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Valdebenito JO, Jones W, Székely T. Evolutionary drivers of sex-specific parasite prevalence in wild birds. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20241013. [PMID: 39106952 PMCID: PMC11303024 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.1013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Males and females often differ in ecology, behaviour and lifestyle, and these differences are expected to lead to sex differences in parasite susceptibility. However, neither the sex differences in parasite prevalence, nor their ecological and evolutionary drivers have been investigated across a broad range of taxa using phylogenetically corrected analyses. Using the most extensive dataset yet that includes 755 prevalence estimates from 151 wild bird species in a meta-analytic framework, here we compare sex differences in blood and gastrointestinal parasites. We show that despite sex differences in parasite infection being frequently reported in the literature, only Haemoproteus infections were more prevalent in females than in males. Notably, only seasonality was strongly associated with the sex-specific parasite prevalence of both Leucocytozoon and Haemoproteus, where birds showed greater female bias in prevalence during breeding periods compared to the non-breeding period. No other ecological or sexual selection variables were associated with sex-specific prevalence of parasite prevalence. We suggest that much of the variation in sex-biased prevalence could be idiosyncratic, and driven by local ecology and behavioural differences of the parasite and the host. Therefore, breeding ecology and sexual selection may only have a modest influence on sex-different parasite prevalence across wild birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- José O. Valdebenito
- Debrecen Biodiversity Research Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Bird Ecology Lab, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas y Limnológicas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Los Ríos, Chile
- Centro de Humedales Río Cruces (CEHUM), Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Los Ríos, Chile
- Millennium Institute Biodiversity of Antarctic and Subantarctic Ecosystems (BASE), Chile
| | - William Jones
- Debrecen Biodiversity Research Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Tamás Székely
- Debrecen Biodiversity Research Centre, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
- Milner Centre for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, UK
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Penha VADS, Manica LT, Barrand ZA, Hepp CM, McGraw KJ. Correlates of Co-Infection with Coccidiosis and Avian Malaria in House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). J Wildl Dis 2024; 60:634-646. [PMID: 38741368 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-23-00175] [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: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Pathogens have traditionally been studied in isolation within host systems; yet in natural settings they frequently coexist. This raises questions about the dynamics of co-infections and how host life-history traits might predict co-infection versus single infection. To address these questions, we investigated the presence of two parasites, a gut parasite (Isospora coccidians) and a blood parasite (Plasmodium spp.), in House Finches (Haemorhous mexicanus), a common passerine bird in North America. We then correlated these parasitic infections with various health and condition metrics, including hematological parameters, plasma carotenoids, lipid-soluble vitamins, blood glucose concentration, body condition, and prior disease history. Our study, based on 48 birds captured in Tempe, Arizona, US, in October 2021, revealed that co-infected birds exhibited elevated circulating lutein levels and a higher heterophil:lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio) compared to those solely infected with coccidia Isospora spp. This suggests that co-infected birds experience heightened stress and may use lutein to bolster immunity against both pathogens, and that there are potentially toxic effects of lutein in co-infected birds compared to those infected solely with coccidia Isospora sp. Our findings underscore the synergistic impact of coparasitism, emphasizing the need for more co-infection studies to enhance our understanding of disease dynamics in nature, as well as its implications for wildlife health and conservation efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Aguiar de Souza Penha
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, 100 Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Avenue, Curitiba, Paraná 81531-980, Brazil
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, ASU Life Sciences Building E, 400 E Tyler Mal, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
- Organismal and Evolutionary Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Biokeskus 3, PL 65 (Viikinkaari 1), Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Lilian Tonelli Manica
- Departamento de Zoologia, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Avenida Cel. Francisco H. dos Santos Avenue, 100, Curitiba, Paraná 81531-980, Brazil
| | - Zachary A Barrand
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Building 56, 1395 South Knoles Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
- Translational Genomics Research Institute, 3051 West Shamrell Boulevard, Flagstaff, Arizona 86001, USA
| | - Crystal M Hepp
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Building 56, 1395 South Knoles Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Building 90, 1295 South Knoles Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
| | - Kevin J McGraw
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, ASU Life Sciences Building E, 400 E Tyler Mal, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
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Figuerola J, la Puente JMD, Díez-Fernández A, Thomson RL, Aguirre JI, Faivre B, Ibañez-Alamo JD. Urbanization correlates with the prevalence and richness of blood parasites in Eurasian Blackbirds (Turdus merula). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171303. [PMID: 38423334 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171303] [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: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Urbanization is increasing worldwide, producing severe environmental impacts. Biodiversity is affected by the expansion of cities, with many species being unable to cope with the different human-induced stressors present in these landscapes. However, this knowledge is mainly based on research from taxa such as plants or vertebrates, while other organisms like protozoa have been less studied in this context. The impact of urbanization on the transmission of vector-borne pathogens in wildlife is still unclear despite its relevance for animal and human health. Here, we investigated whether cities are associated with changes in the prevalence and richness of lineages of three vector-borne protozoans (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) in Eurasian blackbirds (Turdus merula) from multiple urban and forest areas in Europe. Our results show important species-specific differences between these two habitat types. We found a significant lower prevalence of Leucocytozoon in urban birds compared to forest birds, but no differences for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus. Furthermore, the richness of parasite lineages in European cities was higher for Plasmodium but lower for Leucocytozoon than in forests. We also found one Plasmodium lineage exclusively from cities while another of Leucocytozoon was only found in forests suggesting a certain level of habitat specialization for these protozoan vectors. Overall, our findings show that cities provide contrasting opportunities for the transmission of different vector-borne pathogens and generate new scenarios for the interactions between hosts, vectors and parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Figuerola
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | | | - Alazne Díez-Fernández
- Estación Biológica de Doñana, 41092 Sevilla, Spain; Universidad de Extremadura, 06006 Badajoz, Spain
| | - Robert L Thomson
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town, 7701 Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Bruno Faivre
- UMR CNRS 6282, Biogéosciences, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, 21000 Dijon, France
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Ozmen O, Albayrak T. Pathological and Immunohistochemical Examinations in Chukar Partridge (Alectoris chukar) of Wild and Captive Populations. BRAZILIAN JOURNAL OF POULTRY SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1590/1806-9061-2021-1616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- O Ozmen
- Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Turkey
| | - T Albayrak
- Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, Turkey
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Vincze O, Vágási CI, Pénzes J, Szabó K, Magonyi NM, Czirják GÁ, Pap PL. Sexual dimorphism in immune function and oxidative physiology across birds: The role of sexual selection. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:958-970. [PMID: 35106902 PMCID: PMC9305230 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Sex‐specific physiology is commonly reported in animals, often indicating lower immune indices and higher oxidative stress in males than in females. Sexual selection is argued to explain these differences, but empirical evidence is limited. Here, we explore sex differences in immunity, oxidative physiology and packed cell volume of wild, adult, breeding birds (97 species, 1997 individuals, 14 230 physiological measurements). We show that higher female immune indices are most common across birds (when bias is present), but oxidative physiology shows no general sex‐bias and packed cell volume is generally male‐biased. In contrast with predictions based on sexual selection, male‐biased sexual size dimorphism is associated with male‐biased immune measures. Sexual dichromatism, mating system and parental roles had no effect on sex‐specificity in physiology. Importantly, female‐biased immunity remained after accounting for sexual selection indices. We conclude that cross‐species differences in physiological sex‐bias are largely unrelated to sexual selection and alternative explanations should be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Vincze
- Centre for Ecological Research, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, Debrecen, Hungary.,Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Csongor I Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Janka Pénzes
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Krisztián Szabó
- Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Budapest, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Nóra M Magonyi
- Doctoral School of Biology and Sportbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Centre for Agricultural Research, Plant Protection Institute, ELKH, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Péter L Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
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