1
|
Moerman TM, Albon SD, Coulson SJ, Loe LE. Climate change effects on terrestrial parasitic nematodes: Where are the knowledge gaps? J Helminthol 2023; 97:e94. [PMID: 38047417 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x23000652] [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] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is expected to affect parasitic nematodes and hence possibly parasite-host dynamics and may have far-reaching consequences for animal health, livestock production, and ecosystem functioning. However, there has been no recent overview of current knowledge to identify how studies could contribute to a better understanding of terrestrial parasitic nematodes under changing climates. Here we screened almost 1,400 papers to review 57 experimental studies on the effects of temperature and moisture on hatching, development, survival, and behaviour of the free-living stages of terrestrial parasitic nematodes with a direct life cycle in birds and terrestrial mammals. Two major knowledge gaps are apparent. First, research should study the temperature dependency curves for hatching, development, and survival under various moisture treatments to test the interactive effect of temperature and moisture. Second, we specifically advocate for more studies that investigate how temperature, and its interaction with moisture, affect both vertical and horizontal movement of parasitic nematodes to understand infection risks. Overall, we advocate for more field experiments that test environmental effects on life-history traits and behaviour of parasitic nematodes in their free-living stages under natural and realistic circumstances. We also encourage studies to expand the range of used hosts and parasitic nematodes because 66% of results described in the available studies use sheep and cattle as hosts and 32% involve just three nematode species. This new comprehension brings attention to understudied abiotic impacts on terrestrial parasitic nematodes and will have broader implications for livestock management, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem functioning in a rapidly warming climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T M Moerman
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
- The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156, NO-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - S D Albon
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AberdeenAB15 8QH, Scotland
| | - S J Coulson
- The University Centre in Svalbard, P.O. Box 156, NO-9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - L E Loe
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Smith WJ, Jezierski MT, Dunn JC, Clegg SM. Parasite exchange and hybridisation at a wild-feral-domestic interface. Int J Parasitol 2023; 53:797-808. [PMID: 37474096 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between wild, feral, and domestic animals are of economic and conservation significance. The pigeon Columba livia is a synanthropic species in a feral form, but it also includes the rare Rock Dove. Columba livia is an important player at the wild-domestic interface, acting as a carrier of avian diseases, and the feral form threatens Rock Doves with extinction via hybridisation. Despite its abundance, little is known about drivers of disease prevalence in C. livia, or how disease and hybridisation represent synergistic threats to Rock Doves. We focused on infection by the parasite Trichomonas, first collating prevalence estimates in domestic and free-living populations from relevant studies of C. livia. Second, we characterised variation in the diversity and prevalence of Trichomonas among three C. livia populations in the United Kingdom: a feral, a Rock Dove, and a feral-wild hybrid population. Across multiple continents, free-living pigeons had lower Trichomonas infection than captive conspecifics, but the effect was weak. Environmental factors which could impact Trichomonas infection status did not explain variation in infection among populations. Among the British populations, strain diversity varied, and there was lower parasite prevalence in Rock Doves than feral pigeons. Individual infection status was not explained by the available covariates, including hybrid score and site. The drivers of Trichomonas prevalence are unclear, perhaps due to idiosyncratic local-scale drivers. However, given the population-level variation in both infection prevalence and introgressive hybridisation, the potential combined effects could accelerate the extinction of the Rock Dove. Further study of the synergistic effects of multiple types of biotic interactions at the wild-feral-domestic interface is warranted, especially where vagile, globally distributed and superabundant animals are involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William J Smith
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - Michał T Jezierski
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Jenny C Dunn
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Lincoln, UK; School of Biology, University of Leeds, UK
| | - Sonya M Clegg
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Long-term temporal trends in gastrointestinal parasite infection in wild Soay sheep. Parasitology 2022; 149:1749-1759. [PMID: 36052517 PMCID: PMC10090761 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Monitoring the prevalence and abundance of parasites over time is important for addressing their potential impact on host life histories, immunological profiles and their influence as a selective force. Only long-term ecological studies have the potential to shed light on both the temporal trends in infection prevalence and abundance and the drivers of such trends, because of their ability to dissect drivers that may be confounded over shorter time scales. Despite this, only a relatively small number of such studies exist. Here, we analysed changes in the prevalence and abundance of gastrointestinal parasites in the wild Soay sheep population of St. Kilda across 31 years. The host population density (PD) has increased across the study, and PD is known to increase parasite transmission, but we found that PD and year explained temporal variation in parasite prevalence and abundance independently. Prevalence of both strongyle nematodes and coccidian microparasites increased during the study, and this effect varied between lambs, yearlings and adults. Meanwhile, abundance of strongyles was more strongly linked to host PD than to temporal (yearly) dynamics, while abundance of coccidia showed a strong temporal trend without any influence of PD. Strikingly, coccidian abundance increased 3-fold across the course of the study in lambs, while increases in yearlings and adults were negligible. Our decades-long, intensive, individual-based study will enable the role of environmental change and selection pressures in driving these dynamics to be determined, potentially providing unparalleled insight into the drivers of temporal variation in parasite dynamics in the wild.
Collapse
|
4
|
Lundregan SL, Mäkinen H, Buer A, Holand H, Jensen H, Husby A. Infection by a helminth parasite is associated with changes in
DNA
methylation in the house sparrow. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9539. [PMCID: PMC9702581 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Lundregan
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Hannu Mäkinen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Amberly Buer
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Håkon Holand
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Arild Husby
- Department of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology, Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gastrointestinal parasites in red-legged partridges (Alectoris rufa) hunted in Spain: a warning to game managers. Vet Res Commun 2022; 46:1051-1062. [PMID: 35796856 DOI: 10.1007/s11259-022-09968-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) populations are currently declining in the Iberian Peninsula, mainly due to habitat degradation and hunting pressure. In addition, the release of farm-reared partridges may introduce pathogens, including parasites, to wild populations. The presence of digestive parasites in red-legged partridges hunted in fifteen Spanish provinces was studied. Fecal samples and gastrointestinal tracts were collected, analyzed, and the morphometric identification of parasites was carried out. Eimeria spp. oocysts, nematode, cestode and trematode eggs were observed in fecal samples. Adult nematodes (Ascaridia galli, Ascaridia compar, Heterakis gallinarum, Heterakis tenuicauda, Trichostrongylus tenuis, Subulura spp., Cyrnea spp. and Aonchotheca caudinflata), tapeworms (Raillietina tetragona, R. echinobothrida, R. micracantha, Rhabdometra nigropunctata, and Choanotaenia infundibulum), and trematodes (Brachylaima spp., Brachylecithum spp., Dicrocoelium spp.) were identified in the gastrointestinal tracts. Significant statistical differences were found among climatic regions in the prevalence and intensity of Eimeria spp. infection, median intensity and the prevalence of indirect life cycle helminths, with Southern areas always showing higher infection values. The study provides information of the health status of red-legged partridges in Spain, highlighting the risk associated with the release of farm-reared partridges for restocking purposes. This should be taken into account to improve management strategies for the long-term conservation of the species.
Collapse
|
6
|
Åhlen PA, Sjöberg G, Stéen M. Parasitic fauna of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) in Sweden (1997-1998). Acta Vet Scand 2021; 63:23. [PMID: 34078419 PMCID: PMC8176557 DOI: 10.1186/s13028-021-00588-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The parasitic fauna of beavers (Castor fiber and C. canadensis) has been well studied in many parts of their respective areas of distribution. In Scandinavia there have, however, been limited investigations conducted on the parasites of beavers in recent times. The present study is the first quantitative survey of parasites on beavers living in Sweden and elsewhere in Scandinavia. We investigated the parasitic fauna of the Eurasian beaver (C. fiber) in a North-South gradient in Sweden. The aim of the study was to investigate parasite distribution and prevalence in particular, related to average yearly air temperature and different age groups of beavers. A total of 30 beavers were sampled at eight localities, spanning a 720 km North-South gradient during the springs of 1997 and 1998. RESULTS Five parasite taxa were identified. Four of these were present in all of the examined beavers, Stichorchis subtriquetrus (trematode), Travassosius rufus (nematode), Platypsyllus castoris (coleopteran), and Schizocarpus spp. (arachnid). A higher number of new infections of S. subtriquetrus, and more adults of T. rufus, were seen in beavers in southern Sweden where temperatures are higher. One-year old beavers had a higher infestation of S. subtriquetrus, but not of T. rufus, than older individuals. CONCLUSIONS The parasite fauna of Swedish beavers mirrored the impoverished parasite fauna of the original Norwegian population, and the high prevalence of parasites could be due to low major histocompatibility complex (MHC) polymorphism. Young beavers had a higher load of trematodes, probably depending on behavioural and ecological factors. Warmer temperatures in southern localities likely contributed to increased endoparasite loads.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Per-Arne Åhlen
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden
- Present Address: Swedish Association for Hunting and Wildlife Management, Öster Malma, 611 91 Nyköping, Sweden
| | - Göran Sjöberg
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Margareta Stéen
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO. Box 7011, 750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lundregan SL, Niskanen AK, Muff S, Holand H, Kvalnes T, Ringsby T, Husby A, Jensen H. Resistance to gapeworm parasite has both additive and dominant genetic components in house sparrows, with evolutionary consequences for ability to respond to parasite challenge. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3812-3829. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.15491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2019] [Revised: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Lundregan
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Alina K. Niskanen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit University of Oulu Oulu Finland
| | - Stefanie Muff
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Mathematical Sciences Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Håkon Holand
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Thomas Kvalnes
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Thor‐Harald Ringsby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Arild Husby
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
- Evolutionary Biology Department of Ecology and Genetics Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
| | - Henrik Jensen
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| |
Collapse
|