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Parejo-Pulido D, Mora-Rubio C, Marzal A, Magallanes S. Molecular characterization of haemosporidian and haemogregarine diversity in southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:1139-1149. [PMID: 36933067 PMCID: PMC10097751 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07814-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The knowledge of the diversity and geographic distribution of parasite species is the first step towards understanding processes of global epidemiology and species conservation. Despite recent increases in research on haemosporidian and haemogregarine parasites of reptiles and amphibians, we still know little about their diversity and parasite-host interactions, especially in the Iberian Peninsula, where a few studies have been conducted. In this study, the haemosporidian and haemogregarine diversity and phylogenetic relationships of the parasites in southwestern Iberian amphibians and reptiles were assessed using PCR approaches on blood samples of 145 individuals from five amphibian and 13 reptile species. The amphibians did not present any of both groups of parasites studied. Regarding reptiles, five Hepatozoon, one Haemogregarina, and one Haemocystidum haplotypes were found infecting four different species, revealing new host records for these parasites. Among them, we found one new Haemocystidium haplotype and three new and a previously reported Hepatozoon haplotype from a north African snake. The latter finding suggests that some Hepatozoon parasites may not be host-specific and have large geographic ranges even crossing geographical barriers. These results increased the knowledge about the geographic distribution and the number of known host species of some reptile apicomplexan parasites, highlighting the great unexplored diversity of them in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Parejo-Pulido
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo, 12, 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carlos Mora-Rubio
- Departamento de Anatomía Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain
| | - Alfonso Marzal
- Departamento de Anatomía Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain.,Grupo de Investigaciones en Fauna Silvestre, Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Jr. Maynas 1777, 22021, Tarapoto, Perú
| | - Sergio Magallanes
- Departamento de Anatomía Biología Celular y Zoología, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. Elvas s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain. .,Department of Wetland Ecology (EBD-CSIC), Estación Biológica de Doñana, Avda. Américo Vespucio 26, E-41092, Seville, Spain.
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2
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Perrin A, Khimoun A, Ollivier A, Richard Y, Pérez-Rodríguez A, Faivre B, Garnier S. Habitat fragmentation matters more than habitat loss: The case of host-parasite interactions. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:951-969. [PMID: 36461661 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16807] [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: 05/22/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
While ecologists agree that habitat loss has a substantial negative effect on biodiversity it is still very much a matter of debate whether habitat fragmentation has a lesser effect and whether this effect is positive or negative for biodiversity. Here, we assess the relative influence of tropical forest loss and fragmentation on the prevalence of vector-borne blood parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus in six forest bird species. We also determine whether habitat loss and fragmentation are associated with a rise or fall in prevalence. We sample more than 4000 individual birds from 58 forest sites in Guadeloupe and Martinique. Considering 34 host-parasite combinations independently and a fine characterization of the amount and spatial configuration of habitat, we use partial least square regressions to disentangle the relative effects of forest loss, forest fragmentation, landscape heterogeneity, and local weather conditions on spatial variability of parasite prevalence. Then we test for the magnitude and the sign of the effect of each environmental descriptor. Strikingly, we show that forest fragmentation explains twice as much of the variance in prevalence as habitat loss or landscape heterogeneity. In addition, habitat fragmentation leads to an overall rise in prevalence in Guadeloupe, but its effect is variable in Martinique. Both habitat loss and landscape heterogeneity exhibit taxon-specific effects. Our results suggest that habitat loss and fragmentation may have contrasting effects between tropical and temperate regions and that inter-specific interactions may not respond in the same way as more commonly used biodiversity metrics such as abundance and diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoine Perrin
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France.,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Khimoun
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Anthony Ollivier
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Yves Richard
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | | | - Bruno Faivre
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Stéphane Garnier
- Biogéosciences, UMR 6282 CNRS, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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3
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Aguiar de Souza Penha V, Maia Chaves Bicalho Domingos F, Fecchio A, Bell JA, Weckstein JD, Ricklefs RE, Braga EM, de Abreu Moreira P, Soares L, Latta S, Tolesano-Pascoli G, Alquezar RD, Del-Claro K, Manica LT. Host life-history traits predict haemosporidian parasite prevalence in tanagers (Aves: Thraupidae). Parasitology 2022; 150:1-10. [PMID: 36226920 PMCID: PMC10090595 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182022001469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Vector-borne parasites are important ecological drivers influencing life-history evolution in birds by increasing host mortality or susceptibility to new diseases. Therefore, understanding why vulnerability to infection varies within a host clade is a crucial task for conservation biology and for understanding macroecological life-history patterns. Here, we studied the relationship of avian life-history traits and climate on the prevalence of Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus parasites. We sampled 3569 individual birds belonging to 53 species of the family Thraupidae. Individuals were captured from 2007 to 2018 at 92 locations. We created 2 phylogenetic generalized least-squares models with Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus prevalence as our response variables, and with the following predictor variables: climate PC1, climate PC2, body size, mixed-species flock participation, incubation period, migration, nest height, foraging height, forest cover, and diet. We found that Parahaemoproteus and Plasmodium prevalence was higher in species inhabiting open habitats. Tanager species with longer incubation periods had higher Parahaemoproteus prevalence as well, and we hypothesize that these longer incubation periods overlap with maximum vector abundances, resulting in a higher probability of infection among adult hosts during their incubation period and among chicks. Lastly, we found that Plasmodium prevalence was higher in species without migratory behaviour, with mixed-species flock participation, and with an omnivorous or animal-derived diet. We discuss the consequences of higher infection prevalence in relation to life-history traits in tanagers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Alan Fecchio
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP), CONICET – Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina
| | - Jeffrey A. Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, USA
| | - Jason D. Weckstein
- Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University and Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert E. Ricklefs
- Department of Biology, University of Missouri–Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Erika Martins Braga
- Malaria Laboratory, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Letícia Soares
- Research Associate, National Aviary, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Steven Latta
- Conservation and Field Research, National Aviary, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Graziela Tolesano-Pascoli
- Zoology Department, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Renata Duarte Alquezar
- Animal Behavior Laboratory, Graduate Program in Ecology, University of Brasilia, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Behavioral Ecology and Interactions Laboratory, Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation of Natural Resources, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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4
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Castaño-Vázquez F, Merino S. Differential effects of environmental climatic variables on parasite abundances in blue tit nests during a decade. Integr Zool 2021; 17:511-529. [PMID: 34971472 PMCID: PMC9543696 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Models on climate change have predicted an increase of temperature over the earth's surface with potential drastic effects on living organisms. We analyzed the relationships between climatic conditions (temperature, rainfall, and wind speed) and the abundance of blood‐sucking flying insects (biting midges and blackflies) and nest‐dwelling ectoparasites (mites, fleas, and blowflies) collected from blue tit nests during bird breeding seasons for a period of 10 years. Average temperature, rainfall, and wind speed showed significant differences among years. Temperature and wind speed increased during the period of study while rainfall decreased. Biting midge, blackfly, and blowfly abundances increased across years but not flea and mite abundances. Hatching date decreased and brood size increased across years. Independently of year variation, parasites were related to climatic variables. For example, biting midge, blowfly, mite, and flea abundances were positive and significantly related to average temperature. We also found a positive and significant relationship between abundances of Haemoproteus infections and biting midge abundances during the first year of life of birds out of nests. However, abundance and prevalence of Lankesterella infections in yearlings were positive and significantly related to mite abundances during the year of birth of birds. Leucocytozoon and Lankesterella infections were also significantly related to climatic variables and Haemoproteus and Lankesterella infections increased across years. In addition, body condition of adult females and males were negatively related to flea larvae and blowfly abundance respectively. Nestling body condition was also negatively related to biting midge abundance. Changes in climatic conditions across years could therefore affect several parasites of birds but also to birds themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Santiago Merino
- Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Ndithia HK, Matson KD, Muchai M, Tieleman BI. Immune function differs among tropical environments but is not downregulated during reproduction in three year-round breeding equatorial lark populations. Oecologia 2021; 197:599-614. [PMID: 34636981 PMCID: PMC8585810 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05052-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal variation in immune function can be attributed to life history trade-offs, and to variation in environmental conditions. However, because phenological stages and environmental conditions co-vary in temperate and arctic zones, their separate contributions have not been determined. We compared immune function and body mass of incubating (female only), chick-feeding (female and male), and non-breeding (female and male) red-capped larks Calandrella cinerea breeding year-round in three tropical equatorial (Kenya) environments with distinct climates. We measured four immune indices: haptoglobin, nitric oxide, agglutination, and lysis. To confirm that variation in immune function between breeding (i.e., incubating or chick-feeding) and non-breeding was not confounded by environmental conditions, we tested if rainfall, average minimum temperature (Tmin), and average maximum temperature (Tmax) differed during sampling times among the three breeding statuses per location. Tmin and Tmax differed between chick-feeding and non-breeding, suggesting that birds utilized environmental conditions differently in different locations for reproduction. Immune indices did not differ between incubating, chick-feeding and non-breeding birds in all three locations. There were two exceptions: nitric oxide was higher during incubation in cool and wet South Kinangop, and it was higher during chick-feeding in the cool and dry North Kinangop compared to non-breeding birds in these locations. For nitric oxide, agglutination, and lysis, we found among-location differences within breeding stage. In equatorial tropical birds, variation in immune function seems to be better explained by among-location climate-induced environmental conditions than by breeding status. Our findings raise questions about how within-location environmental variation relates to and affects immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry K Ndithia
- Ornithology Section, Department of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi, 00100 GPO, Kenya. .,Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Kevin D Matson
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Environmental Sciences Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Muchane Muchai
- Department of Clinical Studies (Wildlife and Conservation), College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences, University of Nairobi, Box 30197-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - B Irene Tieleman
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 11103, 9700 CC, Groningen, The Netherlands
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6
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Characterization and identification of haemogregarine hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Adeleina: Hepatozoidae) in natural populations of Mauremys leprosa leprosa and M. leprosa saharica from Morocco. Syst Parasitol 2021; 98:547-557. [PMID: 34322858 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-021-09995-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Distribution, prevalence and parasitaemia of apicomplexan parasites of the genus Haemogregarina were studied in 858 freshwater turtles (735 Mauremys leprosa leprosa and 123 Mauremys leprosa saharica) throughout 30 localities from Morocco. Blood smears were collected from the turtles and partial 18S rRNA sequence data used to infer genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships. Of the 858 individuals analyzed by microscopy 22.7% were infected, from 16 M. leprosa leprosa localities. Individuals of M. leprosa saharica sampled south of the High Atlas Mountains were not infected, probably due to the absence or rarity of the leech vectors in these localities. Within M. leprosa leprosa, we did not identify any patterns between geography and prevalence, which varied between 10% (Oued Nfiss) to 100% (Oued Tassaout). Five distinct genetic lineages were identified, indicating the likely presence of multiple species of haemogregarines, one of which probably corresponds to Haemogregarina stepanowi. Mixed infections were also detected. Additional studies are needed to better understand the ecology and epidemiology of this parasite in turtles, as well as the host-parasite relationship with their definitive hosts, leeches.
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7
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Fanelli A, Buonavoglia D. Risk of Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) introduction and spread in CCHF-free countries in southern and Western Europe: A semi-quantitative risk assessment. One Health 2021; 13:100290. [PMID: 34307823 PMCID: PMC8283130 DOI: 10.1016/j.onehlt.2021.100290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a severe tick-borne viral zoonotic disease caused by Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV). The disease is usually asymptomatic in domestic and wild animals, both of which may act as reservoirs of the virus. CCHF is endemic in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. During the last decade, the emergence or re-emergence of CCHF was described in several countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, with an increasing risk of extension into new areas. Given the public health importance, this study undertakes a semi-quantitative risk assessment to analyse the likelihood of entry and exposure of CCHFV into 9 CCHF-free countries in Southern and Western Europe. Based on a framework outlining the probability of the virus entry and exposure, the risk estimates were assessed for each individual country. The risk assessment was performed using information from public databases and the available scientific literature. The likelihood of entry was conducted considering 3 main pathways: infected tick vectors, wildlife and livestock. The likelihood of exposure was assessed considering the probability of survival of the infected ticks once introduced in CCHF-free countries (depending on abiotic and biotic factors), and the exposure of resident uninfected susceptible ticks to infected imported wildlife and livestock. The risk estimates (combined CCHFV introduction and exposure) were low for the majority of the countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovenia and Switzerland) and medium for France and Italy, if accounting only for animal health consequences. Considering the public health consequences only, the risks were rated low for all the countries, except for Italy where it was assessed to be medium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Fanelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano (BA), Italy
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8
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Ferraguti M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Figuerola J. Ecological Effects on the Dynamics of West Nile Virus and Avian Plasmodium: The Importance of Mosquito Communities and Landscape. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071208. [PMID: 34201673 PMCID: PMC8310121 DOI: 10.3390/v13071208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans and wildlife are at risk from certain vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and West Nile and yellow fevers. Factors linked to global change, including habitat alteration, land-use intensification, the spread of alien species, and climate change, are operating on a global scale and affect both the incidence and distribution of many vector-borne diseases. Hence, understanding the drivers that regulate the transmission of pathogens in the wild is of great importance for ecological, evolutionary, health, and economic reasons. In this literature review, we discuss the ecological factors potentially affecting the transmission of two mosquito-borne pathogens circulating naturally between birds and mosquitoes, namely, West Nile virus (WNV) and the avian malaria parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Traditionally, the study of pathogen transmission has focused only on vectors or hosts and the interactions between them, while the role of landscape has largely been ignored. However, from an ecological point of view, it is essential not only to study the interaction between each of these organisms but also to understand the environmental scenarios in which these processes take place. We describe here some of the similarities and differences in the transmission of these two pathogens and how research into both systems may facilitate a greater understanding of the dynamics of vector-borne pathogens in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Ferraguti
- Department of Theoretical and Computational Ecology (TCE), Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (M.F.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Josué Martínez-de la Puente
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, E-18071 Granada, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
- Correspondence: (M.F.); (J.M.-d.l.P.)
| | - Jordi Figuerola
- Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), E-41092 Seville, Spain;
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Spain
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Rodrigues RA, Felix GMF, Pichorim M, Moreira PA, Braga EM. Host migration and environmental temperature influence avian haemosporidians prevalence: a molecular survey in a Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11555. [PMID: 34221715 PMCID: PMC8231341 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian haemosporidians are parasites with great capacity to spread to new environments and new hosts, being considered a good model to host-parasite interactions studies. Here, we examine avian haemosporidian parasites in a protected area covered by Restinga vegetation in northeastern Brazil, to test the hypothesis that haemosporidian prevalence is related to individual-level traits (age and breeding season), species-specific traits (diet, foraging strata, period of activity, species body weight, migratory status, and nest shape), and climate factors (temperature and rainfall). We screened DNA from 1,466 birds of 70 species captured monthly from April 2013 to March 2015. We detected an overall prevalence (Plasmodium/Haemoproteus infection) of 22% (44 host species) and parasite’s lineages were identified by mitochondrial cyt b gene. Our results showed that migration can be an important factor predicting the prevalence of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus), but not Plasmodium, in hosts. Besides, the temperature, but not rainfall, seems to predict the prevalence of Plasmodium in this bird community. Neither individual-level traits analyzed nor the other species-specific traits tested were related to the probability of a bird becoming infected by haemosporidians. Our results point the importance of conducting local studies in particular environments to understand the degree of generality of factors impacting parasite prevalence in bird communities. Despite our attempts to find patterns of infection in this bird community, we should be aware that an avian haemosporidian community organization is highly complex and this complexity can be attributed to an intricate net of factors, some of which were not observed in this study and should be evaluated in future studies. We evidence the importance of looking to host-parasite relationships in a more close scale, to assure that some effects may not be obfuscated by differences in host life-history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel A Rodrigues
- Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Mauro Pichorim
- Botany and Zoology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande no Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Patricia A Moreira
- Biodiversity, Evolution and Environment, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
| | - Erika M Braga
- Parasitology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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10
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Starkloff NC, Turner WC, FitzGerald AM, Oftedal MC, Martinsen ES, Kirchman JJ. Disentangling the effects of host relatedness and elevation on haemosporidian parasite turnover in a clade of songbirds. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Naima C. Starkloff
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
- New York State Museum Albany New York12230USA
| | - Wendy C. Turner
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
| | - Alyssa M. FitzGerald
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
- New York State Museum Albany New York12230USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California95064USA
| | - Michelle C. Oftedal
- Department of Biological Sciences University at Albany, State University of New York Albany New York12222USA
- New York State Museum Albany New York12230USA
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11
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DE LA Torre GM, Campião KM. Bird habitat preferences drive hemoparasite infection in the Neotropical region. Integr Zool 2021; 16:755-768. [PMID: 33452842 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The role that the environment plays in vector-borne parasite infection is one of the central factors for understanding disease dynamics. We assessed how Neotropical bird foraging strata and habitat preferences determine infection by parasites of the genera Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Trypanosoma and filarioids, and tested for phylogenetic signal in these host-parasite associations. We performed extensive searches of the scientific literature and created a database of hemoparasite surveys. We collected data on host body mass, foraging strata, habitat preference, and migratory status, and tested if host ecological traits predict each hemoparasite occurrence and prevalence using a phylogenetic Bayesian framework. Species of Plasmodium tend to infect birds from tropical forests while birds from altitudinal environments are likely to be infected by species of Leucocytozoon. The probability of a bird being infected by filarioid or Trypanosoma is higher in lowland forests. Bird species that occur in anthropic environments and dry habitats of tropical latitudes are more susceptible to infection by species of Haemoproteus. Host foraging strata is also influential and bird species that forage in the mid-high and canopy strata are more prone to infection by species of Haemoproteus and filarioids. We also identified phylogenetic signal for host-parasite associations with the probability of infection of Neotropical birds by any hemoparasite being more similar among more closely related species. We provided a useful framework to identify environments that correlate with hemoparasite infection, which is also helpful for detecting areas with potential suitability for hemoparasite infection due to land conversion and climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Massaccesi DE LA Torre
- Biological Interactions, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Karla Magalhães Campião
- Biological Interactions, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
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12
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Niu B, Liang R, Zhou G, Zhang Q, Su Q, Qu X, Chen Q. Prediction for Global Peste des Petits Ruminants Outbreaks Based on a Combination of Random Forest Algorithms and Meteorological Data. Front Vet Sci 2021; 7:570829. [PMID: 33490125 PMCID: PMC7817769 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.570829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR) is an acute and highly contagious transboundary disease caused by the PPR virus (PPRV). The virus infects goats, sheep and some wild relatives of small domestic ruminants, such as antelopes. PPR is listed by the World Organization for Animal Health as an animal disease that must be reported promptly. In this paper, PPR outbreak data combined with WorldClim database meteorological data were used to build a PPR prediction model. Using feature selection methods, eight sets of features were selected: bio3, bio10, bio15, bio18, prec7, prec8, prec12, and alt for modeling. Then different machine learning algorithms were used to build models, among which the random forest (RF) algorithm was found to have the best modeling effect. The ACC value of prediction accuracy for the model on the training set can reach 99.10%, while the ACC on the test sets was 99.10%. Therefore, RF algorithms and eight features were finally selected to build the model in order to build the online prediction system. In addition, we adopt single-factor modeling and correlation analysis of modeling variables to explore the impact of each variable on modeling results. It was found that bio18 (the warmest quarterly precipitation), prec7 (the precipitation in July), and prec8 (the precipitation in August) contributed significantly to the model, and the outbreak of the epidemic may have an important relationship with precipitation. Eventually, we used the final qualitative prediction model to establish a global online prediction system for the PPR epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bing Niu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruirui Liang
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangya Zhou
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Technical Center for Animal, Plant and Food Inspection and Quarantine of Shanghai Customs, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Su
- Guangxi Institute for Food and Drug Control, Nanning, China.,National Engineering Laboratory of Southwest Endangered Medicinal Resources Development, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, China
| | | | - Qin Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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Cheilospirura hamulosa in the Rock Partridge (Alectoris graeca saxatilis): Epidemiological Patterns and Prediction of Parasite Distribution in France. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12120484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The rock partridge (Alectoris graeca saxatilis) is an alpine Galliform with high conservation value. Several factors, including parasitic helminths, play a role in population dynamics, and consequently in the conservation management of wild Galliformes. The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiological characteristics of Cheilospirura hamulosa (Nematoda, Acuarioidea) in the Rock partridge population in France. Machine learning modeling algorithms were applied to identify the environmental variables influencing parasite occurrence, and to map parasite presence probability. The present work is based on a long-term sampling (1987–2019) conducted in the French Alps. C. hamulosa was found with a prevalence (P) of 39% (Confidence Interval—CI 95%: 34–43), and mean intensity of 7.7 (7.8 sd). The highest prevalence (P: 67%, CI 95%: 54–80) was detected in the period 2005–2009. Latitude was the most important variable shaping the parasite distribution, followed by altitude, annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, and the amount of precipitation of the coldest quarter. The area suitable for parasite presence included 73% of the French Alps. This work represents the first epidemiological surveillance on C. hamulosa infection in the rock partridge. It provides evidence of a high level of infection and identifies priority areas at higher infection risk, where a close monitoring of the rock partridge populations should be carried out.
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14
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Fecchio A, Ribeiro RM, Ferreira FC, de Angeli Dutra D, Tolesano-Pascoli G, Alquezar RD, Khan AU, Pichorim M, Moreira PA, Costa-Nascimento MJ, Monteiro EF, Mathias BS, Guimarães LO, Simões RF, Braga ÉM, Kirchgatter K, Dias RI. Higher infection probability of haemosporidian parasites in Blue-black Grassquits (Volatinia jacarina) inhabiting native vegetation across Brazil. Parasitol Int 2020; 80:102204. [PMID: 33045411 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Human induced changes on landscape can alter the biotic and abiotic factors that influence the transmission of vector-borne parasites. To examine how infection rates of vector-transmitted parasites respond to changes on natural landscapes, we captured 330 Blue-black Grassquits (Volatinia jacarina) in Brazilian biomes and assessed the prevalence and diversity of avian haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) across avian host populations inhabiting environment under different disturbance and climatic conditions. Overall prevalence in Blue-black Grassquits was low (11%) and infection rates exhibited considerable spatial variation, ranging from zero to 39%. Based on genetic divergence of cytochrome b gene, we found two lineages of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus) and 10 of Plasmodium. We showed that Blue-black Grassquit populations inhabiting sites with higher proportion of native vegetation cover were more infected across Brazil. Other landscape metrics (number of water bodies and distance to urban areas) and climatic condition (temperature and precipitation) known to influence vector activity and promote avian malaria transmission did not explain infection probability in Blue-black Grassquit populations. Moreover, breeding season did not explain prevalence across avian host populations. Our findings suggest that avian haemosporidian prevalence and diversity in Blue-black Grassquit populations are determined by recent anthropogenic changes in vegetation cover that may alter microclimate, thus influencing vector activity and parasite transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
| | - Rayanne M Ribeiro
- Faculdade de Ciências da Educação e Saúde, Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Francisco C Ferreira
- Center for Conservation Genomics, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA; Center for Vector Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA; Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Daniela de Angeli Dutra
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Graziela Tolesano-Pascoli
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília 70910-900, DF, Brazil
| | - Renata D Alquezar
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília 70919-970, DF, Brazil
| | - Asmat U Khan
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil; Department of Zoology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University, Sheringal, Dir (Upper) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
| | - Mauro Pichorim
- Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Patrícia A Moreira
- Departamento de Biodiversidade, Evolução e Meio Ambiente, Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Eliana F Monteiro
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias/IMT-USP, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Bruno S Mathias
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias/IMT-USP, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Lilian O Guimarães
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias/IMT-USP, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Roseli F Simões
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias/IMT-USP, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Érika M Braga
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Superintendência de Controle de Endemias/IMT-USP, São Paulo, SP 05403-000, Brazil
| | - Raphael I Dias
- Faculdade de Ciências da Educação e Saúde, Centro Universitário de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil; Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil
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15
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Hernández-Lara C, Carbó-Ramírez P, Santiago-Alarcon D. Effects of land use change (rural-urban) on the diversity and epizootiological parameters of avian Haemosporida in a widespread neotropical bird. Acta Trop 2020; 209:105542. [PMID: 32470331 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Transformation of natural environments for livestock, agriculture and human settlements modifies the diversity of organisms, usually decreasing in highly disturbed land uses. Like their hosts, parasites have to adapt to novel human impacted landscapes, in which the abiotic and biotic conditions are radically different from those of conserved natural environments. We evaluated the diversity (alpha and beta taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity) of haemosporidians (mtDNA cyt b lineages) in the common chlorospingus (Chlorospingus flavopectus) at five land use types. We further analyzed the response of prevalence, parasitaemia and parasite aggregation to land use types and seasonality. Parasite lineage richness (i.e., haplotypes) and abundance (no. infected hosts) decreased with disturbance. Parasite assemblages were commonly dominated by either one of two lineages, one dominant in the urban greenspace (pBAEBIC02) and the other dominant in well-preserved mountain cloud forest (hCHLFLA01). Beta diversity was mainly explained by lineage turnover. Phylo beta diversity was low (i.e., lineages are closely related). Overall prevalence increased in wet season that coincides with host's breeding season. Haemoproteus and Plasmodium prevalence presented the opposite response to urbanization (negative and positive, respectively). Parasitaemia presented similar values across land uses for both genera and seasons, while Plasmodium aggregation decreased with urbanization. Thus, some parasite lineages (pBAEBIC02) will benefit from the urbanization process, while others will entirely disappear from cities (hCHLFLA01).
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Hernández-Lara
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Pilar Carbó-Ramírez
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya. Xalapa, Veracruz, México
| | - Diego Santiago-Alarcon
- Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec 351, El Haya. Xalapa, Veracruz, México.
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16
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Physiological and morphological correlates of blood parasite infection in urban and non-urban house sparrow populations. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237170. [PMID: 32813710 PMCID: PMC7437892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, house sparrow populations have shown a general decline, especially in cities. Avian malaria has been recently suggested as one of the potential causes of this decline, and its detrimental effects could be exacerbated in urban habitats. It was initially thought that avian malaria parasites would not have large negative effects on wild birds because of their long co-evolution with their hosts. However, it is now well-documented that they can have detrimental effects at both the primo- and chronical infection stages. In this study, we examined avian malaria infection and its physiological and morphological consequences in four populations of wild house sparrows (2 urban and 2 rural). We did not find any relationship between the proportions of infected individuals and the urbanisation score calculated for our populations. However, we observed that the proportion of infected individuals increased during the course of the season, and that juveniles were less infected than adults. We did not detect a strong effect of malaria infection on physiological, morphological and condition indexes. Complex parasite dynamics and the presence of confounding factors could have masked the potential effects of infection. Thus, longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to understand the evolutionary ecology of this very common, but still poorly understood, wild bird parasite.
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17
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Clark NJ, Drovetski SV, Voelker G. Robust geographical determinants of infection prevalence and a contrasting latitudinal diversity gradient for haemosporidian parasites in Western Palearctic birds. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3131-3143. [PMID: 32652721 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Identifying robust environmental predictors of infection probability is central to forecasting and mitigating the ongoing impacts of climate change on vector-borne disease threats. We applied phylogenetic hierarchical models to a data set of 2,171 Western Palearctic individual birds from 47 species to determine how climate and landscape variation influence infection probability for three genera of haemosporidian blood parasites (Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Plasmodium). Our comparative models found compelling evidence that birds in areas with higher vegetation density (captured by the normalized difference vegetation index [NDVI]) had higher likelihoods of carrying parasite infection. Magnitudes of this relationship were remarkably similar across parasite genera considering that these parasites use different arthropod vectors and are widely presumed to be epidemiologically distinct. However, we also uncovered key differences among genera that highlighted complexities in their climate responses. In particular, prevalences of Haemoproteus and Plasmodium showed strong but contrasting relationships with winter temperatures, supporting mounting evidence that winter warming is a key environmental filter impacting the dynamics of host-parasite interactions. Parasite phylogenetic community diversities demonstrated a clear but contrasting latitudinal gradient, with Haemoproteus diversity increasing towards the equator and Leucocytozoon diversity increasing towards the poles. Haemoproteus diversity also increased in regions with higher vegetation density, supporting our evidence that summer vegetation density is important for structuring the distributions of these parasites. Ongoing variation in winter temperatures and vegetation characteristics will probably have far-reaching consequences for the transmission and spread of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Clark
- UQ Spatial Epidemiology Laboratory, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sergei V Drovetski
- US Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, Beltsville, MD, USA
| | - Gary Voelker
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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18
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Cuevas E, Vianna JA, Botero-Delgadillo E, Doussang D, González-Acuña D, Barroso O, Rozzi R, Vásquez RA, Quirici V. Latitudinal gradients of haemosporidian parasites: Prevalence, diversity and drivers of infection in the Thorn-tailed Rayadito ( Aphrastura spinicauda). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2020; 11:1-11. [PMID: 31879589 PMCID: PMC6920315 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Latitudinal gradients are well-suited systems that may be helpful explaining distribution of haemosporidian parasites and host susceptibility. We studied the prevalence, diversity and drivers of haemosporidian parasites (Leucocytozoon, Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) along a latitudinal gradient (30°-56° S), that encompass the total distribution (~3,000 km) of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito (Aphrastura spinicauda) in the South American temperate forests from Chile. We analyzed 516 individuals from 18 localities between 2010 and 2017 and observed an overall prevalence of 28.3% for haemosporidian parasites. Leucocytozoon was the most prevalent parasite (25.8%). We recorded 19 distinct lineages (13 for Leucocytozoon, five for Plasmodium, and one for Haemoproteus). Differences in haemosporidian prevalence and diversity by genus and type of habitat were observed in the latitudinal gradient. Further, we support the existence of a latitudinal associate distribution of Leucocytozoids in South America, where prevalence and diversity increase toward higher latitudes. Distribution of Leucocytozoon was associated with sub-antarctic habitat (higher latitude) and explained by cold temperature and high precipitation. On the other hand, we lacked to find a latitudinal associate pattern for Plasmodium and Haemoproteus, however low prevalence and high diversity were recorded in areas considered as a hotspot of biodiversity in Central Chile. Our findings confirmed the importance of habitat and climatic variables explaining prevalence, diversity and distribution of haemosporidian parasites in a huge latitudinal gradient, belonging the distribution of the Thorn-tailed Rayadito in the world's southernmost forests ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elfego Cuevas
- Programa de Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad (CIS), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juliana A. Vianna
- Departamento de Ecosistemas y Medio Ambiente, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Esteban Botero-Delgadillo
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- SELVA: Research for Conservation in the Neotropics, Bogotá, Colombia
- Department of Behavioral Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Plank Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Daniela Doussang
- Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Viña Del Mar, Chile
| | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Omar Barroso
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Parque Etnobotánico Omora, Universidad de Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Ricardo Rozzi
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Parque Etnobotánico Omora, Universidad de Magallanes, Puerto Williams, Chile
| | - Rodrigo A. Vásquez
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Verónica Quirici
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad (CIS), Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Ecología y Biodiversidad, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
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19
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Liang R, Lu Y, Qu X, Su Q, Li C, Xia S, Liu Y, Zhang Q, Cao X, Chen Q, Niu B. Prediction for global African swine fever outbreaks based on a combination of random forest algorithms and meteorological data. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 67:935-946. [PMID: 31738013 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a virulent infectious disease of pigs. As there is no effective vaccine and treatment method at present, it poses a great threat to the pig industry once it breaks out. In this paper, we used ASF outbreak data and the WorldClim database meteorological data and selected the CfsSubset Evaluator-Best First feature selection method combined with the random forest algorithms to construct an African swine fever outbreak prediction model. Subsequently, we also established a test set for data other than modelling, and the accuracy accuracy value range of the model on the independent test set was 76.02%-84.64%, which indicated that the modelling effect was better and the prediction accuracy was higher than previous estimates. In addition, logistic regression analysis was conducted on 12 features used for modelling and the ROC curves were drawn. The results showed that the bio14 features (precipitation of driest month) had the largest contribution to the outbreak of ASF, and it was speculated that the outbreak of the epidemic was significantly related to precipitation. Finally, we used this qualitative prediction model to build a global online prediction system for ASF outbreaks, in the hope that this study will help to decision-makers who can then take the relevant prevention and control measures in order to prevent the further spread of future epidemics of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruirui Liang
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yi Lu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaosheng Qu
- National Engineering Laboratory of Southwest Endangered Medicinal Resources Development, Guangxi Botanical Garden of Medicinal Plants, Nanning, China
| | - Qiang Su
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China.,Computing Center of Guangxi, Nanning, China.,Guangxi Institute for Food and Drug Control, Nanning, China
| | - Chunxia Li
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Sijing Xia
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yongxin Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Technical Center For Animal, Plant and Food Inspection and Quarantine of Shanghai Customs, Shanghai, China
| | - Xin Cao
- Institute of Clinical Science, Shanghai Medical College, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Niu
- School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
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20
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Fecchio A, Bell JA, Bosholn M, Vaughan JA, Tkach VV, Lutz HL, Cueto VR, Gorosito CA, González-Acuña D, Stromlund C, Kvasager D, Comiche KJM, Kirchgatter K, Pinho JB, Berv J, Anciães M, Fontana CS, Zyskowski K, Sampaio S, Dispoto JH, Galen SC, Weckstein JD, Clark NJ. An inverse latitudinal gradient in infection probability and phylogenetic diversity for Leucocytozoon blood parasites in New World birds. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:423-435. [PMID: 31571223 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Geographic variation in environmental conditions as well as host traits that promote parasite transmission may impact infection rates and community assembly of vector-transmitted parasites. Identifying the ecological, environmental and historical determinants of parasite distributions and diversity is therefore necessary to understand disease outbreaks under changing environments. Here, we identified the predictors and contributions of infection probability and phylogenetic diversity of Leucocytozoon (an avian blood parasite) at site and species levels across the New World. To explore spatial patterns in infection probability and lineage diversity for Leucocytozoon parasites, we surveyed 69 bird communities from Alaska to Patagonia. Using phylogenetic Bayesian hierarchical models and high-resolution satellite remote-sensing data, we determined the relative influence of climate, landscape, geography and host phylogeny on regional parasite community assembly. Infection rates and parasite diversity exhibited considerable variation across regions in the Americas. In opposition to the latitudinal gradient hypothesis, both the diversity and prevalence of Leucocytozoon parasites decreased towards the equator. Host relatedness and traits known to promote vector exposure neither predicted infection probability nor parasite diversity. Instead, the probability of a bird being infected with Leucocytozoon increased with increasing vegetation cover (NDVI) and moisture levels (NDWI), whereas the diversity of parasite lineages decreased with increasing NDVI. Infection rates and parasite diversity also tended to be higher in cooler regions and higher latitudes. Whereas temperature partially constrains Leucocytozoon diversity and infection rates, landscape features, such as vegetation cover and water body availability, play a significant role in modulating the probability of a bird being infected. This suggests that, for Leucocytozoon, the barriers to host shifting and parasite host range expansion are jointly determined by environmental filtering and landscape, but not by host phylogeny. Our results show that integrating host traits, host ancestry, bioclimatic data and microhabitat characteristics that are important for vector reproduction are imperative to understand and predict infection prevalence and diversity of vector-transmitted parasites. Unlike other vector-transmitted diseases, our results show that Leucocytozoon diversity and prevalence will likely decrease with warming temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Mariane Bosholn
- Laboratório de Biologia Evolutiva e Comportamento Animal, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
| | | | - Vasyl V Tkach
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Holly L Lutz
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Victor R Cueto
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP), CONICET - Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel, Argentina
| | - Cristian A Gorosito
- Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP), CONICET - Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel, Argentina
| | - Daniel González-Acuña
- Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile
| | - Chad Stromlund
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Danielle Kvasager
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Kiba J M Comiche
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karin Kirchgatter
- Núcleo de Estudos em Malária, Superintendência de Controle de Endemias, Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - João B Pinho
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Aves, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Jacob Berv
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Marina Anciães
- Laboratório de Biologia Evolutiva e Comportamento Animal, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Brazil
| | - Carla S Fontana
- Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia e Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Evolução da Biodiversidade, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Kristof Zyskowski
- Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sidnei Sampaio
- Laboratório de Evolução e Biogeografia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, Brazil
| | - Janice H Dispoto
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Spencer C Galen
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicholas J Clark
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, Australia
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21
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Gil-Vargas DL, Sedano-Cruz RE. Genetic variation of avian malaria in the tropical Andes: a relationship with the spatial distribution of hosts. Malar J 2019; 18:129. [PMID: 30971233 PMCID: PMC6458820 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2699-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Avian haemosporidia are obligate blood parasites with an ample range of hosts worldwide. To understand how host communities may influence the diversity of parasites of the neotropics, the spatial genetic variation of avian Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon was examined between areas of host endemism and along the elevational gradient in the tropical Andes. METHODS A total of 1686 accessions of the cytochrome b gene of avian haemosporidia were selected from 43 publications, that further provides additional information on 14.2% of bird species in the Neotropics. Haplotype groups were identified using a similarity-based clustering of sequences using a cut-off level ≥ 99.3% of sequence identity. Phylogenetic-based analyses were implemented to examine the spatial genetic structure of avian haemosporidia among areas of host endemism and the elevation gradient in the tropical Andes. RESULTS The areas of avian endemism, including the tropical Andes, can explain the differential distribution of the haemosporidia cytochrome b gene variation. In the tropical Andes region, the total number of avian haemosporidia haplotypes follows a unimodal pattern that peaks at mid-elevation between 2000 and 2500 m above sea level. Furthermore, the haplotype assemblages of obligate blood parasites tend to overlap towards mid-elevation, where avian host diversity tends to be maximized. CONCLUSIONS Spatial analyses revealed that richness and turnover in haemosporidia suggest an association with montane host diversity, according to elevation in the tropical Andes. In addition, the spatial distribution of haemosporidia diversity is closely associated with patterns of host assemblages over large geographical scale in the tropical Andes and areas of avian endemism nearby.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Lorena Gil-Vargas
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Animal, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 No 100-00, Edif. E20, Room 3120, Cali, Colombia
| | - Raul Ernesto Sedano-Cruz
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecología Animal, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Calle 13 No 100-00, Edif. E20, Room 3120, Cali, Colombia.
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecofisiología, Evolución y Biogeografía, Departamento de Biología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.
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22
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Delhey K. A review of Gloger's rule, an ecogeographical rule of colour: definitions, interpretations and evidence. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1294-1316. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological SciencesMonash University 25 Rainforest Walk, 3800 Clayton Victoria Australia
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23
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Santiago-Alarcon D, MacGregor-Fors I, Falfán I, Lüdtke B, Segelbacher G, Schaefer HM, Renner S. Parasites in space and time: a case study of haemosporidian spatiotemporal prevalence in urban birds. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:235-246. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Villar Couto CM, Cumming GS, Lacorte GA, Congrains C, Izbicki R, Braga EM, Rocha CD, Moralez-Silva E, Henry DAW, Manu SA, Abalaka J, Regalla A, da Silva AS, Diop MS, Del Lama SN. Avian haemosporidians in the cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis) from central-western and southern Africa: High diversity and prevalence. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212425. [PMID: 30794584 PMCID: PMC6386389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
We described the geographic distribution of 82 haemosporidian lineages (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) in the cattle egret sampled in five countries in central-western and southern Africa. Seventy-three lineages have not previously been reported. We determined the prevalence of three haemosporidians in the samples. We investigated the influence of the internal environment of the host and environmental variables on the Plasmodium diversity and whether environmental variables may explain spatial variations in the prevalence of Plasmodium. We screened DNA from 509 blood samples from nestlings in 15 African colonies for infection by sequencing the cytochrome b gene of parasites. The molecular phylogenetic analysis was performed using Bayesian methods and including sequences from the MalAvi and GeneBank databases. We found 62 new Plasmodium lineages in a clade with MYCAME02, which is a lineage described in waterbirds and recently identified in birds of prey as Plasmodium paranucleophilum. Two Haemoproteus lineages identified in cattle egret formed a distinct group with Haemoproteus catharti and MYCAMH1 (Haemoproteus spp.). Seven Leucocytozoon lineages found in the cattle egret clustered with Leucocytozoon californicus. We found different Plasmodium diversities among the colonies sampled, demonstrating that the internal environment of the host is not the primary determinant of diversity. A linear mixed-effects multivariate model showed that precipitation was positively associated with Plasmodium diversity when controlling for the effects of temperature, colony composition (mixed and non-mixed species) and country. Moreover, a generalized mixed model showed that temperature was positively associated with the prevalence of Plasmodium when controlling for precipitation, elevation and country. We conclude that the cattle egret is a good model for future haemosporidian studies, as we found a significant number of new lineages in this host, which occupies regions with different climate characteristics where environmental variables exert an influence on the diversity and prevalence of Plasmodium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M. Villar Couto
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde,Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Graeme S. Cumming
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Gustavo A. Lacorte
- Departamento de Ciências e Linguagens, Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais, Bambuí, MG, Brazil
| | - Carlos Congrains
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde,Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael Izbicki
- Departamento de Estatística, Centro de Ciências Exatas e Tecnológicas,Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Erika Martins Braga
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Cristiano D. Rocha
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde,Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Emmanuel Moralez-Silva
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde,Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Dominic A. W. Henry
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shiiwua A. Manu
- A.P Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Laminga, Jos, Nigeria
| | - Jacinta Abalaka
- A.P Leventis Ornithological Research Institute, Laminga, Jos, Nigeria
| | - Aissa Regalla
- Instituto da Biodiversidade e das Áreas Protegidas (IBAP), Bissau, Rep. da Guiné-Bissau
| | | | | | - Silvia N. Del Lama
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde,Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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25
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Harvey JA, Voelker G. Host associations and climate influence avian haemosporidian distributions in Benin. Int J Parasitol 2019; 49:27-36. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2018.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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26
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Ramasindrazana B, Goodman SM, Dsouli N, Gomard Y, Lagadec E, Randrianarivelojosia M, Dellagi K, Tortosa P. Polychromophilus spp. (Haemosporida) in Malagasy bats: host specificity and insights on invertebrate vectors. Malar J 2018; 17:318. [PMID: 30170583 PMCID: PMC6119311 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-018-2461-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Bats are home to diverse haemosporidian parasites namely Plasmodium and Plasmodium-related. While information is available at a worldwide level, haemosporidian infection in bats from Madagascar is still scarce and recent changes in the taxonomy of the island’s bat fauna, particularly the description of several new species, require a reassessment of previously described patterns, including blood parasite ecology and vectorial transmission. Methods A sample representing seven of the nine known bat families and 31 of the 46 currently recognized taxa from Madagascar and collected in the western and central portions of the island were screened by PCR for the presence of Polychromophilus. In addition, Nycteribiidae flies parasitizing Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae were screened for parasites with the aim to better understand aspects of vector transmission. Phylogenetic reconstruction using the mitochondrial cytochrome b encoding gene was used in a Bayesian analysis to examine the relationship between Polychromophilus recovered from Malagasy bats and those identified elsewhere. Results Polychromophilus infection was restricted to Miniopterus spp. (Miniopteridae), Myotis goudoti (Vespertilionidae), and Paratriaenops furculus (Rhinonycteridae), with an overall infection rate of 13.5%. Polychromophilus melanipherus was found infecting Miniopterus spp. and P. furculus, whereas Polychromophilus murinus was only recovered from M. goudoti. These two protozoan parasites species were also detected in bat flies species known to parasitize Miniopterus spp. and M. goudoti, respectively. Generalized linear model analyses were conducted to elucidate the effect of species and sex on haemoparasites infection in Miniopterus spp., which revealed that males have higher risk of infection than females and prevalence differed according to the considered Miniopterus host. Molecular screening of nycteribiid flies revealed three positive species for Polychromophilus spp., including Penicillidia sp. (cf. fulvida), Penicillidia leptothrinax, and Nycteribia stylidiopsis. These three fly species are known to parasitize Miniopterus spp. and M. goudoti and should be considered as potential vectors of Polychromophilus spp. Conclusion Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated the existence of at least four distinct clades within the genus Polychromophilus, two of which were documented in the present study. The screening of nycteribiid flies overlaid on the highly diversified genus Miniopterus, provides considerable insight into parasite transmission, with bat infection being associated with their roosting behaviour and the occurrence of specific arthropod vectors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12936-018-2461-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beza Ramasindrazana
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France. .,Association Vahatra, BP 3972, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar. .,Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.
| | - Steven M Goodman
- Association Vahatra, BP 3972, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,The Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Najla Dsouli
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Yann Gomard
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Erwan Lagadec
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
| | - Milijaona Randrianarivelojosia
- Institut Pasteur de Madagascar, BP 1274, Ambatofotsikely, 101, Antananarivo, Madagascar.,Faculté des Sciences, Université de Toliara, 601, Toliara, Madagascar
| | - Koussay Dellagi
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France.,Institut Pasteur (International Division), 25-28 Rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France
| | - Pablo Tortosa
- UMR PIMIT "Processus Infectieux en Milieu Insulaire Tropical", INSERM 1187, CNRS 9192, IRD 249, Plateforme de Recherche CYROI, Université de La Réunion, 97490, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion, France
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Chahad-Ehlers S, Fushita AT, Lacorte GA, Assis PCPD, Del Lama SN. Effects of habitat suitability for vectors, environmental factors and host characteristics on the spatial distribution of the diversity and prevalence of haemosporidians in waterbirds from three Brazilian wetlands. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:276. [PMID: 29716645 PMCID: PMC5930942 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-2847-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Wetlands are ecosystems in which vectors of avian haemosporidians live and reproduce and where waterbirds join to breed in colonies. Brazil has wetlands at different latitudes, which enables testing the influence of the ecological factors on the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidians. We identified avian haemosporidians in waterbird species in three wetlands and investigated the effects of vector habitat suitability, landscape and host characteristics on the diversity and prevalence of these parasites. Methods We created a map with the probability of occurrence of avian haemosporidian vectors using maximum-entropy modelling based on references addressing species known to be vectors of haemosporidians in birds in Brazil. We determined the prevalence and diversity index of haemosporidians in the great egret (Ardea alba) (n = 129) and roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja) (n = 180) and compared the findings to data for the wood stork (Mycteria americana) (n = 199). Results We report the first record of Plasmodium in the family Threskiornithidae: four lineages in the roseate spoonbill, which also presented one lineage of Haemoproteus. In the family Ardeidae, we found three Plasmodium lineages in the great egret. The similar habitat suitability for vectors found in three wetlands explains the pattern of haemosporidian diversity determined for great egret and wood stork populations. Comparisons of haemosporidian diversity within each waterbird species and between regions showed a higher level in the central-western roseate spoonbill population than in the northern population (P = 0.021). Removing the host effect, we discussed the results obtained in terms of characteristics of the Pantanal region. Comparisons of Plasmodium spp. prevalence among waterbird species within the same wetland showed higher level in roseate spoonbill (74%) than those found in the great egret (21%) and wood stork (11%). Excluding the environmental effect, we interpreted result focusing host characteristics that favour infection: time required for nestlings to be covered by feathers and migratory behaviour. Conclusions The map of habitat suitability showed that wetlands located in a 30° latitudinal range offer similar conditions for avian vectors species and diversity of haemosporidians. The lineages described in waterbirds were previously identified in birds of prey as Plasmodium paranucleophilum. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2847-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samira Chahad-Ehlers
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235 SP-310, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Angela Terumi Fushita
- Centro de Engenharia, Modelagem e Ciências Aplicadas Universidade Federal do ABC, Avenida dos Estados 5001, Santo André, São Paulo, 09210-580, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Augusto Lacorte
- Laboratório Biologia Molecular, Instituto Federal de Minas Gerais, Bambuí, Fazenda Varginha, Rodovia Bambuí - Medeiros, km 5, Bambuí, Minas Gerais, 38900-000, Brazil
| | - Pamela Carla Pereira de Assis
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235 SP-310, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Silvia Nassif Del Lama
- Departamento de Genética e Evolução, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Rodovia Washington Luís, km 235 SP-310, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil.
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Clark NJ, Clegg SM, Sam K, Goulding W, Koane B, Wells K. Climate, host phylogeny and the connectivity of host communities govern regional parasite assembly. DIVERS DISTRIB 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Clark
- School of Veterinary Science; University of Queensland; Gatton Qld Australia
| | - Sonya M. Clegg
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
| | - Katerina Sam
- Biology Centre CAS; Faculty of Science; Institute of Entomology and University of South Bohemia; Branisovska Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
| | - William Goulding
- The Landscape Ecology and Conservation Group; School of Earth and Environmental Science; University of Queensland; St Lucia Qld Australia
- Biodiversity and Geosciences Program; Queensland Museum; South Brisbane Qld Australia
| | - Bonny Koane
- The New Guinea Binatang Research Centre; Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Konstans Wells
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; School of Environment; Griffith University; Nathan Qld Australia
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29
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Illera JC, López G, García-Padilla L, Moreno Á. Factors governing the prevalence and richness of avian haemosporidian communities within and between temperate mountains. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0184587. [PMID: 28880919 PMCID: PMC5589241 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mountains are well-suited systems to disentangle the factors driving distribution of parasites due to their heterogeneity of climatic and habitat conditions. However, the information about the relative importance of environmental factors governing the distribution of avian haemosporidians on temperate mountains is very limited. The main goal of the present study is to identify the factors determining prevalence and richness in avian haemosporidians (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon) at the community level along elevational gradients on two mountain ranges located around the northern and southern limits of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain). We used samples from 68 avian species and 1,460 breeding individuals caught over widespread woodland and open habitats. Our findings confirmed the importance of climatic variables explaining prevalence and richness on Iberian mountains. However, landscape variables and other factors named host richness and migration behaviour explained more variation than climatic ones. Plasmodium genus preferred open and warm habitats. Water sources were also important for the southern but not for the northern mountain. Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon showed affinities for woodland areas. Climatic conditions for Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon were dependent on the mountain range suggesting some adaptation of avian haemosporidian and their invertebrate vectors to the climatic particularities of both mountain massifs. In contrast to Plasmodium and Haemoproteus genera, Leucocytozoon prevalence and richness values were significantly higher in the southern mountain range. Overall, our findings at the community level has enriched the relative weight and effect direction of environmental factors governing the distribution and prevalence of the avian haemosporidian community. Also, our results provide a caution message about the precision of predictive models on parasite distributions based on climatic variables, since such predictions could overestimate the effect of climate change scenarios on the transmission of the haemosporidians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Carlos Illera
- Research Unit of Biodiversity, Oviedo University, Mieres, Asturias, Spain
- * E-mail: ,
| | | | | | - Ángel Moreno
- Vice Council Environm, Serv. Environm. Impact, Las Palmas Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
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30
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Zhen Y, Harrigan RJ, Ruegg KC, Anderson EC, Ng TC, Lao S, Lohmueller KE, Smith TB. Genomic divergence across ecological gradients in the Central African rainforest songbird (Andropadus virens). Mol Ecol 2017; 26:4966-4977. [PMID: 28752944 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The little greenbul, a common rainforest passerine from sub-Saharan Africa, has been the subject of long-term evolutionary studies to understand the mechanisms leading to rainforest speciation. Previous research found morphological and behavioural divergence across rainforest-savannah transition zones (ecotones), and a pattern of divergence with gene flow suggesting divergent natural selection has contributed to adaptive divergence and ecotones could be important areas for rainforests speciation. Recent advances in genomics and environmental modelling make it possible to examine patterns of genetic divergence in a more comprehensive fashion. To assess the extent to which natural selection may drive patterns of differentiation, here we investigate patterns of genomic differentiation among populations across environmental gradients and regions. We find compelling evidence that individuals form discrete genetic clusters corresponding to distinctive environmental characteristics and habitat types. Pairwise FST between populations in different habitats is significantly higher than within habitats, and this differentiation is greater than what is expected from geographic distance alone. Moreover, we identified 140 SNPs that showed extreme differentiation among populations through a genomewide selection scan. These outliers were significantly enriched in exonic and coding regions, suggesting their functional importance. Environmental association analysis of SNP variation indicates that several environmental variables, including temperature and elevation, play important roles in driving the pattern of genomic diversification. Results lend important new genomic evidence for environmental gradients being important in population differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Zhen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kristen C Ruegg
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Eric C Anderson
- Fisheries Ecology Division, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Thomas C Ng
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Sirena Lao
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kirk E Lohmueller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Thomas B Smith
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Center for Tropical Research, Institute of Environment and Sustainability, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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31
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Prevalence and genetic diversity of blood parasite mixed infections in Spanish terrapins, Mauremys leprosa. Parasitology 2017. [PMID: 28641604 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182017000889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Blood parasites such as haemogregarines and haemosporidians have been identified in almost all groups of vertebrates and may cause serious damages to their hosts. However, very little is known about biodiversity of these parasites and their effects on some groups of reptiles such as terrapins. Moreover, the information on virulence from blood parasites mixed infection is largely unknown in reptiles. With this aim, we investigated for the first time the prevalence and genetic diversity of blood parasites from one genus of haemoparasitic aplicomplexan (Hepatozoon) in two populations of Spanish terrapins (Mauremys leprosa), a semi-aquatic turtle from southwestern Europe with a vulnerable conservation status. We also examined the association between mixed blood parasite infection and indicators of health of terrapins (body condition, haematocrit values and immune response). Blood parasite infection with Hepatozoon spp was detected in 46·4% of 140 examined terrapins. The prevalence of blood parasites infection differed between populations. We found two different lineages of blood parasite, which have not been found in previous studies. Of the turtles with infection, 5·7% harboured mixed infection by the two lineages. There was no difference in body condition between uninfected, single-infected and mixed-infected turtles, but mixed-infected individuals had the lowest values of haematocrit, thus revealing the negative effects of blood parasite mixed infections. Immune response varied among terrapins with different infection status, where mixed infected individuals had higher immune response than uninfected or single-infected terrapins.
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Clark NJ, Clegg SM. Integrating phylogenetic and ecological distances reveals new insights into parasite host specificity. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:3074-3086. [PMID: 28295937 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The range of hosts a pathogen infects (host specificity) is a key element of disease risk that may be influenced by both shared phylogenetic history and shared ecological attributes of prospective hosts. Phylospecificity indices quantify host specificity in terms of host relatedness, but can fail to capture ecological attributes that increase susceptibility. For instance, similarity in habitat niche may expose phylogenetically unrelated host species to similar pathogen assemblages. Using a recently proposed method that integrates multiple distances, we assess the relative contributions of host phylogenetic and functional distances to pathogen host specificity (functional-phylogenetic host specificity). We apply this index to a data set of avian malaria parasite (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus spp.) infections from Melanesian birds to show that multihost parasites generally use hosts that are closely related, not hosts with similar habitat niches. We also show that host community phylogenetic ß-diversity (Pßd) predicts parasite Pßd and that individual host species carry phylogenetically clustered Haemoproteus parasite assemblages. Our findings were robust to phylogenetic uncertainty, and suggest that phylogenetic ancestry of both hosts and parasites plays important roles in driving avian malaria host specificity and community assembly. However, restricting host specificity analyses to either recent or historical timescales identified notable exceptions, including a 'habitat specialist' parasite that infects a diversity of unrelated host species with similar habitat niches. This work highlights that integrating ecological and phylogenetic distances provides a powerful approach to better understand drivers of pathogen host specificity and community assembly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Clark
- School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, 4343, Australia.,Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Qld, 4111, Australia
| | - Sonya M Clegg
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
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33
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Factors affecting the distribution of haemosporidian parasites within an oceanic island. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:225-235. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2016] [Revised: 11/28/2016] [Accepted: 11/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Deforestation does not affect the prevalence of a common trypanosome in African birds. Acta Trop 2016; 162:222-228. [PMID: 27421797 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In spite of numerous reports of avian Trypanosoma spp. in birds throughout the world, patterns of the distribution and prevalence of these blood parasites remains insufficiently understood. It is clear that spatial heterogeneity influences parameters of parasite distributions in natural populations, but data regarding avian trypanosomes are scarce. Using microscopy and molecular diagnostic methods, we analysed the variation of prevalence of avian Trypanosoma parasites in two widespread African bird species, the yellow-whiskered greenbul Andropadus latirostris and the olive sunbird Cyanomitra olivacea. In all, 353 birds were captured in pristine forests and agroforest sites in Cameroon and Ghana. Overall, the prevalence of avian trypanosomes was 51.3%. Five morphospecies were reported (Trypanosoma everetti, T. anguiformis, T. avium, T. naviformis, T. ontarioensis). Trypanosoma everetti predominated, representing 98% of all Trypanosoma spp. reports, and it was present in both avian hosts. The prevalence of T. everetti was significantly less in the yellow-whiskered greenbul (19%) than olive sunbird (83%), and the same pattern of prevalence was reported in these avian hosts at different study sites. We found no interaction between sites and the prevalence of T. everetti. For both avian hosts, the prevalence did not differ significantly between pristine forests and agroforests. This indicates the same pattern of transmission at sites with different levels of deforestation and suggests that spatial heterogeneity related to deforestation does not affect the prevalence of avian Trypanosoma infections. It is likely that host-related factors, but not environmental conditions favour or reduce these parasite infections in forests of sub-Saharan Africa. Microscopic and PCR-based diagnostics showed the same sensitivity in diagnostics of T. everetti. We discuss the implications of these findings for the epidemiology of avian trypanosomiasis in natural populations.
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Ganser C, Gregory AJ, McNew LB, Hunt LA, Sandercock BK, Wisely SM. Fine-scale distribution modeling of avian malaria vectors in north-central Kansas. JOURNAL OF VECTOR ECOLOGY : JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR VECTOR ECOLOGY 2016; 41:114-122. [PMID: 27232133 DOI: 10.1111/jvec.12202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases increasingly play a role in the decline of wildlife populations. Vector-borne diseases, in particular, have been implicated in mass mortality events and localized population declines are threatening some species with extinction. Transmission patterns for vector-borne diseases are influenced by the spatial distribution of vectors and are therefore not uniform across the landscape. Avian malaria is a globally distributed vector-borne disease that has been shown to affect endemic bird populations of North America. We evaluated shared habitat use between avian malaria vectors, mosquitoes in the genus Culex and a native grassland bird, the Greater Prairie-Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido), by (1) modeling the distribution of Culex spp. occurrence across the Smoky Hills of north-central Kansas using detection data and habitat variables, (2) assessing the occurrence of these vectors at nests of female Greater Prairie-Chickens, and (3) evaluating if shared habitat use between vectors and hosts is correlated with malarial infection status of the Greater Prairie-Chicken. Our results indicate that Culex occurrence increased at nest locations compared to other available but unoccupied grassland habitats; however the shared habitat use between vectors and hosts did not result in an increased prevalence of malarial parasites in Greater Prairie-Chickens that occupied habitats with high vector occurrence. We developed a predictive map to illustrate the associations between Culex occurrence and infection status with malarial parasites in an obligate grassland bird that may be used to guide management decisions to limit the spread of vector-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Ganser
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 60506, U.S.A
- Department of Wildlife Ecology Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A
| | - Andrew J Gregory
- School of Earth, the Environment, Society, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, U.S.A
| | - Lance B McNew
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 60506, U.S.A
- Department of Animal Range Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, U.S.A
| | - Lyla A Hunt
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 60506, U.S.A
| | - Brett K Sandercock
- Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 60506, U.S.A
| | - Samantha M Wisely
- Department of Wildlife Ecology Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, U.S.A..
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Reinoso-Pérez MT, Canales-Delgadillo JC, Chapa-Vargas L, Riego-Ruiz L. Haemosporidian parasite prevalence, parasitemia, and diversity in three resident bird species at a shrubland dominated landscape of the Mexican highland plateau. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:307. [PMID: 27234000 PMCID: PMC4882855 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1569-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Studies of avian haemosporidians allow understanding how these parasites affect wild bird populations, and if their presence is related to factors such as habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, and climate change. Considering the importance of the highland Plateau of Mexico as part of the North American bird migratory route and as a region containing important habitat for numerous bird species, the purpose of this study was to document haemosporidian species richness and how habitat degradation, bird body condition, and distance from water sources correlate with bird parasitemia. Methods We assessed the presence of avian haemosporidians in three resident bird species through microscopy and PCR amplification of a fragment of the haemosporidian cytochrome b gene. Average parasitemia was estimated in each species, and its relationship with habitat degradation through grazing, bird body condition and distance from water bodies was assessed. Results High levels of parasitemia were recorded in two of the three bird species included in this study. Four lineages of haemosporidians were identified in the study area with nearly 50 % prevalence. Areas with highly degraded shrublands and villages showed higher parasitemia relative to areas with moderately degraded shrublands. No strong relationship between parasitemia and distance from water bodies was observed. There were no significant differences in prevalence and parasitemia between the two bird species infected with the parasites. Two of the sequences obtained from the fragments of the parasite’s cytochrome b gene represent a lineage that had not been previously reported. Conclusions Haemosporidian diversity in arid zones of the Mexican highland plateau is high. Shrubland habitat degradation associated to the establishment of small villages, as well as tree extraction and overgrazing in the surroundings of these villages, significantly enhances parasitemia of birds by haemosporidians. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1569-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Reinoso-Pérez
- Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A.C., Camino a la Presa San José #2055, Colonia Lomas 4. Sección, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., C.P. 78216, México
| | - Julio César Canales-Delgadillo
- CONACYT-Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología Estación El Carmen, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Playa Norte y López Mateos s/n, Ciudad del Carmen, C.P. 24121, Campeche, México
| | - Leonardo Chapa-Vargas
- Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A.C., Camino a la Presa San José #2055, Colonia Lomas 4. Sección, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., C.P. 78216, México.
| | - Lina Riego-Ruiz
- Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica A.C., Camino a la Presa San José #2055, Colonia Lomas 4. Sección, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P., C.P. 78216, México
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Wilkinson LC, Handel CM, Van Hemert C, Loiseau C, Sehgal RN. Avian malaria in a boreal resident species: long-term temporal variability, and increased prevalence in birds with avian keratin disorder. Int J Parasitol 2016; 46:281-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Clark NJ, Clegg SM, Klaassen M. Migration strategy and pathogen risk: non-breeding distribution drives malaria prevalence in migratory waders. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Clark
- Environmental Futures Research Inst., School of Environment, Griffith Univ.; Gold Coast Campus QLD 4222 Australia
- Natural Environments Program, Queensland Museum; PO Box 3300 South Brisbane Queensland 4101 Australia
| | - Sonya M. Clegg
- Environmental Futures Research Inst., School of Environment, Griffith Univ.; Gold Coast Campus QLD 4222 Australia
- Edward Grey Inst., Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Oxford; Oxford OX1 3PS UK
| | - Marcel Klaassen
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin Univ.; Geelong VIC Australia
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Walker R, Blackburn J. Biothreat Reduction and Economic Development: The Case of Animal Husbandry in Central Asia. Front Public Health 2015; 3:270. [PMID: 26779468 PMCID: PMC4688358 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2015.00270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving human welfare is a critical global concern, but not always easy to achieve. Complications in this regard have been faced by the states of the Former Soviet Union, where socialist-style economic institutions have disappeared, and the transition to a market economy has been slow in coming. Lack of capital, ethnic conflict, and political instability have at times undermined the institutional reform that would be necessary to enable economic efficiency and development. Nowhere are such challenges more pronounced than in the new nation states of central Asia, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Here, a severe climate limits agriculture, and industrialization has been inhibited by lack of infrastructure, low levels of human capital, and a scarcity of financial resources. These conditions are aggravated by the fact that the central Asian states are landlocked, far from centers of market demand and capital availability. Despite these daunting barriers, development potential does exist, and the goal of the paper is to consider central Asia's pastoral economy, with a focus on Kazakhstan, which stands poised to become a regional growth pole. The article pursues its goal as follows. It first addresses the biothreat situation to central Asian livestock herds, the most significant existing impediment to realizing the full market potential of the region's animal products. Next, it provides an outline of interventions that can reduce risk levels for key biothreats impacting central Asia, namely foot and mouth disease (FMD), which greatly impacts livestock and prohibits export, and Brucellosis, a bacterial zoonosis with high incidence in both humans and livestock in the region. Included is an important success story involving the FMD eradication programs in Brazil, which enabled an export boom in beef. After this comes a description of the epidemiological situation in Kazakhstan; here, the article considers the role of wildlife in acting as a possible disease reservoir, which presents a conservation issue for the Kazakhstani case. This is followed by a discussion of the role of science in threat reduction, particularly with respect to the potential offered by geospatial technologies to improve our epidemiological knowledge base. The article concludes with an assessment of the research that would be necessary to identify feasible pathways to develop the economic potential of central Asian livestock production as changes in policy are implemented and livestock health improves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Walker
- Department of Geography, Center for Latin American Studies, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Jason Blackburn
- Department of Geography, Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Sehgal RN. Manifold habitat effects on the prevalence and diversity of avian blood parasites. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2015; 4:421-30. [PMID: 26835250 PMCID: PMC4699977 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2015.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 08/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Habitats are rapidly changing across the planet and the consequences will have major and long-lasting effects on wildlife and their parasites. Birds harbor many types of blood parasites, but because of their relatively high prevalence and ease of diagnosis, it is the haemosporidians – Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon – that are the best studied in terms of ecology and evolution. For parasite transmission to occur, environmental conditions must be permissive, and given the many constraints on the competency of parasites, vectors and hosts, it is rather remarkable that these parasites are so prevalent and successful. Over the last decade, a rapidly growing body of literature has begun to clarify how environmental factors affect birds and the insects that vector their hematozoan parasites. Moreover, several studies have modeled how anthropogenic effects such as global climate change, deforestation and urbanization will impact the dynamics of parasite transmission. This review highlights recent research that impacts our understanding of how habitat and environmental changes can affect the distribution, diversity, prevalence and parasitemia of these avian blood parasites. Given the importance of environmental factors on transmission, it remains essential that researchers studying avian hematozoa document abiotic factors such as temperature, moisture and landscape elements. Ultimately, this continued research has the potential to inform conservation policies and help avert the loss of bird species and threatened habitats. Review of recent literature studying habitat effects on avian blood parasites. Habitat affects the prevalence, parasitemia, distribution and diversity of avian hematozoa. Environmental conditions must be permissive for parasite transmission to occur. Anthropogenic environmental changes will affect host–vector–parasite interactions.
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Beck MA, Colwell DD, Goater CP, Kienzle SW. Where's the risk? Landscape epidemiology of gastrointestinal parasitism in Alberta beef cattle. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:434. [PMID: 26303931 PMCID: PMC4548846 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1040-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 08/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Gastrointenstinal nematodes (GIN) present a serious challenge to the health and productivity of grazing stock around the globe. However, the epidemiology of GIN transmission remains poorly understood in northern climates. Combining use of serological diagnostics, GIS mapping technology, and geospatial statistics, we evaluated ecological covariates of spatial and temporal variability in GIN transmission among bovine calves pastured in Alberta, Canada. Methods Sera were collected from 1000 beef calves across Alberta, Canada over three consecutive years (2008–2010) and analyzed for presence of anti-GIN antibodies using the SVANOVIR Ostertagia osteragi-Ab ELISA kit. Using a GIS and Bayesian multivariate spatial statistics, we evaluated the degree to which variation in specific environmental covariates (e.g. moisture, humidity, temperature) was associated with variation in spatial and temporal heterogeneity in exposure to GIN (Nematodirus and other trichostrongyles, primarily Ostertagia and Cooperia). Results Variation in growing degree days above a base temperature of 5 °C, humidity, air temperature, and accumulated precipitation were found to be significant predictors of broad–scale spatial and temporal variation in serum antibody concentrations. Risk model projections identified that while transmission in cattle from southeastern and northwestern Alberta was relatively low in all years, rate of GIN transmission was generally higher in the central region of Alberta. Conclusions The spatial variability in risk is attributed to higher average humidity, precipitation and moderate temperatures in the central region of Alberta in comparison with the hot, dry southeastern corner of the province and the cool, dry northwestern corner. Although more targeted sampling is needed to improve model accuracy, our projections represent an important step towards tying treatment recommendations to actual risk of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Beck
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3 M4, Canada.
| | - Douglas D Colwell
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Station, 5403 1st Ave South, Lethbirdge, AB, T1J 4B1, Canada.
| | - Cameron P Goater
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3 M4, Canada.
| | - Stefan W Kienzle
- Department of Geography, University of Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3 M4, Canada.
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Local host specialization, host-switching, and dispersal shape the regional distributions of avian haemosporidian parasites. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:11294-9. [PMID: 26305975 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1515309112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The drivers of regional parasite distributions are poorly understood, especially in comparison with those of free-living species. For vector-transmitted parasites, in particular, distributions might be influenced by host-switching and by parasite dispersal with primary hosts and vectors. We surveyed haemosporidian blood parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus) of small land birds in eastern North America to characterize a regional parasite community. Distributions of parasite populations generally reflected distributions of their hosts across the region. However, when the interdependence between hosts and parasites was controlled statistically, local host assemblages were related to regional climatic gradients, but parasite assemblages were not. Moreover, because parasite assemblage similarity does not decrease with distance when controlling for host assemblages and climate, parasites evidently disperse readily within the distributions of their hosts. The degree of specialization on hosts varied in some parasite lineages over short periods and small geographic distances independently of the diversity of available hosts and potentially competing parasite lineages. Nonrandom spatial turnover was apparent in parasite lineages infecting one host species that was well-sampled within a single year across its range, plausibly reflecting localized adaptations of hosts and parasites. Overall, populations of avian hosts generally determine the geographic distributions of haemosporidian parasites. However, parasites are not dispersal-limited within their host distributions, and they may switch hosts readily.
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Falk BG, Glor RE, Perkins SL. Clonal reproduction shapes evolution in the lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium floridense. Evolution 2015; 69:1584-1596. [PMID: 25959003 DOI: 10.1111/evo.12683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The preponderant clonal evolution hypothesis (PCE) predicts that frequent clonal reproduction (sex between two clones) in many pathogens capable of sexual recombination results in strong linkage disequilibrium and the presence of discrete genetic subdivisions characterized by occasional gene flow. We expand on the PCE and predict that higher rates of clonal reproduction will result in: (1) morphologically cryptic species that exhibit (2) low within-species variation and (3) recent between-species divergence. We tested these predictions in the Caribbean lizard malaria parasite Plasmodium floridense using 63 single-infection samples in lizards collected from across the parasite's range, and sequenced them at two mitochondrial, one apicoplast, and five nuclear genes. We identified 11 provisionally cryptic species within P. floridense, each of which exhibits low intraspecific variation and recent divergence times between species (some diverged approximately 110,000 years ago). Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that clonal reproduction can profoundly affect diversification of species capable of sexual recombination, and suggest that clonal reproduction may have led to a large number of unrecognized pathogen species. The factors that may influence the rates of clonal reproduction among pathogens are unclear, and we discuss how prevalence and virulence may relate to clonal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan G Falk
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024.,U.S. Geological Survey, Daniel Beard Center, Everglades National Park, 40001 SR 9336, Homestead, Florida, 33034
| | - Richard E Glor
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum, The University of Kansas, 2041 Haworth Hall, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, Kansas, 66045
| | - Susan L Perkins
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics and Division of Invertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York, New York, 10024
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Samuel MD, Woodworth BL, Atkinson CT, Hart PJ, LaPointe DA. Avian malaria in Hawaiian forest birds: infection and population impacts across species and elevations. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00393.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Parasite prevalence corresponds to host life history in a diverse assemblage of afrotropical birds and haemosporidian parasites. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121254. [PMID: 25853491 PMCID: PMC4390322 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Avian host life history traits have been hypothesized to predict rates of infection by haemosporidian parasites. Using molecular techniques, we tested this hypothesis for parasites from three haemosporidian genera (Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon) collected from a diverse sampling of birds in northern Malawi. We found that host life history traits were significantly associated with parasitism rates by all three parasite genera. Nest type and nest location predicted infection probability for all three parasite genera, whereas flocking behavior is an important predictor of Plasmodium and Haemoproteus infection and habitat is an important predictor of Leucocytozoon infection. Parasite prevalence was 79.1% across all individuals sampled, higher than that reported for comparable studies from any other region of the world. Parasite diversity was also exceptionally high, with 248 parasite cytochrome b lineages identified from 152 host species. A large proportion of Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, and Leucocytozoon parasite DNA sequences identified in this study represent new, previously undocumented lineages (n = 201; 81% of total identified) based on BLAST queries against the avian malaria database, MalAvi.
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Jones MR, Cheviron ZA, Carling MD. Spatially variable coevolution between a haemosporidian parasite and the MHC of a widely distributed passerine. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1045-60. [PMID: 25798222 PMCID: PMC4364819 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The environment shapes host-parasite interactions, but how environmental variation affects the diversity and composition of parasite-defense genes of hosts is unresolved. In vertebrates, the highly variable major histocompatibility complex (MHC) gene family plays an essential role in the adaptive immune system by recognizing pathogen infection and initiating the cellular immune response. Investigating MHC-parasite associations across heterogeneous landscapes may elucidate the role of spatially fluctuating selection in the maintenance of high levels of genetic variation at the MHC. We studied patterns of association between an avian haemosporidian blood parasite and the MHC of rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis) that inhabit environments with widely varying haemosporidian infection prevalence in the Peruvian Andes. MHC diversity peaked in populations with high infection prevalence, although intra-individual MHC diversity was not associated with infection status. MHC nucleotide and protein sequences associated with infection absence tended to be rare, consistent with negative frequency-dependent selection. We found an MHC variant associated with a ∽26% decrease in infection probability at middle elevations (1501-3100 m) where prevalence was highest. Several other variants were associated with a significant increase in infection probability in low haemosporidian prevalence environments, which can be interpreted as susceptibility or quantitative resistance. Our study highlights important challenges in understanding MHC evolution in natural systems, but may point to a role of negative frequency-dependent selection and fluctuating spatial selection in the evolution of Z. capensisMHC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Jones
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 4304, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071
| | - Zachary A Cheviron
- Department of Animal Biology, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 505 South Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois, 61801
| | - Matthew D Carling
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center, University of Wyoming 1000 E. University Ave., Dept. 4304, Laramie, Wyoming, 82071
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Herbert AD, Carr AM, Hoffmann E. FindFoci: a focus detection algorithm with automated parameter training that closely matches human assignments, reduces human inconsistencies and increases speed of analysis. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114749. [PMID: 25478967 PMCID: PMC4257716 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate and reproducible quantification of the accumulation of proteins into foci in cells is essential for data interpretation and for biological inferences. To improve reproducibility, much emphasis has been placed on the preparation of samples, but less attention has been given to reporting and standardizing the quantification of foci. The current standard to quantitate foci in open-source software is to manually determine a range of parameters based on the outcome of one or a few representative images and then apply the parameter combination to the analysis of a larger dataset. Here, we demonstrate the power and utility of using machine learning to train a new algorithm (FindFoci) to determine optimal parameters. FindFoci closely matches human assignments and allows rapid automated exploration of parameter space. Thus, individuals can train the algorithm to mirror their own assignments and then automate focus counting using the same parameters across a large number of images. Using the training algorithm to match human assignments of foci, we demonstrate that applying an optimal parameter combination from a single image is not broadly applicable to analysis of other images scored by the same experimenter or by other experimenters. Our analysis thus reveals wide variation in human assignment of foci and their quantification. To overcome this, we developed training on multiple images, which reduces the inconsistency of using a single or a few images to set parameters for focus detection. FindFoci is provided as an open-source plugin for ImageJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex D. Herbert
- MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RQ, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Antony M. Carr
- MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RQ, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Hoffmann
- MRC Genome Damage and Stability Centre, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9RQ, United Kingdom
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Coevolutionary patterns and diversification of avian malaria parasites in African sunbirds (Family Nectariniidae). Parasitology 2014; 142:635-47. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182014001681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYThe coevolutionary relationships between avian malaria parasites and their hosts influence the host specificity, geographical distribution and pathogenicity of these parasites. However, to understand fine scale coevolutionary host–parasite relationships, robust and widespread sampling from closely related hosts is needed. We thus sought to explore the coevolutionary history of avianPlasmodiumand the widespread African sunbirds, family Nectariniidae. These birds are distributed throughout Africa and occupy a variety of habitats. Considering the role that habitat plays in influencing host-specificity and the role that host-specificity plays in coevolutionary relationships, African sunbirds provide an exceptional model system to study the processes that govern the distribution and diversity of avian malaria. Here we evaluated the coevolutionary histories using a multi-gene phylogeny for Nectariniidae and avianPlasmodiumfound in Nectariniidae. We then assessed the host–parasite biogeography and the structuring of parasite assemblages. We recoveredPlasmodiumlineages concurrently in East, West, South and Island regions of Africa. However, severalPlasmodiumlineages were recovered exclusively within one respective region, despite being found in widely distributed hosts. In addition, we inferred the biogeographic history of these parasites and provide evidence supporting a model of biotic diversification in avianPlasmodiumof African sunbirds.
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Barnagaud JY, Papaïx J, Gimenez O, Svenning JC. Dynamic spatial interactions between the native invader Brown-headed Cowbird and its hosts. DIVERS DISTRIB 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Yves Barnagaud
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity; Department of Bioscience; Aarhus University; Ny Munkegade 114 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
- INRA; UMR 1202 BIOGECO; INRA; 69 route d'Arcachon 33612 Cestas Cedex France
- UMR 1202 BIOGECO; University of Bordeaux 1; 351 cours de la Libération 33400 Talence France
| | - Julien Papaïx
- INRA - BIOGER; Avenue Lucien Brétignières 78850 Thiverval-Grignon France
- Domaine de Vilvert; INRA - MIAJ; 78352 Jouy-en-Josas France
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive; UMR 5175; campus CNRS 1919 Route de Mende 34293 Montpellier France
| | - Olivier Gimenez
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive; UMR 5175; campus CNRS 1919 Route de Mende 34293 Montpellier France
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Section for Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity; Department of Bioscience; Aarhus University; Ny Munkegade 114 DK-8000 Aarhus C Denmark
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Harrigan RJ, Thomassen HA, Buermann W, Smith TB. A continental risk assessment of West Nile virus under climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:2417-2425. [PMID: 24574161 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2013] [Accepted: 12/14/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Since first introduced to North America in 1999, West Nile virus (WNV) has spread rapidly across the continent, threatening wildlife populations and posing serious health risks to humans. While WNV incidence has been linked to environmental factors, particularly temperature and rainfall, little is known about how future climate change may affect the spread of the disease. Using available data on WNV infections in vectors and hosts collected from 2003-2011 and using a suite of 10 species distribution models, weighted according to their predictive performance, we modeled the incidence of WNV under current climate conditions at a continental scale. Models were found to accurately predict spatial patterns of WNV that were then used to examine how future climate may affect the spread of the disease. Predictions were accurate for cases of human WNV infection in the following year (2012), with areas reporting infections having significantly higher probability of presence as predicted by our models. Projected geographic distributions of WNV in North America under future climate for 2050 and 2080 show an expansion of suitable climate for the disease, driven by warmer temperatures and lower annual precipitation that will result in the exposure of new and naïve host populations to the virus with potentially serious consequences. Our risk assessment identifies current and future hotspots of West Nile virus where mitigation efforts should be focused and presents an important new approach for monitoring vector-borne disease under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Harrigan
- Center for Tropical Research, Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, University of California, 619 Charles E. Young Drive East, Los Angeles, California, 90095, USA
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