1
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Hendrick GC, Nicholson MD, Pagan JA, Artim JM, Dolan MC, Sikkel PC. Blood meal identification reveals extremely broad host range and host-bias in a temporary ectoparasite of coral reef fishes. Oecologia 2023; 203:349-360. [PMID: 37951847 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05468-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Appreciation for the role of cryptofauna in ecological systems has increased dramatically over the past decade. The impacts blood-feeding arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitos, have on terrestrial communities are the subject of hundreds of papers annually. However, blood-feeding arthropods have been largely ignored in marine environments. Gnathiid isopods, often referred to as "ticks of the sea", are temporary external parasites of fishes. They are found in all marine environments and have many consequential impacts on host fitness. Because they are highly mobile and only associated with their hosts while obtaining a blood meal, their broader trophic connections are difficult to discern. Conventional methods rely heavily on detecting gnathiids on wild-caught fishes. However, this approach typically yields few gnathiids and does not account for hosts that avoid capture. To overcome this limitation, we sequenced blood meals of free-living gnathiids collected in light traps to assess the host range and community-dependent exploitation of Caribbean gnathiid isopods. Using fish-specific COI (cox1) primers, sequencing individual blood meals from 1060 gnathiids resulted in the identification of 70 host fish species from 27 families. Comparisons of fish assemblages to blood meal identification frequencies at four collection sites indicated that fishes within the families Haemulidae (grunts) and Lutjanidae (snappers) were exploited more frequently than expected based on their biomass, and Labrid parrotfishes were exploited less frequently than expected. The broad host range along with the biased exploitation of diel-migratory species has important implications for the role gnathiid isopods play in Caribbean coral reef communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina C Hendrick
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Matthew D Nicholson
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - J Andres Pagan
- Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, CIBIO - Universidade do Porto, Vairão, Portugal
| | - John M Artim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, USA
| | - Maureen C Dolan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, USA
- Arkansas Biosciences Institute, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, AR, USA
| | - Paul C Sikkel
- Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA.
- Water Research Group, Unit of Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
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2
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Doherty JF, Milotic M, Filion A, Eriksson A. Host specificity and the reproductive strategies of parasites. Parasitology 2022; 149:534-541. [PMID: 35331349 PMCID: PMC11010520 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021002122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Environmental stability can have profound impacts on life history trait evolution in organisms, especially with respect to development and reproduction. In theory, free-living species, when subjected to relatively stable and predictable conditions over many generations, should evolve narrow niche breadths and become more specialized. In parasitic organisms, this level of specialization is reflected by their host specificity. Here, we tested how host specificity impacts the reproductive strategies of parasites, a subject seldomly addressed for this group. Through an extensive review of the literature, we collated a worldwide dataset to predict, through Bayesian multilevel modelling, the effect of host specificity on the reproductive strategies of parasitic copepods of fishes or corals. We found that copepods of fishes with low host specificity (generalists) invest more into reproductive output with larger clutch sizes, whereas generalist copepods of corals invest less into reproductive output with smaller clutch sizes. The differences in host turnover rates through an evolutionary timescale could explain the contrasting strategies across species observed here, which should still favour the odds of parasites encountering and infecting a host. Ultimately, the differences found in this study reflect the unique evolutionary history that parasites share both intrinsically and extrinsically with their hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marin Milotic
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Antoine Filion
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Alan Eriksson
- Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Brazil
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3
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Farrell MJ, Elmasri M, Stephens D, Davies TJ. Predicting missing links in global host‐parasite networks. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:715-726. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maxwell J. Farrell
- Department of Biology McGill University
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department University of Toronto
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases University of Georgia
| | | | - David Stephens
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics McGill University
| | - T. Jonathan Davies
- Botany, Forest & Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia
- African Centre for DNA Barcoding University of Johannesburg
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4
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Sigler K, Warren D, Tracy B, Forrestel E, Hogue G, Dornburg A. Assessing temporal biases across aggregated historical spatial data: a case study of North Carolina’s freshwater fishes. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kyra Sigler
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh North Carolina 27601 USA
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina 27695 USA
| | - Dan Warren
- Biodiversity and Biocomplexity Unit Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Okinawa Japan
| | - Bryn Tracy
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh North Carolina 27601 USA
| | - Elisabeth Forrestel
- Department of Viticulture and Enology University of California Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Gabriela Hogue
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences Raleigh North Carolina 27601 USA
| | - Alex Dornburg
- Department of Bioinformatics and Genomics University of North Carolina Charlotte Charlotte North Carolina 28223 USA
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5
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Dallas TA, Jordano P. Spatial variation in species' roles in host-helminth networks. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200361. [PMID: 34538144 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species interactions may vary considerably across space as a result of spatial and environmental gradients. With respect to host-parasite interactions, this suggests that host and parasite species may play different functional roles across the different networks they occur in. Using a global occurrence database of helminth parasites, we examine the conservation of species' roles using data on host-helminth interactions from 299 geopolitical locations. Defining species' roles in a two-dimensional space which captures the tendency of species to be more densely linked within species subgroups than between subgroups, we quantified species' roles in two ways, which captured if and which species' roles are conserved by treating species' utilization of this two-dimensional space as continuous, while also classifying species into categorical roles. Both approaches failed to detect the conservation of species' roles for a single species out of over 38 000 host and helminth parasite species. Together, our findings suggest that species' roles in host-helminth networks may not be conserved, pointing to the potential role of spatial and environmental gradients, as well as the importance of the context of the local host and helminth parasite community. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tad A Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Pedro Jordano
- Integrative Ecology Group, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, Isla de La Cartuja, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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6
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Xu X, Zhang QY, Chu XY, Quan Y, Lv BM, Zhang HY. Facilitating Antiviral Drug Discovery Using Genetic and Evolutionary Knowledge. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112117. [PMID: 34834924 PMCID: PMC8626054 DOI: 10.3390/v13112117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the course of human history, billions of people worldwide have been infected by various viruses. Despite rapid progress in the development of biomedical techniques, it is still a significant challenge to find promising new antiviral targets and drugs. In the past, antiviral drugs mainly targeted viral proteins when they were used as part of treatment strategies. Since the virus mutation rate is much faster than that of the host, such drugs feature drug resistance and narrow-spectrum antiviral problems. Therefore, the targeting of host molecules has gradually become an important area of research for the development of antiviral drugs. In recent years, rapid advances in high-throughput sequencing techniques have enabled numerous genetic studies (such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), clustered regularly interspersed short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) screening, etc.) for human diseases, providing valuable genetic and evolutionary resources. Furthermore, it has been revealed that successful drug targets exhibit similar genetic and evolutionary features, which are of great value in identifying promising drug targets and discovering new drugs. Considering these developments, in this article the authors propose a host-targeted antiviral drug discovery strategy based on knowledge of genetics and evolution. We first comprehensively summarized the genetic, subcellular location, and evolutionary features of the human genes that have been successfully used as antiviral targets. Next, the summarized features were used to screen novel druggable antiviral targets and to find potential antiviral drugs, in an attempt to promote the discovery of new antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Qing-Ye Zhang
- Correspondence: (Q.-Y.Z.); (H.-Y.Z.); Tel.: +86-27-8728-0877 (H.-Y.Z.)
| | | | | | | | - Hong-Yu Zhang
- Correspondence: (Q.-Y.Z.); (H.-Y.Z.); Tel.: +86-27-8728-0877 (H.-Y.Z.)
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7
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Keesing F, Ostfeld RS. Dilution effects in disease ecology. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:2490-2505. [PMID: 34482609 PMCID: PMC9291114 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
For decades, people have reduced the transmission of pathogens by adding low‐quality hosts to managed environments like agricultural fields. More recently, there has been interest in whether similar ‘dilution effects’ occur in natural disease systems, and whether these effects are eroded as diversity declines. For some pathogens of plants, humans and other animals, the highest‐quality hosts persist when diversity is lost, so that high‐quality hosts dominate low‐diversity communities, resulting in greater pathogen transmission. Meta‐analyses reveal that these natural dilution effects are common. However, studying them remains challenging due to limitations on the ability of researchers to manipulate many disease systems experimentally, difficulties of acquiring data on host quality and confusion about what should and should not be considered a dilution effect. Because dilution effects are widely used in managed disease systems and have been documented in a variety of natural disease systems, their existence should not be considered controversial. Important questions remain about how frequently they occur and under what conditions to expect them. There is also ongoing confusion about their relationships to both pathogen spillover and general biogeographical correlations between diversity and disease, which has resulted in an inconsistent and confusing literature. Progress will require rigorous and creative research.
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8
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Atencio NO, Vidal-Russell R, Chacoff N, Amico GC. Host range dynamics at different scales: host use by a hemiparasite across its geographic distribution. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2021; 23:612-620. [PMID: 33774885 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The complexity of natural communities is the result of interactions among species that coexist within them. Parasitic interactions are among the most common species interaction types, and analysis of parasite-host ranges can advance understanding of how host-parasite pairs structure community interactions across their geographic distributions. Using network analysis and host preference relative index, we analysed host use by the South American mistletoe, Tristerix corymbosus (Loranthaceae), in 22 localities among two biomes: Chilean matorral and temperate forest. The total number of host species recorded was 27, and 40% of these species were non-native. The non-native Populus sp. was shared between biomes. There was a positive relationship between host range and potential host species richness at the studied localities. On average, the mistletoe parasitized each host species relative to its abundance. However, some host species in some localities are more parasitized than expected. Network structure showed a differences in host use between the two biomes: Aristotelia chilensis was central in the temperate forest, with Populus sp. in the Chilean matorral. Host use intensity in the Chilean matorral was higher for non-native species. Tristerix corymbosus has a wide host range and could be considered a generalist parasite across its full geographic distribution, but at local scales, host preferences differed among localities and are related to host coverage. Alterations in community composition, due to natural events or human activities, can modify the availability of possible hosts. Hence, the mistletoe with the described characteristics may be able to change its infection preference while maintaining the interaction functionality.
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Affiliation(s)
- N O Atencio
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - R Vidal-Russell
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - N Chacoff
- Instituto de Ecología Regional, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, CC 34 Yerba Buena, 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - G C Amico
- Laboratorio Ecotono, INIBIOMA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, 8400, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
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9
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Naldoni J, Okamura B, Hartikainen H, Corrêa LL, Adriano EA. Broad but restricted detection of malacosporeans in a Neotropical cradle of diversification. Parasitology 2021; 148:511-518. [PMID: 33298205 PMCID: PMC10950377 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study undertook the first investigation of malacosporean infections in Neotropical fish. We used polymerase chain reaction detection with a primer set generally targeting known malacosporeans to assay for infection in the kidney of 146 fish in 21 species belonging to 12 families collected from two areas in the Amazon Basin. Infections were found in 13 fish variously belonging to seven species in six families and included the first identification of a malacosporean infection in cartilaginous fish (a freshwater stingray). Based on ssrDNA, all infections represented a single Buddenbrockia species (Buddenbrockia sp. E) that demonstrates an exceptionally broad range of fish species infected, and countered our expectations of high Neotropical malacosporean diversity. Infections were characterized at varying and often high prevalences in fish species but sample sizes were small. Ascertaining whether highly divergent malacosporeans have not been detected by current primers, and more comprehensive sampling may reveal whether malacosporeans are truly as species poor in the Amazon Basin as present data suggest. Our results prompt speculations about evolutionary scenarios including introduction via marine incursions and patterns of host use over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliana Naldoni
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
| | - Beth Okamura
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, LondonSW7 5BD, UK
| | - Hanna Hartikainen
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, NottinghamNG7 2RD, UK
| | - Lincoln L. Corrêa
- Instituto de Ciências e Tecnologia das Águas, Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará (UFOPA), Santarém, PA, Brazil
| | - Edson A. Adriano
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Diadema, SP, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
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10
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Carlson CJ, Dallas TA, Alexander LW, Phelan AL, Phillips AJ. What would it take to describe the global diversity of parasites? Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201841. [PMID: 33203333 PMCID: PMC7739500 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How many parasites are there on Earth? Here, we use helminth parasites to highlight how little is known about parasite diversity, and how insufficient our current approach will be to describe the full scope of life on Earth. Using the largest database of host-parasite associations and one of the world's largest parasite collections, we estimate a global total of roughly 100 000-350 000 species of helminth endoparasites of vertebrates, of which 85-95% are unknown to science. The parasites of amphibians and reptiles remain the most poorly described, but the majority of undescribed species are probably parasites of birds and bony fish. Missing species are disproportionately likely to be smaller parasites of smaller hosts in undersampled countries. At current rates, it would take centuries to comprehensively sample, collect and name vertebrate helminths. While some have suggested that macroecology can work around existing data limitations, we argue that patterns described from a small, biased sample of diversity aren't necessarily reliable, especially as host-parasite networks are increasingly altered by global change. In the spirit of moonshots like the Human Genome Project and the Global Virome Project, we consider the idea of a Global Parasite Project: a global effort to transform parasitology and inventory parasite diversity at an unprecedented pace.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J. Carlson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Tad A. Dallas
- Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, 00840 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Laura W. Alexander
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alexandra L. Phelan
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anna J. Phillips
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20013, USA
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11
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Dáttilo W, Barrozo-Chávez N, Lira-Noriega A, Guevara R, Villalobos F, Santiago-Alarcon D, Neves FS, Izzo T, Ribeiro SP. Species-level drivers of mammalian ectoparasite faunas. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1754-1765. [PMID: 32198927 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Traditionally, most studies have described the organization of host-parasite interaction networks by considering only few host groups at limited geographical extents. However, host-parasite relationships are merged within different taxonomic groups and factors shaping these interactions likely differ between host and parasite groups, making group-level differences important to better understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of these interactive communities. Here we used a dataset of 629 ectoparasite species and 251 species of terrestrial mammals, comprising 10 orders distributed across the Nearctic and Neotropical regions of Mexico to assess the species-level drivers of mammalian ectoparasite faunas. Specifically, we evaluated whether body weight, geographical range size and within-range mammal species richness (i.e. diversity field) predict mammal ectoparasite species richness (i.e. degree centrality) and their closeness centrality within the mammal-ectoparasite network. In addition, we also tested if the observed patterns differ among mammal orders and if taxonomic closely related host mammals could more likely share the same set of ectoparasites. We found that ectoparasite species richness of small mammals (mainly rodents) with large proportional range sizes was high compared to large-bodied mammals, whereas the diversity field of mammals had no predictive value (except for bats). We also observed that taxonomic proximity was a main determinant of the probability to share ectoparasite species. Specifically, the probability to share ectoparasites in congeneric species reached up to 90% and decreased exponentially as the taxonomic distance increased. Further, we also detected that some ectoparasites are generalists and capable to infect mammalian species across different orders and that rodents have a remarkable role in the network structure, being closely connected to many other taxa. Hence, because many rodent species have synanthropic habits they could act as undesired reservoirs of disease agents for humans and urban animals. Considering the reported worldwide phenomenon of the proliferation of rodents accompanying the demographic decrease or even local extinction of large-bodied mammal species, these organisms may already be an increasing health threat in many regions of the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley Dáttilo
- Red de Ecoetología, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Nathalia Barrozo-Chávez
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | | | - Roger Guevara
- Red de Biología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
| | | | - Diego Santiago-Alarcon
- Red de Biología y Conservación de Vertebrados, Instituto de Ecología A.C., Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Frederico Siqueira Neves
- Departamento de Genética, Ecología e Evoluçã, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Thiago Izzo
- Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, Brazil
| | - Sérvio Pontes Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Ecohealth, Ecologia de Insetos de Dossel e Sucessão Natural, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
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12
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Dallas T, Holian LA, Foster G. What determines parasite species richness across host species? J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1750-1753. [PMID: 32609890 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
IN FOCUS Dáttilo, W., Barrozo-Chávez, N., Lira-Noriega, A., Guevara, R., Villalobos, F., Santiago-Alarcon, D., Neves, F. S., Izzo, T., & Ribeiro, S. P. (2020). Species-level drivers of mammalian ectoparasite faunas. Journal of Animal Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13216. The question of what drives the number of parasite species able to infect a given host species is still a largely open question, despite decades of research. Dáttilo and colleagues examine the potential drivers of ectoparasite species across a large set of host species to explore the taxonomic and trait drivers of host-parasite interactions. Here, we contextualize their findings, explore what is known about parasite species richness, and identify some potential next steps towards answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tad Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Lauren A Holian
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Grant Foster
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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13
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Evolutionary ecology, taxonomy, and systematics of avian malaria and related parasites. Acta Trop 2020; 204:105364. [PMID: 32007445 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Haemosporidian parasites of the genera Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, and Haemoproteus are one of the most prevalent and widely studied groups of parasites infecting birds. Plasmodium is the most well-known haemosporidian as the avian parasite Plasmodium relictum was the original transmission model for human malaria and was also responsible for catastrophic effects on native avifauna when introduced to Hawaii. The past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in research on avian haemosporidian parasites as a model system to understand evolutionary and ecological parasite-host relationships. Despite haemosporidians being one the best studied groups of avian parasites their specialization among avian hosts and variation in prevalence amongst regions and host taxa are not fully understood. In this review we focus on describing the current phylogenetic and morphological diversity of haemosporidian parasites, their specificity among avian and vector hosts, and identifying the determinants of haemosporidian prevalence among avian species. We also discuss how these parasites might spread across regions due to global climate change and the importance of avian migratory behavior in parasite dispersion and subsequent diversification.
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14
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Wardeh M, Sharkey KJ, Baylis M. Integration of shared-pathogen networks and machine learning reveals the key aspects of zoonoses and predicts mammalian reservoirs. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192882. [PMID: 32019444 PMCID: PMC7031665 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Diseases that spread to humans from animals, zoonoses, pose major threats to human health. Identifying animal reservoirs of zoonoses and predicting future outbreaks are increasingly important to human health and well-being and economic stability, particularly where research and resources are limited. Here, we integrate complex networks and machine learning approaches to develop a new approach to identifying reservoirs. An exhaustive dataset of mammal–pathogen interactions was transformed into networks where hosts are linked via their shared pathogens. We present a methodology for identifying important and influential hosts in these networks. Ensemble models linking network characteristics with phylogeny and life-history traits are then employed to predict those key hosts and quantify the roles they undertake in pathogen transmission. Our models reveal drivers explaining host importance and demonstrate how these drivers vary by pathogen taxa. Host importance is further integrated into ensemble models to predict reservoirs of zoonoses of various pathogen taxa and quantify the extent of pathogen sharing between humans and mammals. We establish predictors of reservoirs of zoonoses, showcasing host influence to be a key factor in determining these reservoirs. Finally, we provide new insight into the determinants of zoonosis-sharing, and contrast these determinants across major pathogen taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Wardeh
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool Science Park IC2 Building, 146 Brownlow Hill, Liverpool L3 5RF, UK
| | - Kieran J Sharkey
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Peach Street, Liverpool L69 7ZL, UK
| | - Matthew Baylis
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Chester High Road, Neston CH64 7TE, UK.,Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7BE, UK
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15
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Sándor AD, Corduneanu A, Péter Á, Mihalca AD, Barti L, Csősz I, Szőke K, Hornok S. Bats and ticks: host selection and seasonality of bat-specialist ticks in eastern Europe. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:605. [PMID: 31881931 PMCID: PMC6935181 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3861-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Parasites may actively seek for hosts and may use a number of adaptive strategies to promote their reproductive success and host colonization. These strategies will necessarily influence their host specificity and seasonality. Ticks are important ectoparasites of vertebrates, which (in addition to directly affecting their hosts) may transmit a number of pathogens. In Europe, three hard tick species (Ixodidae: Ixodes ariadnae, I. simplex and I. vespertilionis) and at least two soft tick species (Argasidae: Argas transgariepinus and A. vespertilionis) are specialized for bats. Methods Here we report data on the host range of these ticks and the seasonality of tick infestation on wild caught bats in south-east Europe. We collected 1803 ticks from 30 species of bats living in underground shelters (caves and mines) from Romania and Bulgaria. On the basis of tick–host associations, we tested several hypotheses on host–parasite evolutionary adaptations regulating host specificity, seasonality and sympatric speciation. Results We observed significant differences in host specificity and seasonality of abundance between the morphologically different bat specialist ticks (I. simplex and I. vespertilionis) likely caused by their host choice and their respective host-seeking behavior. The two highly generalist, but morphologically similar tick species (I. ariadnae and I. vespertilionis) showed temporal differences in occurrence and activity, thus exploiting significantly different host communities while occurring in geographical sympatry. Conclusions We conclude that bat-specialist ticks show a wide range of adaptations to their hosts, with differences in specificity, seasonality of occurrence, the prevalence and intensity of infestation and all these contribute to a successful division of temporal niches of ticks sharing morphologically similar hosts occurring in geographical sympatry. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila D Sándor
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
| | - Alexandra Corduneanu
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Áron Péter
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Levente Barti
- Myotis Bat Conservation Group, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
| | - István Csősz
- Myotis Bat Conservation Group, Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
| | - Krisztina Szőke
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Sándor Hornok
- Department of Parasitology and Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
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16
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Dallas TA, Carlson CJ, Poisot T. Testing predictability of disease outbreaks with a simple model of pathogen biogeography. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:190883. [PMID: 31827836 PMCID: PMC6894608 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.190883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Predicting disease emergence and outbreak events is a critical task for public health professionals and epidemiologists. Advances in global disease surveillance are increasingly generating datasets that are worth more than their component parts for prediction-oriented work. Here, we use a trait-free approach which leverages information on the global community of human infectious diseases to predict the biogeography of pathogens through time. Our approach takes pairwise dissimilarities between countries' pathogen communities and pathogens' geographical distributions and uses these to predict country-pathogen associations. We compare the success rates of our model for predicting pathogen outbreak, emergence and re-emergence potential as a function of time (e.g. number of years between training and prediction), pathogen type (e.g. virus) and transmission mode (e.g. vector-borne). With only these simple predictors, our model successfully predicts basic network structure up to a decade into the future. We find that while outbreak and re-emergence potential are especially well captured by our simple model, prediction of emergence events remains more elusive, and sudden global emergences like an influenza pandemic are beyond the predictive capacity of the model. However, these stochastic pandemic events are unlikely to be predictable from such coarse data. Together, our model is able to use the information on the existing country-pathogen network to predict pathogen outbreaks fairly well, suggesting the importance in considering information on co-occurring pathogens in a more global view even to estimate outbreak events in a single location or for a single pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tad A. Dallas
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, 00840 Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Biology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
- Author for correspondence: Tad A. Dallas e-mail:
| | - Colin J. Carlson
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Dépt de Sciences Biologiques, Univ. de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
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17
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Abstract
Complex life cycle parasites, including helminths, use intermediate hosts for development and definitive hosts for reproduction, with interactions between the two host types governed by food web structure. I study how a parasite's intermediate host range is controlled by the diet breadth of definitive host species and the cost of parasite generalism, a putative fitness cost that assumes host range trades off against fitness derived from a host species. In spite of such costs, a benefit to generalism may occur when the definitive host exhibits a large diet breadth, enhancing transmission of generalist parasites via consumption of a broad array of infected intermediate hosts. I develop a simple theoretical model to demonstrate how different host range infection strategies are differentially selected for across a gradient of definitive host diet breadth according to the cost of generalism. I then use a parasitic helminth-host database in conjunction with a food web database to show that diet breadth of definitive hosts promotes generalist infection strategies at the intermediate host level, indicating relatively low costs of parasite generalism among helminths.
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Affiliation(s)
- A W Park
- Odum School of Ecology, Center for Ecology of Infectious Diseases and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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18
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Herrera JP, Chakraborty D, Rushmore J, Altizer S, Nunn C. The changing ecology of primate parasites: Insights from wild-captive comparisons. Am J Primatol 2019; 81:e22991. [PMID: 31265141 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Host movements, including migrations or range expansions, are known to influence parasite communities. Transitions to captivity-a rarely studied yet widespread human-driven host movement-can also change parasite communities, in some cases leading to pathogen spillover among wildlife species, or between wildlife and human hosts. We compared parasite species richness between wild and captive populations of 22 primate species, including macro- (helminths and arthropods) and micro-parasites (viruses, protozoa, bacteria, and fungi). We predicted that captive primates would have only a subset of their native parasite community, and would possess fewer parasites with complex life cycles requiring intermediate hosts or vectors. We further predicted that captive primates would have parasites transmitted by close contact and environmentally-including those shared with humans and other animals, such as commensals and pests. We found that the composition of primate parasite communities shifted in captive populations, especially because of turnover (parasites detected in captivity but not reported in the wild), but with some evidence of nestedness (holdovers from the wild). Because of the high degree of turnover, we found no significant difference in overall parasite richness between captive and wild primates. Vector-borne parasites were less likely to be found in captivity, whereas parasites transmitted through either close or non-close contact, including through fecal-oral transmission, were more likely to be newly detected in captivity. These findings identify parasites that require monitoring in captivity and raise concerns about the introduction of novel parasites to potentially susceptible wildlife populations during reintroduction programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Herrera
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Debapriyo Chakraborty
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,EcoHealth Alliance, New York, New York
| | - Julie Rushmore
- Epicenter for Disease Dynamics, One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, California.,Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens
| | - Charles Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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19
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Host Specificity in Variable Environments. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:452-465. [PMID: 31047808 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Host specificity encompasses the range and diversity of host species that a parasite is capable of infecting and is considered a crucial measure of a parasite's potential to shift hosts and trigger disease emergence. Yet empirical studies rarely consider that regional observations only reflect a parasite's 'realized' host range under particular conditions: the true 'fundamental' range of host specificity is typically not approached. We provide an overview of challenges and directions in modelling host specificity under variable environmental conditions. Combining tractable modelling frameworks with multiple data sources that account for the strong interplay between a parasite's evolutionary history, transmission mode, and environmental filters that shape host-parasite interactions will improve efforts to quantify emerging disease risk in times of global change.
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20
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Fecchio A, Wells K, Bell JA, Tkach VV, Lutz HL, Weckstein JD, Clegg SM, Clark NJ. Climate variation influences host specificity in avian malaria parasites. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:547-557. [PMID: 30637890 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 11/13/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parasites with low host specificity (e.g. infecting a large diversity of host species) are of special interest in disease ecology, as they are likely more capable of circumventing ecological or evolutionary barriers to infect new hosts than are specialist parasites. Yet for many parasites, host specificity is not fixed and can vary in response to environmental conditions. Using data on host associations for avian malaria parasites (Apicomplexa: Haemosporida), we develop a hierarchical model that quantifies this environmental dependency by partitioning host specificity variation into region- and parasite-level effects. Parasites were generally phylogenetic host specialists, infecting phylogenetically clustered subsets of available avian hosts. However, the magnitude of this specialisation varied biogeographically, with parasites exhibiting higher host specificity in regions with more pronounced rainfall seasonality and wetter dry seasons. Recognising the environmental dependency of parasite specialisation can provide useful leverage for improving predictions of infection risk in response to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Fecchio
- Laboratório de Evolução e Biogeografia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo 147, Salvador, BA, 40170115, Brazil
| | - Konstans Wells
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Jeffrey A Bell
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 1 Campus Drive and Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND, 58202, USA
| | - Vasyl V Tkach
- Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, 10 Cornell Street, Grand Forks, ND, 58202, USA
| | - Holly L Lutz
- Department of Surgery, University of Chicago, 5812 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL, 606372, USA.,Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL, 60605, USA
| | - Jason D Weckstein
- Department of Ornithology, Academy of Natural Sciences and Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, Drexel University, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA
| | - Sonya M Clegg
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Nicholas J Clark
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, Australia
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21
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McLeish MJ, Fraile A, García-Arenal F. Ecological Complexity in Plant Virus Host Range Evolution. Adv Virus Res 2018; 101:293-339. [PMID: 29908592 DOI: 10.1016/bs.aivir.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The host range of a plant virus is the number of species in which it can reproduce. Most studies of plant virus host range evolution have focused on the genetics of host-pathogen interactions. However, the distribution and abundance of plant viruses and their hosts do not always overlap, and these spatial and temporal discontinuities in plant virus-host interactions can result in various ecological processes that shape host range evolution. Recent work shows that the distributions of pathogenic and resistant genotypes, vectors, and other resources supporting transmission vary widely in the environment, producing both expected and unanticipated patterns. The distributions of all of these factors are influenced further by competitive effects, natural enemies, anthropogenic disturbance, the abiotic environment, and herbivory to mention some. We suggest the need for further development of approaches that (i) explicitly consider resource use and the abiotic and biotic factors that affect the strategies by which viruses exploit resources; and (ii) are sensitive across scales. Host range and habitat specificity will largely determine which phyla are most likely to be new hosts, but predicting which host and when it is likely to be infected is enormously challenging because it is unclear how environmental heterogeneity affects the interactions of viruses and hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J McLeish
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas UPM-INIA, and E.T.S.I. Agrícola, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aurora Fraile
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas UPM-INIA, and E.T.S.I. Agrícola, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando García-Arenal
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas UPM-INIA, and E.T.S.I. Agrícola, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Campus de Montegancedo, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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22
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Stokke BG, Ratikainen II, Moksnes A, Røskaft E, Schulze-Hagen K, Leech DI, Møller AP, Fossøy F. Characteristics determining host suitability for a generalist parasite. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6285. [PMID: 29674671 PMCID: PMC5908913 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24627-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Host quality is critical for parasites. The common cuckoo Cuculus canorus is a generalist avian brood parasite, but individual females show strong preference for a specific host species. Here, we use three extensive datasets to investigate different host characteristics determining cuckoo host selection at the species level: (i) 1871 population-specific parasitism rates collected across Europe; (ii) 14 K cases of parasitism in the United Kingdom; and (iii) 16 K cases of parasitism in Germany, with data collected during the period 1735-2013. We find highly consistent effects of the different host species traits across our three datasets: the cuckoo prefers passerine host species of intermediate size that breed in grass- or shrubland and that feed their nestlings with insects, and avoids species that nest in cavities. Based on these results, we construct a novel host suitability index for all passerine species breeding in Europe, and show that host species known to have a corresponding cuckoo host race (gens) rank among the most suitable hosts in Europe. The distribution of our suitability index shows that host species cannot be classified as suitable or not but rather range within a continuum of suitability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bård G Stokke
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway.
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway.
| | - Irja I Ratikainen
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Arne Moksnes
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Eivin Røskaft
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - David I Leech
- British Trust for Ornithology, The Nunnery, Thetford, IP24 2PU, UK
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405, Orsay, Cedex, France
| | - Frode Fossøy
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Høgskoleringen 5, NO-7491, Trondheim, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), P.O. Box 5685 Sluppen, NO-7485, Trondheim, Norway
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