogen spill over into new niches and hosts. As many African protected areas are bordered by game and livestock farms, as well as villages, they provide an ideal study system to assess infection dynamics at the human-livestock-wildlife interface. Here we review five zoonotic, multi-host diseases (bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, Rift Valley fever, schistosomiasis and cryptosporidiosis)-the 'Microscopic Five'-and discuss the biotic and abiotic drivers of parasite transmission using the iconic Kruger National Park, South Africa, as a case study. We identify knowledge gaps regarding the impact of the 'Microscopic Five' on wildlife within parks and highlight the need for more empirical data, particularly for neglected (schistosomiasis) and newly emerging (cryptosporidiosis) diseases, as well as zoonotic disease risk from the rising bush meat trade and game farm industry. As protected areas strive to become further embedded in the socio-economic systems that surround them, providing benefits to local communities, One Health approaches can help maintain the ecological integrity of ecosystems, while protecting local communities and economies from the negative impacts of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anya V Tober
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom.
| | - Danny Govender
- SANParks, Scientific Services, Savanna and Grassland Research Unit, Pretoria, South Africa; Department of Paraclinical Sciences, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa
| | - Isa-Rita M Russo
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Jo Cable
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
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5
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Shanebeck KM, Besson AA, Lagrue C, Green SJ. The energetic costs of sub-lethal helminth parasites in mammals: a meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1886-1907. [PMID: 35678252 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Parasites, by definition, have a negative effect on their host. However, in wild mammal health and conservation research, sub-lethal infections are commonly assumed to have negligible health effects unless parasites are present in overwhelming numbers. Here, we propose a definition for host health in mammals that includes sub-lethal effects of parasites on the host's capacity to adapt to the environment and maintain homeostasis. We synthesized the growing number of studies on helminth parasites in mammals to assess evidence for the relative magnitude of sub-lethal effects of infection across mammal taxa based on this expanded definition. Specifically, we develop and apply a framework for organizing disparate metrics of parasite effects on host health and body condition according to their impact on an animal's energetic condition, defined as the energetic burden of pathogens on host physiological and behavioural functions that relate directly to fitness. Applying this framework within a global meta-analysis of helminth parasites in wild, laboratory and domestic mammal hosts produced 142 peer-reviewed studies documenting 599 infection-condition effects. Analysing these data within a multiple working hypotheses framework allowed us to evaluate the relative weighted contribution of methodological (study design, sampling protocol, parasite quantification methods) and biological (phylogenetic relationships and host/parasite life history) moderators to variation in the magnitude of health effects. We found consistently strong negative effects of infection on host energetic condition across taxonomic groups, with unusually low heterogeneity in effect sizes when compared with other ecological meta-analyses. Observed effect size was significantly lower within cross-sectional studies (i.e. observational studies that investigated a sub-set of a population at a single point in time), the most prevalent methodology. Furthermore, opportunistic sampling led to a weaker negative effect compared to proactive sampling. In the model of host taxonomic group, the effect of infection on energetic condition in carnivores was not significant. However, when sampling method was included, it explained substantial inter-study variance; proactive sampling showing a strongly significant negative effect while opportunistic sampling detected only a weak, non-significant effect. This may partly underlie previous assumptions that sub-lethal parasites do not have significant effects on host health. We recommend future studies adopt energetic condition as the framework for assessing parasite effects on wildlife health and provide guidelines for the selection of research protocols, health proxies, and relating infection to fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle M Shanebeck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anne A Besson
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Clement Lagrue
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Zoology, University of Otago, 340 Great King Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.,Department of Conservation, 265 Princes Street, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
| | - Stephanie J Green
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Bernal-Valle S, Teixeira MN, de Araújo Neto AR, Gonçalves-Souza T, Feitoza BF, Dos Santos SM, da Silva AJ, da Silva RJ, de Oliveira MAB, de Oliveira JB. Parasitic infections, hematological and biochemical parameters suggest appropriate health status of wild coati populations in anthropic Atlantic Forest remnants. Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports 2022; 30:100693. [PMID: 35431063 DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coatis are hosts of a great diversity of parasites, that due to anthropic pressures in forest fragments, like changes in landscapes and ecosystems, can influence the dynamics and physiological responses to those parasite infections, affecting the animal's health and fitness. This is the first study about health parameters and parasitic infections of wild coati (Nasua nasua) populations in the Atlantic Forest (Pernambuco Center of Endemism). The following hypotheses were evaluated: (i) infections and co-infections by gastrointestinal parasites and ectoparasites can generate changes in the health parameters of coatis such as the body condition score (BCS), packed cell volume (PCV), leukogram, and serum protein profile; (ii) biological aspects (sex and age) or fragment they inhabit, can influence changes in the health parameters (BCS, PCV, leukogram and serum protein profile). Were studied 55 free-living coatis in three anthropized forest remnants in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. After chemical containment, the animals were submitted to physical examination and collection of biological samples (blood, feces, and ectoparasites). On the physical examination, 23.6% of coatis had a low BCS and 5.4% were overweighted. Amblyomma spp. ticks were found in 83.6% of the animals of all studied remnants, A. sculptumAmblyomma sculptum in 12.7% and A. ovale in 1.8%. Regarding gastrointestinal parasites, Ancylostoma sp. was the most prevalent (80.4%) and most animals (66.7%) had co-infection with Ancylostoma sp. and Capillaria sp., Strongyloides sp., Acanthocephala, Cestoda, and Coccidia. The 76.5% of the coatis presented co-infections with Ancylostoma spp. + Amblyomma spp. Principal coordinates analyses (PCoA) scores of health parameters were used as dependent variables and fragment, sex, age, Ancylostoma sp. infection, gastrointestinal parasites co-infection, Amblyomma spp. infestation and co-infection of Ancylostoma sp. + Amblyomma spp. as a predictor variable in the linear models. Parasites did not influence the PCV of the individuals, but a decrease was evident in adult animals. Variations in protein profile, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, without leaving the normal range for the species, but WBC were predicted by age group, and infections by Ancylostoma or Amblyomma spp., but not their co-infections. The free-living coati populations of the anthropized remnants in the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil proved to be healthy and seem to be adapted to face the challenges of anthropization and parasitic infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Bernal-Valle
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | - Miriam Nogueira Teixeira
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária (LPCV), Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Antônio Rodrigues de Araújo Neto
- Laboratório de Patologia Clínica Veterinária (LPCV), Departamento de Medicina Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Thiago Gonçalves-Souza
- Laboratório de Síntese Ecológica e Conservação de Biodiversidade, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Feliciano Feitoza
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Sybelle Montenegro Dos Santos
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Andreza Jocely da Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo José da Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Maria Adélia Borstelmann de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecofisiologia e Comportamento Animal, Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Bianque de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Parasitologia (LAPAR), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros, S/N, 52171-900 Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
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Catella SA, Olmsted CF, Markalanda SH, McFadden CJ, Wood CW, Kuebbing SE. A generalist nematode destabilises plant competition: no evidence for direct effects, but strong evidence for indirect effects on rhizobium abundance. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 233:2561-2572. [PMID: 34954852 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Difficulties quantifying pathogen load and mutualist abundance limit our ability to connect disease dynamics to host community ecology. For example, specific predictions about how differential pathogen load is hypothesised to drive host competitive outcomes are rarely tested. Additionally, although infection is known to affect mutualists, we rarely measure the magnitude of pathogen effects on mutualist abundance across host competitive contexts. We tested for both mechanisms in a plant-rhizobia-nematode system. We paired the legume Medicago lupulina with intraspecific and interspecific plant competitors, with and without a generalist nematode parasite Meloidogyne sp. Relative change in plant biomass was used to determine how nematode inoculation affected plant competitive outcomes. We counted nematode galls to test for direct effects of parasitism on plant competition and rhizobia nodules to test for indirect effects of nematode presence on rhizobium abundance. Parasites were destabilising despite similar nematode load across competition treatments. During interspecific compared with intraspecific competition, nematode inoculation decreased nodulation on M. lupulina, increased nodulation on Trifolium repens and had no effect on nodulation on Chamaecrista fasciculata. We found no support for hypothesised direct effects of nematode load on competitive outcomes and strong but idiosyncratic indirect effects of nematode inoculation on rhizobium abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha A Catella
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Castilleja Fallon Olmsted
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Shaniya H Markalanda
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Connor J McFadden
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
| | - Corlett W Wood
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Sara E Kuebbing
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15260, USA
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Catalano S, Symeou A, Marsh KJ, Borlase A, Léger E, Fall CB, Sène M, Diouf ND, Ianniello D, Cringoli G, Rinaldi L, Bâ K, Webster JP. Mini-FLOTAC as an alternative, non-invasive diagnostic tool for Schistosoma mansoni and other trematode infections in wildlife reservoirs. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:439. [PMID: 31522684 PMCID: PMC6745783 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3613-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schistosomiasis and food-borne trematodiases are not only of major public health concern, but can also have profound implications for livestock production and wildlife conservation. The zoonotic, multi-host nature of many digenean trematodes is a significant challenge for disease control programmes in endemic areas. However, our understanding of the epidemiological role that animal reservoirs, particularly wild hosts, may play in the transmission of zoonotic trematodiases suffers a dearth of information, with few, if any, standardised, reliable diagnostic tests available. We combined qualitative and quantitative data derived from post-mortem examinations, coprological analyses using the Mini-FLOTAC technique, and molecular tools to assess parasite community composition and the validity of non-invasive methods to detect trematode infections in 89 wild Hubert's multimammate mice (Mastomys huberti) from northern Senegal. RESULTS Parasites isolated at post-mortem examination were identified as Plagiorchis sp., Anchitrema sp., Echinostoma caproni, Schistosoma mansoni, and a hybrid between Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma bovis. The reports of E. caproni and Anchitrema sp. represent the first molecularly confirmed identifications for these trematodes in definitive hosts of sub-Saharan Africa. Comparison of prevalence estimates derived from parasitological analysis at post-mortem examination and Mini-FLOTAC analysis showed non-significant differences indicating comparable results between the two techniques (P = 1.00 for S. mansoni; P = 0.85 for E. caproni; P = 0.83 for Plagiorchis sp.). A Bayesian model, applied to estimate the sensitivities of the two tests for the diagnosis of Schistosoma infections, indicated similar median posterior probabilities of 83.1% for Mini-FLOTAC technique and 82.9% for post-mortem examination (95% Bayesian credible intervals of 64.0-94.6% and 63.7-94.7%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that the Mini-FLOTAC could be applied as an alternative diagnostic technique for the detection of the zoonotic S. mansoni and other trematodes in rodent reservoirs. The implementation of non-invasive diagnostics in wildlife would offer numerous advantages over lethal sampling methodologies, with potential impact on control strategies of zoonotic helminthiases in endemic areas of sub-Saharan Africa and on fostering a framework of animal use reduction in scientific practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Catalano
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, AL97TA UK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W21PG UK
| | - Amelia Symeou
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, AL97TA UK
| | - Kirsty J. Marsh
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, AL97TA UK
| | - Anna Borlase
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, AL97TA UK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W21PG UK
| | - Elsa Léger
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, AL97TA UK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W21PG UK
| | - Cheikh B. Fall
- Faculté de Médecine, de Pharmacie et d’Odonto-Stomatologie, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5005, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Mariama Sène
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche des Sciences Agronomiques, de l’Aquaculture et des Technologies Alimentaires, Université Gaston Berger, BP 234, Saint-Louis, Senegal
| | - Nicolas D. Diouf
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche des Sciences Agronomiques, de l’Aquaculture et des Technologies Alimentaires, Université Gaston Berger, BP 234, Saint-Louis, Senegal
| | - Davide Ianniello
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Cringoli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, 80137 Naples, Italy
| | - Khalilou Bâ
- Centre de Biologie et de Gestion des Populations, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, BP 1386, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Joanne P. Webster
- Centre for Emerging, Endemic and Exotic Diseases, Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, The Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, AL97TA UK
- London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W21PG UK
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9
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Spaan RS, Epps CW, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Why did the buffalo cross the park? Resource shortages, but not infections, drive dispersal in female African buffalo ( Syncerus caffer). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:5651-5663. [PMID: 31160988 PMCID: PMC6540691 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Dispersal facilitates population health and maintains resilience in species via gene flow. Adult dispersal occurs in some species, is often facultative, and is poorly understood, but has important management implications, particularly with respect to disease spread. Although the role of adult dispersal in spreading disease has been documented, the potential influence of disease on dispersal has received little attention. African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) are wide-ranging and harbor many pathogens that can affect nearby livestock. Dispersal of adult buffalo has been described, but ecological and social drivers of buffalo dispersal are poorly understood. We investigated drivers of adult buffalo dispersal during a 4-year longitudinal study at Kruger National Park, South Africa. We monitored the spatial movement of 304 female buffalo in two focal areas using satellite and radio collars, capturing each buffalo every 6 months to assess animal traits and disease status. We used generalized linear mixed models to determine whether likelihood of dispersal for individual female buffalo was influenced by animal traits, herd identity, environmental variables, gastrointestinal parasites, or microparasite infections. The likelihood and drivers of buffalo dispersal varied by herd, area, and year. In the Lower Sabie herd, where resources were abundant, younger individuals were more likely to disperse, with most dispersal occurring in the early wet season and during an unusually dry year, 2009. In the resource-poor Crocodile Bridge area, buffalo in poor condition were most likely to disperse. Our findings suggest that dispersal of female buffalo is driven by either seasonal (Lower Sabie) or perhaps social (Crocodile Bridge) resource restriction, indicating resource limitation and dispersal decisions are tightly linked for this social ungulate. We found no direct effects of infections on buffalo dispersal, assuaging fears that highly infectious individuals might be more prone to dispersing, which could accelerate the spatial spread of infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Spaan
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
| | - Clinton W. Epps
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Biomedical SciencesOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
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10
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Clerc M, Babayan SA, Fenton A, Pedersen AB. Age affects antibody levels and anthelmintic treatment efficacy in a wild rodent. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 8:240-247. [PMID: 30923672 PMCID: PMC6423487 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Revised: 02/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The role of the host immune system in determining parasite burdens and mediating within-host parasite interactions has traditionally been studied in highly controlled laboratory conditions. This does, however, not reflect the diversity of individuals living in nature, which is often characterised by significant variation in host demography, such as host age, sex, and infection history. Whilst studies using wild hosts and parasites are beginning to give insights into the complex relationships between immunity, parasites and host demography, the cause-and-effect relationships often remain unknown due to a lack of high resolution, longitudinal data. We investigated the infection dynamics of two interacting gastrointestinal parasites of wild wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus and the coccidian Eimeria hungaryensis, in order to assess the links between infection, coinfection, and the immunological dynamics of two antibodies (IgG1 and IgA). In an anthelmintic treatment experiment, mice were given a single oral dose of an anthelmintic treatment, or control dose, and then subsequently followed longitudinally over a period of 7–15 days to measure parasite burdens and antibody levels. Anthelmintic treatment successfully reduced burdens of H. polygyrus, but had no significant impact on E. hungaryensis. Treatment efficacy was driven by host age, with adult mice showing stronger reductions in burdens compared to younger mice. We also found that the relationship between H. polygyrus-specific IgG1 and nematode burden changed from positive in young mice to negative in adult mice. Our results highlight that a key host demographic factor like age could account for large parts of the variation in nematode burden and nematode-specific antibody levels observed in a naturally infected host population, possibly due to different immune responses in young vs. old animals. Given the variable success in community-wide de-worming programmes in animals and humans, accounting for the age-structure of a population could increase overall efficacy. Anthelmintic treatment reveals strong force of infection for H. polygyrus in wild wood mice. Anthelmintic treatment is more successful in younger compared to older mice. Relationship between IgG1 and H. polygyrus burden reverts with host age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Clerc
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK.,MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Queen´s Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh UK, EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Simon A Babayan
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - Andy Fenton
- Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Amy B Pedersen
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Centre for Immunity, Infection and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FL, UK
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11
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Maintenance of Trypanosoma cruzi, T. evansi and Leishmania spp. by domestic dogs and wild mammals in a rural settlement in Brazil-Bolivian border. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2018; 7:398-404. [PMID: 30370220 PMCID: PMC6199764 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2018.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Domestic dogs are considered reservoirs hosts for several vector-borne parasites. This study aimed to evaluate the role of domestic dogs as hosts for Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma evansi and Leishmania spp. in single and co-infections in the Urucum settlement, near the Brazil-Bolivian border. Additionally, we evaluated the involvement of wild mammals’ in the maintenance of these parasites in the study area. Blood samples of dogs (n = 62) and six species of wild mammals (n = 36) were collected in July and August of 2015. The infections were assessed using parasitological, serological and molecular tests. Clinical examination of dogs was performed and their feeding habits were noted. Overall, 87% (54/62) of sampled dogs were positive for at least one trypanosomatid species, in single (n = 9) and co-infections (n = 45). We found that 76% of dogs were positive for T. cruzi, four of them displayed high parasitemias demonstrated by hemoculture, including one strain types TcI, two TcIII and one TcIII/TcV. Around 73% (45/62) of dogs were positive to T. evansi, three with high parasitemias as seen by positive microhematocrit centrifuge technique. Of dogs sampled, 50% (31/62) were positive for Leishmania spp. by PCR or serology. We found a positive influence of (i) T. evansi on mucous pallor, (ii) co-infection by T. cruzi and Leishmania with onychogryphosis, and (iii) all parasites to skin lesions of sampled dogs. Finally, feeding on wild mammals had a positive influence in the Leishmania spp. infection in dogs. We found that 28% (5/18) coati Nasua nasua was co-infected for all three trypanosamatids, demonstrating that it might play a key role in maintenance of these parasites. Our results showed the importance of Urucum region as a hotspot for T. cruzi, T. evansi and Leishmania spp. and demonstrated that dogs can be considered as incidental hosts. Observation of high occurrence of dogs co-infected by trypanosomatids. Dogs infected by TcI, TcIII and TcIII/TcV. Nasua nasua is a key species in the sylvatic cycles of trypanosomatids. Direct effect of trypanosomatids' infection in clinical signs of dogs. Dogs as sentinels to human infection in the Brazil-Bolivian border.
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12
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Coulson G, Cripps JK, Garnick S, Bristow V, Beveridge I. Parasite insight: assessing fitness costs, infection risks and foraging benefits relating to gastrointestinal nematodes in wild mammalian herbivores. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170197. [PMID: 29866912 PMCID: PMC6000135 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian herbivores are typically infected by parasitic nematodes, which are acquired through direct, faecal-oral transmission. These parasites can cause significant production losses in domestic livestock, but much less is known about impacts on wild mammalian hosts. We review three elements of parasitism from the host's perspective: fitness costs of infection, risks of infection during foraging and benefits of nutritious pasture. The majority of wildlife studies have been observational, but experimental manipulation is increasing. Treatment with anthelmintics to manipulate parasite load has revealed varied impacts of parasites on fitness variables across host species, but has not produced consistent evidence for parasite-induced anorexia or impaired body condition. Some experimental studies of infection risk have manipulated faecal contamination and detected faecal avoidance by hosts. Only two field studies have explored the trade-off between infection risk and nutritional benefit generated by avoidance of contaminated patches. Overall, field studies of costs, risks and benefits of the host-parasite relationship are limited and few have examined more than one of these elements. Parasitism has much in common with predation, and future insights into anti-parasite responses by wild hosts could be gained from the conceptual and technical developments in research on anti-predator behaviour.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of pathogen and parasite avoidance behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Coulson
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Jemma K Cripps
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
- Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research, 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084, Australia
| | - Sarah Garnick
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Verity Bristow
- School of BioSciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
| | - Ian Beveridge
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, Victoria 3030, Australia
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13
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Lachish S, Murray KA. The Certainty of Uncertainty: Potential Sources of Bias and Imprecision in Disease Ecology Studies. Front Vet Sci 2018; 5:90. [PMID: 29872662 PMCID: PMC5972326 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Wildlife diseases have important implications for wildlife and human health, the preservation of biodiversity and the resilience of ecosystems. However, understanding disease dynamics and the impacts of pathogens in wild populations is challenging because these complex systems can rarely, if ever, be observed without error. Uncertainty in disease ecology studies is commonly defined in terms of either heterogeneity in detectability (due to variation in the probability of encountering, capturing, or detecting individuals in their natural habitat) or uncertainty in disease state assignment (due to misclassification errors or incomplete information). In reality, however, uncertainty in disease ecology studies extends beyond these components of observation error and can arise from multiple varied processes, each of which can lead to bias and a lack of precision in parameter estimates. Here, we present an inventory of the sources of potential uncertainty in studies that attempt to quantify disease-relevant parameters from wild populations (e.g., prevalence, incidence, transmission rates, force of infection, risk of infection, persistence times, and disease-induced impacts). We show that uncertainty can arise via processes pertaining to aspects of the disease system, the study design, the methods used to study the system, and the state of knowledge of the system, and that uncertainties generated via one process can propagate through to others because of interactions between the numerous biological, methodological and environmental factors at play. We show that many of these sources of uncertainty may not be immediately apparent to researchers (for example, unidentified crypticity among vectors, hosts or pathogens, a mismatch between the temporal scale of sampling and disease dynamics, demographic or social misclassification), and thus have received comparatively little consideration in the literature to date. Finally, we discuss the type of bias or imprecision introduced by these varied sources of uncertainty and briefly present appropriate sampling and analytical methods to account for, or minimise, their influence on estimates of disease-relevant parameters. This review should assist researchers and practitioners to navigate the pitfalls of uncertainty in wildlife disease ecology studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Lachish
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kris A. Murray
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Grantham Institute – Climate Change and the Environment, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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14
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Hwang J, Kim Y, Lee S, Kim N, Chun M, Lee H, Gottdenker N. Anthropogenic food provisioning and immune phenotype: Association among supplemental food, body condition, and immunological parameters in urban environments. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:3037-3046. [PMID: 29531715 PMCID: PMC5838038 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct or indirect supplemental feeding of free-ranging animals occurs worldwide, resulting in significant impacts on population density or altered demographic processes. Another potential impact of increased energy intake from supplemental feeding is altered immunocompetence. As immune system maintenance is energetically costly, there may be trade-offs between immune responses and other energy-demanding physiological processes in individual animals. Although increased availability of food sources through supplemental feeding is expected to increase the overall immunocompetence of animals, empirical data verifying the association between supplemental feeding and different immune parameters are lacking. Understanding the potential influence of supplemental feeding on immune phenotypes is critical, as it may also impact host-pathogen dynamics in free-ranging animals. Using urban stray cats as a study model, we tested for associations between the intensity of supplemental feeding due to cat caretaker activity (CCA); body condition; and immune phenotype (bacterial killing assay (BKA), immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentration, and leukocyte counts). Significantly higher bacterial killing ability was observed in cats from high CCA districts, whereas higher IgG concentration and eosinophil counts were observed in cats from low CCA districts. Other leukocyte counts and body condition indices showed no significant association with CCA. We observed varying patterns of different immune components in relation to supplemental feeding. Out data suggest that supplemental feeding influences immune phenotype, not only by means of energy provisioning, but also by potentially reducing exposure rates to parasite infections through stray cat behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jusun Hwang
- Department of Veterinary PathologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
- College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Yongbaek Kim
- College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Sang‐Won Lee
- College of Veterinary MedicineKon‐Kuk UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Na‐Yon Kim
- College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Myung‐Sun Chun
- College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Hang Lee
- College of Veterinary MedicineSeoul National UniversitySeoulKorea
| | - Nicole Gottdenker
- Department of Veterinary PathologyCollege of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
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15
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Červená B, Hrazdilová K, Vallo P, Pafčo B, Fenyková T, Petrželková KJ, Todd A, Tagg N, Wangue N, Lux Hoppe EG, Moraes MFD, Lapera IM, de Souza Pollo A, de Albuquerque ACA, Modrý D. Diversity of Mammomonogamus (Nematoda: Syngamidae) in large African herbivores. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:1013-1024. [PMID: 29470712 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5777-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Four species of Mammomonogamus are known from large African herbivores. A recent study demonstrated that a single Mammomonogamus species was shared by both western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) and African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) in Central African Republic, suggesting lower species diversity than previously described in literature. We examined more than 500 fecal samples collected from sympatric African forest elephants, western lowland gorillas, and African forest buffaloes (Syncerus caffer nanus) at four study sites across Central Africa and examined them by coproscopic methods to detect Mammomonogamus eggs, which were found at three of the study sites. Subsequently, sequences of 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, and cox1 amplified from individual eggs were analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses of both nuclear and mitochondrial DNA revealed two clades: one formed by sequences originating from Gabonese buffaloes and the other comprising gorillas and elephants. The gorilla-elephant clade was further differentiated depending on the locality. We show the existence of at least two distinct species of Mammomonogamus, M. loxodontis in elephants and gorillas and M. nasicola in buffaloes. The available information on Mammomonogamus in African herbivores is reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Červená
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Kristýna Hrazdilová
- Central European Institute for Technology (CEITEC), University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Virology, Veterinary Research Institute, Hudcova 296/70, 621 00, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Peter Vallo
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.,Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert Einstein Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Fenyková
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klára Judita Petrželková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Liberec Zoo, Lidové sady 425/1, 460 01, Liberec, Czech Republic
| | - Angelique Todd
- WWF, Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, BP 1053, Bangui, Central African Republic
| | - Nikki Tagg
- Projet Grands Singes, Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 20-26, 2018, Antwerpen, Belgium
| | | | - Estevam G Lux Hoppe
- Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Câmpus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Marcela Figuerêdo Duarte Moraes
- Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Câmpus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Ivan Moura Lapera
- Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Câmpus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Andressa de Souza Pollo
- Universidade Estadual Paulista-UNESP, Faculdade de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Câmpus de Jaboticabal, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castelane, S/N, Jaboticabal, SP, 14884-900, Brazil
| | - Ana Cláudia Alexandre de Albuquerque
- Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science School, UNESP-São Paulo State University, Rua Prof. Doutor Walter Mauricio Correa, S/N, Botucatu, São Paulo, 18618-000, Brazil
| | - David Modrý
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.,Central European Institute for Technology (CEITEC), University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.,Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Branišovská 31, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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16
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Neuman‐Lee LA, Terletzky PA, Atwood TC, Gese EM, Smith GD, Greenfield S, Pettit J, French SS. Demographic and temporal variations in immunity and condition of polar bears (
Ursus maritimus
) from the southern Beaufort Sea. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2017; 327:333-346. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Todd C. Atwood
- U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center Anchorage Alaska
| | - Eric M. Gese
- Department of Wildland Resources Utah State University Logan Utah
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services National Wildlife Research Center Logan Utah
| | - Geoffrey D. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences Dixie State University St. George Utah
| | | | - John Pettit
- Department of Biology Utah State University Logan Utah
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17
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Budischak SA, O'Neal D, Jolles AE, Ezenwa VO. Differential host responses to parasitism shape divergent fitness costs of infection. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Budischak
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Princeton NJ USA
| | - Dawn O'Neal
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Huyck Preserve & Biological Research Station Rensselaerville NY USA
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State University Corvallis OR USA
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Department of Infectious DiseasesUniversity of Georgia Athens GA USA
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18
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Erkenswick GA, Watsa M, Gozalo AS, Dmytryk N, Parker PG. Temporal and demographic blood parasite dynamics in two free-ranging neotropical primates. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2017; 6:59-68. [PMID: 28393014 PMCID: PMC5377436 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2017.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Revised: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Parasite-host relationships are influenced by several factors intrinsic to hosts, such as social standing, group membership, sex, and age. However, in wild populations, temporal variation in parasite distributions and concomitant infections can alter these patterns. We used microscropy and molecular methods to screen for naturally occurring haemoparasitic infections in two Neotropical primate host populations, the saddleback (Leontocebus weddelli) and emperor (Saguinus imperator) tamarin, in the lowland tropical rainforests of southeastern Peru. Repeat sampling was conducted from known individuals over a three-year period to test for parasite-host and parasite-parasite associations. Three parasites were detected in L. weddelli including Trypanosoma minasense, Mansonella mariae, and Dipetalonema spp., while S. imperator only hosted the latter two. Temporal variation in prevalence was observed in T. minasense and Dipetalonema spp., confirming the necessity of a multi-year study to evaluate parasite-host relationships in this system. Although callitrichids display a distinct reproductive dominance hierarchy, characterized by single breeding females that typically mate polyandrously and can suppress the reproduction of subdominant females, logistic models did not identify sex or breeding status as determining factors in the presence of these parasites. However, age class had a positive effect on infection with M. mariae and T. minasense, and adults demonstrated higher parasite species richness than juveniles or sub-adults across both species. Body weight had a positive effect on the presence of Dipetalonema spp. The inclusion of co-infection variables in statistical models of parasite presence/absence data improved model fit for two of three parasites. This study verifies the importance and need for broad spectrum and long-term screening of parasite assemblages of natural host populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gideon A. Erkenswick
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
- Field Projects International, 7331 Murdoch Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63119, USA
| | - Mrinalini Watsa
- Field Projects International, 7331 Murdoch Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63119, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Alfonso S. Gozalo
- Comparative Medicine Branch, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nicole Dmytryk
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
| | - Patricia G. Parker
- Department of Biology and Whitney R. Harris World Ecology Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63121, USA
- WildCare Institute, Saint Louis Zoo, One Government Dr., Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA
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19
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Poirotte C, Massol F, Herbert A, Willaume E, Bomo PM, Kappeler PM, Charpentier MJE. Mandrills use olfaction to socially avoid parasitized conspecifics. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2017; 3:e1601721. [PMID: 28435875 PMCID: PMC5384805 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The evolutionary transition from a solitary to a social lifestyle entails an elevated parasite cost because the social proximity associated with group living favors parasite transmission. Despite this cost, sociality is widespread in a large range of taxonomic groups. In this context, hosts would be expected to have evolved behavioral mechanisms to reduce the risk of parasite infection. Few empirical studies have focused on the influence of pathogen-mediated selection on the evolution of antiparasitic behavior in wild vertebrates. We report an adaptive functional relationship between parasitism and social behavior in mandrills, associated with evidence that they are able to gauge parasite status of their group members. Using long-term observations, controlled experiments, and chemical analyses, we show that (i) wild mandrills avoid grooming conspecifics infected with orofecally transmitted parasites; (ii) mandrills receive significantly more grooming after treatment that targets these parasites; (iii) parasitism influences the host's fecal odors; and (iv) mandrills selectively avoid fecal material from parasitized conspecifics. These behavioral adaptations reveal that selecting safe social partners may help primates to cope with parasite-mediated costs of sociality and that "behavioral immunity" plays a crucial role in the coevolutionary dynamics between hosts and their parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Poirotte
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)–CNRS, UMR 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UMR 5554, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - François Massol
- CNRS, Université de Lille–Sciences et Technologies, UMR 8198, Evo-Eco-Paléo, F-59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq, France
| | - Anaïs Herbert
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Eric Willaume
- Projet Mandrillus, Société d’exploitation du Parc de Lékédi (SODEPAL), BP 52, Bakoumba, Gabon
| | - Pacelle M. Bomo
- Projet Mandrillus, Société d’exploitation du Parc de Lékédi (SODEPAL), BP 52, Bakoumba, Gabon
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marie J. E. Charpentier
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE)–CNRS, UMR 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
- Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier (ISEM), UMR 5554, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
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20
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Love CN, Winzeler ME, Beasley R, Scott DE, Nunziata SO, Lance SL. Patterns of amphibian infection prevalence across wetlands on the Savannah River Site, South Carolina, USA. DISEASES OF AQUATIC ORGANISMS 2016; 121:1-14. [PMID: 27596855 DOI: 10.3354/dao03039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Amphibian diseases, such as chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and ranaviral disease caused by ranaviruses, are often linked to global amphibian population declines, yet the ecological dynamics of both pathogens are poorly understood. The goal of our study was to determine the baseline prevalence, pathogen loads, and co-infection rate of Bd and ranavirus across the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, USA, a region with rich amphibian diversity and a history of amphibian-based research. We tested over 1000 individuals, encompassing 21 amphibian species from 11 wetlands for both Bd and ranavirus. The prevalence of Bd across individuals was 9.7%. Using wetland means, the mean (±SE) Bd prevalence was 7.9 ± 2.9%. Among toad species, Anaxyrus terrestris had 95 and 380% greater odds of being infected with Bd than Scaphiopus holbrookii and Gastrophryne carolinensis, respectively. Odds of Bd infection in adult A. terrestris and Lithobates sphenocephalus were 75 to 77% greater in metal-contaminated sites. The prevalence of ranavirus infections across all individuals was 37.4%. Mean wetland ranavirus prevalence was 29.8 ± 8.8% and was higher in post-metamorphic individuals than in aquatic larvae. Ambystoma tigrinum had 83 to 85% higher odds of ranavirus infection than A. opacum and A. talpoideum. We detected a 4.8% co-infection rate, with individuals positive for ranavirus having a 5% higher occurrence of Bd. In adult Anaxyrus terrestris, odds of Bd infection were 13% higher in ranavirus-positive animals and odds of co-infection were 23% higher in contaminated wetlands. Overall, we found the pathogen prevalence varied by wetland, species, and life stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara N Love
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, South Carolina 29802, USA
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21
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Olifiers N, Jansen AM, Herrera HM, Bianchi RDC, D’Andrea PS, Mourão GDM, Gompper ME. Co-Infection and Wild Animal Health: Effects of Trypanosomatids and Gastrointestinal Parasites on Coatis of the Brazilian Pantanal. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143997. [PMID: 26657699 PMCID: PMC4678147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Wild animals are infected by diverse parasites, but how they influence host health is poorly understood. We examined the relationship of trypanosomatids and gastrointestinal parasites with health of wild brown-nosed coatis (Nasua nasua) from the Brazilian Pantanal. We used coati body condition and hematological parameters as response variables in linear models that were compared using an information theoretic approach. Predictors were high/low parasitemias by Trypanosoma cruzi and T. evansi, and indices representing the abundance of distinct groups of gastrointestinal parasites. We also analyzed how host health changed with host sex and reproductive seasonality. Hemoparasites was best related to coati body condition and hematological indices, whereas abundance of gastrointestinal parasites was relatively less associated with coati health. Additionally, some associations were best predicted by models that incorporated reproductive seasonality and host sex. Overall, we observed a lower health condition during the breeding season, when coatis are under reproductive stress and may be less able to handle infection. In addition, females seem to handle infection better than males. Body condition was lower in coatis with high parasitemias of T. evansi, especially during the reproductive season. Total red blood cell counts, packed cell volume, platelets and eosinophils were also lower in animals with high T. evansi parasitemias. Total white blood cell counts and mature neutrophils were lower in animals with high parasitemias for both Trypanosoma species, with neutrophils decreasing mainly during the reproductive season. Overall, decreases in hematological parameters of females with T. evansi high parasitemias were less evident. For T. cruzi, monocytes decreased in individuals with high parasitemias. High abundances of microfilariae in the bloodstream, and cestode eggs and coccidian oocysts in feces were also associated with coati blood parameters. This study shows the potential value of examining hematological parameters as an approach to better understand the ecological relevance of parasite-host interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Olifiers
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Ana Maria Jansen
- Laboratório de Biologia de Tripanosomatídeos, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Heitor Miraglia Herrera
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Católica Dom Bosco, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Rita de Cassia Bianchi
- Departamento de Biologia Aplicada à Agropecuária, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, Jaboticabal, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Sergio D’Andrea
- Laboratório de Biologia e Parasitologia de Mamíferos Reservatórios, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Guilherme de Miranda Mourão
- Laboratório de Vida Selvagem, Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Pantanal, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Mato Grosso do Sul, Corumbá, Brazil
| | - Matthew Edzart Gompper
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, Unites States of America
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22
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Demas GE, Carlton ED. Ecoimmunology for psychoneuroimmunologists: Considering context in neuroendocrine-immune-behavior interactions. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 44:9-16. [PMID: 25218837 PMCID: PMC4275338 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 08/26/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of immunity has become an important area of investigation for researchers in a wide range of areas outside the traditional discipline of immunology. For the last several decades, psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) has strived to identify key interactions among the nervous, endocrine and immune systems and behavior. More recently, the field of ecological immunology (ecoimmunology) has been established within the perspectives of ecology and evolutionary biology, sharing with PNI an appreciation of the environmental influences on immune function. The primary goal of ecoimmunology is to understand immune function within a broadly integrative, organismal context, typically from an ultimate, evolutionary perspective. To accomplish this ecoimmunology, like PNI, has become a broadly integrative field of investigation, combining diverse approaches from evolution and ecology to endocrinology and neurobiology. The disciplines of PNI and ecoimmunology, with their unique yet complementary perspectives and methodologies, have much to offer one another. Researchers in both fields, however, remain largely unaware of each other's findings despite attempts at integration. The goal of this review is to share with psychoneuroimmunologists and other mechanistically-oriented researchers some of the core concepts and principles, as well as relevant recent findings, within ecoimmunology with the hope that this information will prove relevant to their own research programs. More broadly, our goal is to attempt to integrate both the proximate and ultimate perspectives offered by PNI and ecoimmunology respectively into a common theoretical framework for understanding neuro-endocrine-immune interactions and behavior in a larger ecological, evolutionary context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory E Demas
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Elizabeth D Carlton
- Department of Biology, Program in Neuroscience and Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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23
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Shutler D, Gendron AD, Rondeau M, Marcogliese DJ. Nematode parasites and leukocyte profiles of Northern Leopard Frogs, Rana pipiens: location, location, location. CAN J ZOOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2014-0156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Globally, amphibians face a variety of anthropogenic stresses that include exposure to contaminants such as agricultural pesticides. Pesticides may negatively affect amphibian immune systems, concomitantly increasing susceptibility to parasitism. We quantified nematodes and evaluated leukocyte profiles of Northern Leopard Frogs (Rana pipiens Schreber, 1782) collected from five wetlands in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that spanned a gradient of pesticide exposure. Three taxa of nematode parasites (Rhabdias ranae Walton, 1929, genus Oswaldocruzia Travassos, 1917, and genus Strongyloides Grassi, 1879) were sufficiently numerous for detailed evaluation. When all frogs were pooled, frog size was negatively correlated with nematode species richness, abundances of each of the three nematode species, and densities of three different leukocytes. When all frogs were pooled, there was strong evidence of both negative and positive associations between pairs of parasite species. However, none of the previous relationships was significant within wetlands. Our results reveal strong spatial organization of amphibian–parasite communities and illustrate the importance of controlling for sampling locale in evaluating host–parasite associations. Finally, although several response variables varied significantly among wetlands, causes of this variation did not appear to be related to variation in nematode parasitism or pesticide exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave Shutler
- Department of Biology, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Andrée D. Gendron
- Aquatic Biodiversity Section, Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montréal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - Myriam Rondeau
- Atlantic Ocean Watershed Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montréal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - David J. Marcogliese
- Aquatic Biodiversity Section, Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, Water Science and Technology Directorate, Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, 105 McGill Street, Montréal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada
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24
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Gottdenker NL, Streicker DG, Faust CL, Carroll CR. Anthropogenic land use change and infectious diseases: a review of the evidence. ECOHEALTH 2014; 11:619-32. [PMID: 24854248 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-014-0941-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2013] [Revised: 03/25/2014] [Accepted: 04/29/2014] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Humans have altered ecosystems worldwide, and it is important to understand how this land use change impacts infectious disease transmission in humans and animals. We conducted a systematic review 305 scientific articles investigating how specific types of anthropogenic land use change influence infectious disease dynamics. We summarized findings, highlighted common themes, and drew attention to neglected areas of research. There was an increase in publications on this topic over the last 30 years spanning diseases of humans, livestock, and wildlife, including a large number of zoonotic pathogens. Most papers (66.9%) were observational, 30.8% were review or concept papers, and few studies (2.3%) were experimental in nature, with most studies focusing on vector-borne and/or multi-host pathogens. Common land use change types related to disease transmission were deforestation/forest fragmentation/habitat fragmentation, agricultural development/irrigation, and urbanization/suburbanization. In response to anthropogenic change, more than half of the studies (56.9%) documented increased pathogen transmission, 10.4% of studies observed decreased pathogen transmission, 30.4% had variable and complex pathogen responses, and 2.4% showed no detectable changes. Commonly reported mechanisms by which land use change altered infectious disease transmission included alteration of the vector, host, and pathogen niche, changes in host and vector community composition, changes in behavior or movement of vectors and/or hosts, altered spatial distribution of hosts and/or vectors, and socioeconomic factors, and environmental contamination. We discussed observed patterns in the literature and make suggestions for future research directions, emphasizing the importance of ecological and evolutionary theory to understand pathogen responses in changing landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Gottdenker
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Georgia, 501 DW Brooks Drive, Athens, GA, 30602, USA,
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25
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Gorsich EE, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Nematode-coccidia parasite co-infections in African buffalo: Epidemiology and associations with host condition and pregnancy. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2014; 3:124-34. [PMID: 25161911 PMCID: PMC4142258 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2014.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2014] [Accepted: 05/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Co-infections are common in natural populations and interactions among co-infecting parasites can significantly alter the transmission and host fitness costs of infection. Because both exposure and susceptibility vary over time, predicting the consequences of parasite interactions on host fitness and disease dynamics may require detailed information on their effects across different environmental (season) and host demographic (age, sex) conditions. This study examines five years of seasonal health and co-infection patterns in African buffalo (Syncerus caffer). We use data on two groups of gastrointestinal parasites, coccidia and nematodes, to test the hypothesis that co-infection and season interact to influence (1) parasite prevalence and intensity and (2) three proxies for host fitness: host pregnancy, host body condition, and parasite aggregation. Our results suggest that season-dependent interactions between nematodes and coccidia affect the distribution of infections. Coccidia prevalence, coccidia intensity and nematode prevalence were sensitive to factors that influence host immunity and exposure (age, sex, and season) but nematode intensity was most strongly predicted by co-infection with coccidia and its interaction with season. The influence of co-infection on host body condition and parasite aggregation occurred in season-dependent manner. Co-infected buffalo in the early wet season were in worse condition, had a less aggregated distribution of nematode parasites, and lower nematode infection intensity than buffalo infected with nematodes alone. We did not detect an effect of infection or co-infection on host pregnancy. These results suggest that demographic and seasonal variation may mediate the effects of parasites, and their interactions, on the distribution and fitness costs of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. Gorsich
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA
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26
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Cripps J, Beveridge I, Ploeg R, Coulson G. Experimental manipulation reveals few subclinical impacts of a parasite community in juvenile kangaroos. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2014; 3:88-94. [PMID: 25161906 PMCID: PMC4142266 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2014.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2014] [Revised: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 03/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Large mammalian herbivores are commonly infected with gastrointestinal helminths. In many host species, these helminths cause clinical disease and may trigger conspicuous mortality events. However, they may also have subclinical impacts, reducing fitness as well as causing complex changes to host growth patterns and body condition. Theoretically, juveniles should experience significantly greater costs from parasites, being immunologically naive and undergoing a significant growth phase. The aims of our study were to quantify the subclinical effects of helminths in juvenile eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), which commonly harbour large burdens of gastrointestinal nematodes and are susceptible to associated mass mortality during cold, wet conditions. We conducted a field experiment on a population of free-ranging kangaroos, removing nematodes from one group of juveniles using an anthelmintic treatment. We then compared growth parameters (body condition and growth rates) and haematological parameters of this group with an age-matched, parasitised (untreated) control group. Treated juvenile kangaroos had significantly higher levels of plasma protein (albumin) but, contrary to our predictions, showed negligible changes in all the other parameters measured. Our results suggest that juvenile kangaroos are largely unaffected by their gastrointestinal helminth burdens, and may be able to compensate for the costs of parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma Cripps
- Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Ian Beveridge
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Richard Ploeg
- Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Melbourne, Veterinary Clinical Centre, Werribee, VIC 3030, Australia
| | - Graeme Coulson
- Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
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