1
|
Rojas A, Germitsch N, Oren S, Sazmand A, Deak G. Wildlife parasitology: sample collection and processing, diagnostic constraints, and methodological challenges in terrestrial carnivores. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:127. [PMID: 38481271 PMCID: PMC10938792 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06226-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Wild terrestrial carnivores play a crucial role as reservoir, maintenance, and spillover hosts for a wide parasite variety. They may harbor, shed, and transmit zoonotic parasites and parasites of veterinary importance for domestic hosts. Although wild carnivores are globally distributed and comprise many different species, some living in close proximity to human settlements, only a few studies have investigated parasites of wild terrestrial carnivores using non-specific techniques. Access to samples of wild carnivores may be challenging as some species are protected, and others are secretive, possibly explaining the data paucity. Considering the importance of wild carnivores' health and ecological role, combined with the lack of specific diagnostic methodologies, this review aims to offer an overview of the diagnostic methods for parasite investigation in wild terrestrial carnivores, providing the precise techniques for collection and analysis of fecal, blood, and tissue samples, the environmental impact on said samples, and the limitations researchers currently face in analyzing samples of wild terrestrial carnivores. In addition, this paper offers some crucial information on how different environmental factors affect parasite detection postmortem and how insects can be used to estimate the time of death with a specific highlight on insect larvae. The paper contains a literature review of available procedures and emphasizes the need for diagnostic method standardization in wild terrestrial carnivores.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Rojas
- Laboratory of Helminthology, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
- Centro de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, University of Costa Rica, San José, 11501-2060, Costa Rica.
| | - Nina Germitsch
- Pathology and Microbiology, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, 550 University Ave, Charlottetown, PEI, C1A 4P3, Canada.
| | - Stephanie Oren
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Alireza Sazmand
- Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, 6517658978, Iran.
| | - Georgiana Deak
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sasser KT, Weber JN. A Call For More Ecologically And Evolutionarily Relevant Studies of Immune Costs. Evol Ecol 2023; 37:203-214. [PMID: 37608798 PMCID: PMC10443930 DOI: 10.1007/s10682-022-10213-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
What are the relative costs and benefits of mounting immune responses? Practitioners of ecoimmunology have grappled with this central question since the field's inception with the main tension being how to make tractable methodological choices that maintain the ecological relevance of induced and measured immune costs. Here, we point out two methodological approaches that we feel are underrepresented in the field, describe risks associated with neglecting these methods, and suggest modern techniques that maximize both the diversity and ecological relevance of collected data. First, it is commonly assumed that frequently used and experimentally convenient immune stimulants will induce ecologically relevant immune responses in study organisms. This can be a dangerous assumption. Even if a stimulant's general immune response properties are well characterized, it is critical to also measure the type and scale of immune responses induced by live pathogens. Second, patterns of immune defenses evolve like other traits, thus a comparative approach is essential to understand what forces shape immune variation. Finally, we describe modern genetic and immunological approaches that will soon become essential tools for ecoimmunologists, and present case studies that exemplify the utility of our recommendations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristofer Trey Sasser
- University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA. Current address: University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- 430 Lincoln Dr, Birge Hall, Madison WI, 53706
| | - Jesse N Weber
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
- 430 Lincoln Dr, Birge Hall, Madison WI, 53706
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Affiliation(s)
- Amy R. Sweeny
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology University of Edinburgh Edinburgh Scotland
| | - Gregory F. Albery
- Department of Biology Georgetown University Washington DC USA
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kinneary JJ. Perspectives on Salinity, Immunity, and the Common Snapping Turtle. CHELONIAN CONSERVATION AND BIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.2744/ccb-1469.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph J. Kinneary
- 3 Penrose Path, East Northport, New York 11731 USA; Department of Biology, Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, New York 11735 USA []
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ferreira SCM, Veiga MM, Hofer H, East ML, Czirják GÁ. Noninvasively measured immune responses reflect current parasite infections in a wild carnivore and are linked to longevity. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:7685-7699. [PMID: 34188844 PMCID: PMC8216923 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Host immune defenses are important components of host-parasite interactions that affect the outcome of infection and may have fitness consequences for hosts when increased allocation of resources to immune responses undermines other essential life processes. Research on host-parasite interactions in large free-ranging wild mammals is currently hampered by a lack of verified noninvasive assays. We successfully adapted existing assays to measure innate and adaptive immune responses produced by the gastrointestinal mucosa in spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) feces, including enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), to quantify fecal immunoglobulins (total IgA, total IgG) and total fecal O-linked oligosaccharides (mucin). We investigated the effect of infection load by an energetically costly hookworm (Ancylostoma), parasite richness, host age, sex, year of sampling, and clan membership on immune responses and asked whether high investment in immune responses during early life affects longevity in individually known spotted hyenas in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Fecal concentrations of IgA, IgG, and mucin increased with Ancylostoma egg load and were higher in juveniles than in adults. Females had higher mucin concentrations than males. Juvenile females had higher IgG concentrations than juvenile males, whereas adult females had lower IgG concentrations than adult males. High IgA concentrations during the first year of life were linked to reduced longevity after controlling for age at sampling and Ancylostoma egg load. Our study demonstrates that the use of noninvasive methods can increase knowledge on the complex relationship between gastrointestinal parasites and host local immune responses in wild large mammals and reveal fitness-relevant effects of these responses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susana C. M. Ferreira
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Present address:
Division of Computational Systems BiologyCentre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems ScienceViennaAustria
| | - Miguel M. Veiga
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
- Department of Veterinary MedicineFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and PharmacyFreie Universität BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Marion L. East
- Department of Ecological DynamicsLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| | - Gábor Á. Czirják
- Department of Wildlife DiseasesLeibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife ResearchBerlinGermany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
van Dijk JGB, Iverson SA, Gilchrist HG, Harms NJ, Hennin HL, Love OP, Buttler EI, Lesceu S, Foster JT, Forbes MR, Soos C. Herd immunity drives the epidemic fadeout of avian cholera in Arctic-nesting seabirds. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1046. [PMID: 33441657 PMCID: PMC7806777 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79888-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is a common and important infectious disease of wild birds in North America. Between 2005 and 2012, avian cholera caused annual mortality of widely varying magnitudes in Northern common eiders (Somateria mollissima borealis) breeding at the largest colony in the Canadian Arctic, Mitivik Island, Nunavut. Although herd immunity, in which a large proportion of the population acquires immunity to the disease, has been suggested to play a role in epidemic fadeout, immunological studies exploring this hypothesis have been missing. We investigated the role of three potential drivers of fadeout of avian cholera in eiders, including immunity, prevalence of infection, and colony size. Each potential driver was examined in relation to the annual real-time reproductive number (Rt) of P. multocida, previously calculated for eiders at Mitivik Island. Each year, colony size was estimated and eiders were closely monitored, and evaluated for infection and serological status. We demonstrate that acquired immunity approximated using antibody titers to P. multocida in both sexes was likely a key driver for the epidemic fadeout. This study exemplifies the importance of herd immunity in influencing the dynamics and fadeout of epidemics in a wildlife population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jacintha G B van Dijk
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Centre for Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, Linnaeus University, 391 82, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Samuel A Iverson
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3, Canada
| | - H Grant Gilchrist
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - N Jane Harms
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada.,Environment Yukon, Animal Health Unit, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 4Y9, Canada
| | - Holly L Hennin
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Center, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada.,Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - Oliver P Love
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada
| | - E Isabel Buttler
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | | | - Jeffrey T Foster
- Pathogen and Microbiome Institute, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Mark R Forbes
- Department of Biology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Catherine Soos
- Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. .,Ecotoxicology and Wildlife Health Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Albery GF, Watt KA, Keith R, Morris S, Morris A, Kenyon F, Nussey DH, Pemberton JM. Reproduction has different costs for immunity and parasitism in a wild mammal. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory F. Albery
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Kathryn A. Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Rosie Keith
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Sean Morris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Alison Morris
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Fiona Kenyon
- Moredun Research Institute Pentlands Science Park Midlothian UK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology School of Biological Sciences University of Edinburgh Edinburgh UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Dibakou SE, Basset D, Souza A, Charpentier M, Huchard E. Determinants of Variations in Fecal Neopterin in Free-Ranging Mandrills. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
|
9
|
Gamble A, Garnier R, Jaeger A, Gantelet H, Thibault E, Tortosa P, Bourret V, Thiebot JB, Delord K, Weimerskirch H, Tornos J, Barbraud C, Boulinier T. Exposure of breeding albatrosses to the agent of avian cholera: dynamics of antibody levels and ecological implications. Oecologia 2019; 189:939-949. [PMID: 30820656 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04369-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite critical implications for disease dynamics and surveillance in wild long-lived species, the immune response after exposure to potentially highly pathogenic bacterial disease agents is still poorly known. Among infectious diseases threatening wild populations, avian cholera, caused by the bacterium Pasteurella multocida, is a major concern. It frequently causes massive mortality events in wild populations, notably affecting nestlings of Indian yellow-nosed albatrosses (Thalassarche carteri) in the Indian Ocean. If adults are able to mount a long-term immune response, this could have important consequences regarding the dynamics of the pathogen in the local host community and the potential interest of vaccinating breeding females to transfer immunity to their offspring. By tracking the dynamics of antibodies against P. multocida during 4 years and implementing a vaccination experiment in a population of yellow-nosed albatrosses, we show that a significant proportion of adults were naturally exposed despite high annual survival for both vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals. Adult-specific antibody levels were thus maintained long enough to inform about recent exposure. However, only low levels of maternal antibodies could be detected in nestlings the year following a vaccination of their mothers. A modification of the vaccine formulation and the possibility to re-vaccinate females 2 years after the first vaccination revealed that vaccines have the potential to elicit a stronger and more persistent response. Such results highlight the value of long-term observational and experimental studies of host exposure to infectious agents in the wild, where ecological and evolutionary processes are likely critical for driving disease dynamics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amandine Gamble
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE), UMR CNRS 5175, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Romain Garnier
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Audrey Jaeger
- Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical, UMR CNRS 9192, INSERM 1187, IRD 249, GIP CYROI, Université de La Réunion, Saint Denis, La Réunion, France.,Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France.,Écologie marine tropicale des océans Pacifique et Indien, UMR IRD 250, CNRS, Université de la Réunion, Saint Denis, La Réunion, France
| | | | | | - Pablo Tortosa
- Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical, UMR CNRS 9192, INSERM 1187, IRD 249, GIP CYROI, Université de La Réunion, Saint Denis, La Réunion, France
| | - Vincent Bourret
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE), UMR CNRS 5175, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Thiebot
- Réserve Naturelle Nationale des Terres Australes Françaises, Saint Pierre, La Réunion, France.,Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR CNRS 7372, Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France.,National Institute of Polar Research, 10-3 Midori-cho, Tachikawa, Tokyo, 190-8518, Japan
| | - Karine Delord
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR CNRS 7372, Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR CNRS 7372, Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Jérémy Tornos
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE), UMR CNRS 5175, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Christophe Barbraud
- Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé, UMR CNRS 7372, Université La Rochelle, Villiers en Bois, France
| | - Thierry Boulinier
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive (CEFE), UMR CNRS 5175, University of Montpellier, EPHE, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, IRD, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Becker DJ, Czirják GÁ, Volokhov DV, Bentz AB, Carrera JE, Camus MS, Navara KJ, Chizhikov VE, Fenton MB, Simmons NB, Recuenco SE, Gilbert AT, Altizer S, Streicker DG. Livestock abundance predicts vampire bat demography, immune profiles and bacterial infection risk. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170089. [PMID: 29531144 PMCID: PMC5882995 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Human activities create novel food resources that can alter wildlife-pathogen interactions. If resources amplify or dampen, pathogen transmission probably depends on both host ecology and pathogen biology, but studies that measure responses to provisioning across both scales are rare. We tested these relationships with a 4-year study of 369 common vampire bats across 10 sites in Peru and Belize that differ in the abundance of livestock, an important anthropogenic food source. We quantified innate and adaptive immunity from bats and assessed infection with two common bacteria. We predicted that abundant livestock could reduce starvation and foraging effort, allowing for greater investments in immunity. Bats from high-livestock sites had higher microbicidal activity and proportions of neutrophils but lower immunoglobulin G and proportions of lymphocytes, suggesting more investment in innate relative to adaptive immunity and either greater chronic stress or pathogen exposure. This relationship was most pronounced in reproductive bats, which were also more common in high-livestock sites, suggesting feedbacks between demographic correlates of provisioning and immunity. Infection with both Bartonella and haemoplasmas were correlated with similar immune profiles, and both pathogens tended to be less prevalent in high-livestock sites, although effects were weaker for haemoplasmas. These differing responses to provisioning might therefore reflect distinct transmission processes. Predicting how provisioning alters host-pathogen interactions requires considering how both within-host processes and transmission modes respond to resource shifts.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gábor Á Czirják
- Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dmitriy V Volokhov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Alexandra B Bentz
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Jorge E Carrera
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura, Perú
- Programa de Conservación de Murciélagos de Perú, Piura, Perú
| | - Melinda S Camus
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kristen J Navara
- Department of Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Vladimir E Chizhikov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - M Brock Fenton
- Department of Biology, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sergio E Recuenco
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Perú
| | - Amy T Gilbert
- National Wildlife Research Center, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Daniel G Streicker
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Garnier R, Ramos R, Sanz‐Aguilar A, Poisbleau M, Weimerskirch H, Burthe S, Tornos J, Boulinier T. Interpreting
ELISA
analyses from wild animal samples: Some recurrent issues and solutions. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Garnier
- Department of Veterinary MedicineDisease Dynamics UnitUniversity of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Raül Ramos
- Departament de Biologia EvolutivaEcologia i Ciències AmbientalsUniversitat de Barcelona Barcelona Spain
| | - Ana Sanz‐Aguilar
- Population Ecology GroupInstituto Mediterráneo de Estudios AvanzadosIMEDEA (CSIC‐UIB) Esporles Islas Baleares Spain
| | - Maud Poisbleau
- Department of Biology – Behavioural Ecology & Ecophysiology GroupUniversity of Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium
| | - Henri Weimerskirch
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de ChizéCNRS – Université de la Rochelle Villiers en Bois France
| | - Sarah Burthe
- Centre for Ecology & Hydrology Penicuik Midlothian UK
| | - Jeremy Tornos
- CEFE CNRS Université de Montpellier Montpellier France
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Krams IA, Rumvolt K, Saks L, Krams R, Elferts D, Vrublevska J, Rantala MJ, Kecko S, Cīrule D, Luoto S, Krama T. Reproduction compromises adaptive immunity in a cyprinid fish. Ecol Res 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-017-1467-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
13
|
Garnier R, Cheung CK, Watt KA, Pilkington JG, Pemberton JM, Graham AL. Joint associations of blood plasma proteins with overwinter survival of a large mammal. Ecol Lett 2017; 20:175-183. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.12719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Christopher K. Cheung
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| | - Kathryn A. Watt
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Jill G. Pilkington
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Josephine M. Pemberton
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology; School of Biological Sciences; University of Edinburgh; Edinburgh UK
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Princeton University; Princeton NJ USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Mathematical Models for Immunology: Current State of the Art and Future Research Directions. Bull Math Biol 2016; 78:2091-2134. [PMID: 27714570 PMCID: PMC5069344 DOI: 10.1007/s11538-016-0214-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The advances in genetics and biochemistry that have taken place over the last 10 years led to significant advances in experimental and clinical immunology. In turn, this has led to the development of new mathematical models to investigate qualitatively and quantitatively various open questions in immunology. In this study we present a review of some research areas in mathematical immunology that evolved over the last 10 years. To this end, we take a step-by-step approach in discussing a range of models derived to study the dynamics of both the innate and immune responses at the molecular, cellular and tissue scales. To emphasise the use of mathematics in modelling in this area, we also review some of the mathematical tools used to investigate these models. Finally, we discuss some future trends in both experimental immunology and mathematical immunology for the upcoming years.
Collapse
|
15
|
Cabezón O, Cerdà-Cuéllar M, Morera V, García-Bocanegra I, González-Solís J, Napp S, Ribas MP, Blanch-Lázaro B, Fernández-Aguilar X, Antilles N, López-Soria S, Lorca-Oró C, Dubey JP, Almería S. Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Seagull Chicks Is Related to the Consumption of Freshwater Food Resources. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0150249. [PMID: 26974667 PMCID: PMC4790883 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the spread of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) in wild birds, particularly in those with opportunistic feeding behavior, is of interest for elucidating the epidemiological involvement of these birds in the maintenance and dissemination of the parasite. Overall, from 2009 to 2011, we collected sera from 525 seagull chicks (Yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) and Audouin's gull (L. audouinii)) from 6 breeding colonies in Spain and tested them using the modified agglutination test (MAT) for the presence of antibodies against T. gondii. Chick age was estimated from bill length. Main food source of seagull chicks was evaluated using stable isotope analyses from growing scapular feathers. Overall T. gondii seroprevalence was 21.0% (IC95% 17.5-24.4). A generalized linear mixed-effects model indicated that year (2009) and food source (freshwater) were risk factors associated to the individual risk of infection by T. gondii, while age (days) was close to significance. Freshwater food origin was related to the highest seroprevalence levels, followed by marine origin, supporting freshwater and sewages as important routes of dispersion of T. gondii. Year differences could indicate fluctuating rates of exposure of seagull chicks to T. gondii. Age ranged from 4 to 30 days and seropositivity tended to increase with age (P = 0.07), supporting that seropositivity is related to T. gondii infection rather than to maternal transfer of antibodies, which in gulls is known to sharply decrease with chick age. This study is the first to report T. gondii antibodies in Yellow-legged and Audouin's gulls, thereby extending the range of intermediate hosts for this parasite and underscoring the complexity of its epidemiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Cabezón
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Marta Cerdà-Cuéllar
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Virginia Morera
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Jacob González-Solís
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBio) and Departament de Biologia Animal, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sebastian Napp
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria P. Ribas
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Berta Blanch-Lázaro
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xavier Fernández-Aguilar
- Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Facultat de Veterinaria, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Noelia Antilles
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sergio López-Soria
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Lorca-Oró
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jitender P. Dubey
- Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Agriculture Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD, United States of America
| | - Sonia Almería
- Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA) - Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Sanitat i d’Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Abstract
Gastrointestinal nematodes represent important sources of economic losses in farmed ruminants, and the increasing frequency of anthelmintic resistance requires an increased ability to explore alternative strategies. Theoretical approaches at the crossroads of immunology and epidemiology are valuable tools in that context. In the case of Teladorsagia circumcincta in sheep, the immunological mechanisms important for resistance are increasingly well-characterized. However, despite the existence of a wide range of theoretical models, there is no framework integrating the characteristic features of this immune response into a tractable phenomenological model. Here, we propose to bridge that gap by developing a flexible modelling framework that allows for variability in nematode larval intake which can be used to track the variations in worm burdens. We parameterize this model using data from trickle infection of sheep and show that using simple immunological assumptions, our model can capture the dynamics of both adult worm burdens and nematode fecal egg counts. In addition, our analysis reveals interesting dose-dependent effects on the immune response. Finally, we discuss potential developments of this model and highlight how an improved cross-talk between empiricists and theoreticians would facilitate important advances in the study of infectious diseases.
Collapse
|
17
|
Ramos R, Garnier R, González-Solís J, Boulinier T. Long antibody persistence and transgenerational transfer of immunity in a long-lived vertebrate. Am Nat 2014; 184:764-76. [PMID: 25438176 DOI: 10.1086/678400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Although little studied in natural populations, the persistence of immunoglobulins may dramatically affect the dynamics of immunity and the ecology and evolution of host-pathogen interactions involving vertebrate hosts. By means of a multiple-year vaccination design against Newcastle disease virus, we experimentally addressed whether levels of specific antibodies can persist over several years in females of a long-lived procellariiform seabird-Cory's shearwater-and whether maternal antibodies against that antigen could persist over a long period in offspring several years after the mother was exposed. We found that a single vaccination led to high levels of antibodies for several years and that the females transmitted antibodies to their offspring that persisted for several weeks after hatching even 5 years after a single vaccination. The temporal persistence of maternally transferred antibodies in nestlings was highly dependent on the level at hatching. A second vaccination boosted efficiently the level of antibodies in females and thus their transfer to offspring. Overall, these results stress the need to consider the temporal dynamics of immune responses if we are to understand the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions and trade-offs between immunity and other life-history characteristics, in particular in long-lived species. They also have strong implications for conservation when vaccination may be used in natural populations facing disease threats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raül Ramos
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS-Université Montpellier Unité Mixte de Recherche 5175, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Downs CJ, Adelman JS, Demas GE. Mechanisms and methods in ecoimmunology: integrating within-organism and between-organism processes. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:340-52. [PMID: 24944113 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecoimmunology utilizes techniques from traditionally laboratory-based disciplines--for example, immunology, genomics, proteomics, neuroendocrinology, and cell biology--to reveal how the immune systems of wild organisms both shape and respond to ecological and evolutionary pressures. Immunological phenotypes are embedded within a mechanistic pathway leading from genotype through physiology to shape higher-order biological phenomena. As such, "mechanisms" in ecoimmunology can refer to both the within-host processes that shape immunological phenotypes, or it can refer the ways in which different immunological phenotypes alter between-organism processes at ecological and evolutionary scales. The mechanistic questions ecoimmunologists can ask, both within-organisms and between-organisms, however, often have been limited by techniques that do not easily transfer to wild, non-model systems. Thus, a major focus in ecoimmunology has been developing and refining the available toolkit. Recently, this toolkit has been expanding at an unprecedented rate, bringing new challenges to choosing techniques and standardizing protocols across studies. By confronting these challenges, we will be able to enhance ecoimmunological inquiries into the physiological basis of life-history trade-offs; the development of low-cost biomarkers for susceptibility to disease; and the investigation of the ecophysiological underpinnings of disease ecology, behavior, and the coevolution of host-parasite systems. The technical advances in, and crossover technologies from, disciplines associated with ecoimmunology and how these advances can help us understand the mechanistic basis of immunological variability in wild species were the focus of the symposium, Methods and Mechanisms in Ecoimmunology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C J Downs
- *Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 168, Reno, NV 89557, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - J S Adelman
- *Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 168, Reno, NV 89557, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - G E Demas
- *Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Nevada, 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 168, Reno, NV 89557, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA; Department of Biology, Center for the Integrative Study of Animal Behavior, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| |
Collapse
|