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Bouilloud M, Galan M, Pradel J, Loiseau A, Ferrero J, Gallet R, Roche B, Charbonnel N. Exploring the potential effects of forest urbanization on the interplay between small mammal communities and their gut microbiota. Anim Microbiome 2024; 6:16. [PMID: 38528597 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-024-00301-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Urbanization significantly impacts wild populations, favoring urban dweller species over those that are unable to adapt to rapid changes. These differential adaptative abilities could be mediated by the microbiome, which may modulate the host phenotype rapidly through a high degree of flexibility. Conversely, under anthropic perturbations, the microbiota of some species could be disrupted, resulting in dysbiosis and negative impacts on host fitness. The links between the impact of urbanization on host communities and their gut microbiota (GM) have only been scarcely explored. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the bacterial composition of the GM could play a role in host adaptation to urban environments. We described the GM of several species of small terrestrial mammals sampled in forested areas along a gradient of urbanization, using a 16S metabarcoding approach. We tested whether urbanization led to changes in small mammal communities and in their GM, considering the presence and abundance of bacterial taxa and their putative functions. This enabled to decipher the processes underlying these changes. We found potential impacts of urbanization on small mammal communities and their GM. The urban dweller species had a lower bacterial taxonomic diversity but a higher functional diversity and a different composition compared to urban adapter species. Their GM assembly was mostly governed by stochastic effects, potentially indicating dysbiosis. Selection processes and an overabundance of functions were detected that could be associated with adaptation to urban environments despite dysbiosis. In urban adapter species, the GM functional diversity and composition remained relatively stable along the urbanization gradient. This observation can be explained by functional redundancy, where certain taxa express the same function. This could favor the adaptation of urban adapter species in various environments, including urban settings. We can therefore assume that there are feedbacks between the gut microbiota and host species within communities, enabling rapid adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Bouilloud
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
- Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations, 750 Avenue Agropolis, 34988, Montferrier sur Lez, France.
| | - Maxime Galan
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Pradel
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Anne Loiseau
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Julien Ferrero
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Romain Gallet
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Benjamin Roche
- MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Nathalie Charbonnel
- CBGP, IRD, CIRAD, INRAE, Institut Agro, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Paller VGV, Fornesa RN, Fernandez DAP, Estaño LA. Rats and their helminth parasites: Potential zoonosis threats of land use change in the northeastern sub-watersheds of Mount Makiling, Laguna, Philippines. Helminthologia 2024; 61:30-39. [PMID: 38659471 PMCID: PMC11038262 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2024-0005] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The continuous challenges of land use change have brought potential threats to biodiversity and the spread of zoonotic diseases. In this study, synanthropic rodents and their helminth parasites were used as sentinels to assess the potential impact of land use on zoonosis. Rats were collected in different ecosystems, namely agricultural, agroforest, and residential areas in the northeastern sub-watersheds of Mount Makiling, Laguna, Philippines. Three (3) species of rats were captured, namely, Rattus tanezumi, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus exulans. Of the total 180 rats collected, 92.7 % were found infected with helminth parasites, namely Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia pisiformis, and Strobilocercus fasciolaris (cestodes); Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, Strongyloides ratti, Capillaria hepatica, Trichuris muris, and Rictularia sp. (nematodes); and Echinostoma ilocanum (trematode). Of these 11 species, nine (9) were considered zoonotic. This study provides important information on the helminth parasites of rats in the northeastern sub-watersheds of Mount Makiling and the potential threat of zoonotic transmission due to increasing land use change and urbanization in the area. Moreover, urbanization can provide favorable eco-epidemiological conditions for rodent-borne pathogens, such as parasites, that are seriously threatening agricultural settings and human settlements in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- V. G. V. Paller
- Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, LagunaPhilippines4031
| | | | - D. A. P. Fernandez
- Animal Biology Division, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baños, LagunaPhilippines4031
| | - L. A. Estaño
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics, Mindanao State; University-Iligan Institute of Technology, Bonifacio Ave, Tibanga, Iligan City, Philippines9200
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Fleischer R, Eibner GJ, Schwensow NI, Pirzer F, Paraskevopoulou S, Mayer G, Corman VM, Drosten C, Wilhelm K, Heni AC, Sommer S, Schmid DW. Immunogenetic-pathogen networks shrink in Tome's spiny rat, a generalist rodent inhabiting disturbed landscapes. Commun Biol 2024; 7:169. [PMID: 38341501 PMCID: PMC10858909 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05870-x] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic disturbance may increase the emergence of zoonoses. Especially generalists that cope with disturbance and live in close contact with humans and livestock may become reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens. Yet, whether anthropogenic disturbance modifies host-pathogen co-evolutionary relationships in generalists is unknown. We assessed pathogen diversity, neutral genome-wide diversity (SNPs) and adaptive MHC class II diversity in a rodent generalist inhabiting three lowland rainforest landscapes with varying anthropogenic disturbance, and determined which MHC alleles co-occurred more frequently with 13 gastrointestinal nematodes, blood trypanosomes, and four viruses. Pathogen-specific selection pressures varied between landscapes. Genome-wide diversity declined with the degree of disturbance, while MHC diversity was only reduced in the most disturbed landscape. Furthermore, pristine forest landscapes had more functional important MHC-pathogen associations when compared to disturbed forests. We show co-evolutionary links between host and pathogens impoverished in human-disturbed landscapes. This underscores that parasite-mediated selection might change even in generalist species following human disturbance which in turn may facilitate host switching and the emergence of zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Fleischer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Georg Joachim Eibner
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nina Isabell Schwensow
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Fabian Pirzer
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Gerd Mayer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Victor Max Corman
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Robert Koch Institute, Nordufer 20, Berlin, 13353, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research (DZIF), Berlin, Germany
| | - Kerstin Wilhelm
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Alexander Christoph Heni
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá, República de Panamá
| | - Simone Sommer
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Dominik Werner Schmid
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
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Keiser P, Hörweg C, Kübber-Heiss A, Hering-Hagenbeck S, Shahi-Barogh B, Reitl K, Vielgrader H, Voracek T, Fuehrer HP, Ebmer D. Sarcoptes scabiei infestation in a captive lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris): case report, morphological and molecular genetic mite identification. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:3181-3188. [PMID: 37882819 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-08009-9] [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: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Sarcoptes scabiei (Acari: Sarcoptidae) is a globally distributed parasitic mite species, which causes mange in a broad spectrum of domestic and wild mammals. In the present study, we report a case of chronic S. scabiei infestation in a captive lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) held in a multi-species exhibit at Vienna Zoo. The adult male showed clinically manifested mange flare-ups three times at an interval of up to 12 months, diagnosed by positive deep-skin scrapings and successfully treated by oral applications of ivermectin (0.1-0.2 mg/kg body weight) and washings with antimicrobial solutions. Clinical symptoms including pruritus, alopecia, erythema, crusts, and superficial bleedings were limited to the axillar and pectoral region, as well as distal limbs. The affected tapir died from underlying bacterial pneumonia during general anesthesia. Skin scrapings, necropsy, and histopathological analysis of mite material (eggs, larvae, and adults) permitted further morphological and molecular identification. The morphological features described here matched the characteristics for the species S. scabiei and molecular data verified morphological identification. Cross-species transmission plays a key role in the expansion of this neglected emerging panzootic disease and urban wildlife could potentially bridge the gap between free-ranging wildlife reservoirs and zoo animals. However, further examinations are needed to detect the primary source of infestation and discover transmission pathways within the zoo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Perrine Keiser
- Veterinary Clinic Vienna Zoo, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 6, 1130, Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Hörweg
- 3rd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Burgring 7, 1010, Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Kübber-Heiss
- Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstr. 1, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Bita Shahi-Barogh
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Reitl
- Veterinary Clinic Vienna Zoo, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 6, 1130, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanna Vielgrader
- Veterinary Clinic Vienna Zoo, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 6, 1130, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Voracek
- Veterinary Clinic Vienna Zoo, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 6, 1130, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hans-Peter Fuehrer
- Institute of Parasitology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - David Ebmer
- Veterinary Clinic Vienna Zoo, Seckendorff-Gudent-Weg 6, 1130, Vienna, Austria.
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Minias P. The effects of urban life on animal immunity: Adaptations and constraints. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:165085. [PMID: 37379938 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Land transformation, including urbanization, is a dominant form of anthropogenic change to the global environment at the dawn of the Anthropocene epoch. More and more species are brought into direct contact with humans, being either required to develop broad-scale adaptations to urban environment or filtered out from urbanized areas. While behavioural or physiological adaptations are at the forefront of urban biology research, there is accumulating evidence for divergent pathogen pressure across urbanization gradients, requiring adjustments in host immune function. At the same time, host immunity may be constrained by unfavourable components of an urban environment, such as poor-quality food resources, disturbance, or pollution. Here, I reviewed existing evidence for adaptations and constrains in the immune system of urban animals, focusing on the recent implementation of metabarcoding, genomic, transcriptomic, and epigenomic approaches in urban biology research. I show that spatial variation in pathogen pressure across urban and non-urban landscapes is highly complex and may be context-dependent, but there is solid evidence for pathogen-driven immunostimulation in urban-dwelling animals. I also show that genes coding for molecules directly involved in interactions with pathogens are the prime candidates for immunogenetic adaptations to urban life. Evidence emerging from landscape genomics and transcriptomics show that immune adaptations to urban life may have a polygenic nature, but immune traits may not be among the key biological functions experiencing broad-scale microevolutionary changes in response to urbanization. Finally, I provided recommendations for future research, including i) a better integration of different 'omic' approaches to obtain a more complete picture of immune adaptations to urban life in non-model animal taxa, ii) quantification of fitness landscapes for immune phenotypes and genotypes across urbanization gradient, and iii) much broader taxonomic coverage (including invertebrates) necessary to draw more robust conclusions on how general (or taxa-specific) are immune responses of animals to urbanization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Banacha 1/3, 90-237 Łódź, Poland.
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Colombo VC, Lareschi M, Monje LD, Antoniazzi LR, Morand S, Beldomenico PM. Ecological factors shaping the ectoparasite community assembly of the Azara's Grass Mouse, Akodon azarae (Rodentia: Cricetidae). Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2011-2021. [PMID: 37341789 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07901-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are integral members of the global biodiversity. They are useful indicators of environmental stress, food web structure and diversity. Ectoparasites have the potential to transmit vector-borne diseases of public health and veterinary importance and to play an important role in the regulation and evolution of host populations. The interlinkages between hosts, parasites and the environment are complex and challenging to study, leading to controversial results. Most previous studies have been focused on one or two parasite groups, while hosts are often co-infected by different taxa. The present study aims to assess the influence of environmental and host traits on the entire ectoparasite community composition of the rodent Akodon azarae. A total of 278 rodents were examined and mites (Mesostigmata), lice (Phthiraptera), ticks (Ixodida) and fleas (Siphonaptera) were determined. A multi-correspondence analysis was performed in order to analyze interactions within the ectoparasite community and the influence of environmental and host variables on this assembly. We found that environmental variables have a stronger influence on the composition of the ectoparasite community of A. azarae than the host variables analyzed. Minimum temperature was the most influential variable among the studied. In addition, we found evidence of agonistic and antagonistic interactions between ticks and mites, lice and fleas. The present study supports the hypothesis that minimum temperature plays a major role in the dynamics that shape the ectoparasite community of A. azarae, probably through both direct and indirect processes. This finding becomes particularly relevant in a climate change scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Carolina Colombo
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina.
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
- Servicio de Neurovirosis, INEI-ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Av. Vélez Sarsfield 563, C1282AFF, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Marcela Lareschi
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) (CONICET-UNLP), Bv. 120 S/N E/ 60 y 61, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Lucas Daniel Monje
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina
| | - Leandro Raúl Antoniazzi
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina
- Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA (CONICET), 9 de Julio 14, 4405, Rosario de Lerma, Argentina
| | - Serge Morand
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Pablo Martín Beldomenico
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina
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Infante J, Riquelme M, Huerta N, Oettinger S, Fredes F, Simonetti JA, Rubio AV. Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia spp. in wild rodents: using occupancy models to estimate drivers of occurrence and prevalence in native forest and exotic Pinus radiata plantations from Central Chile. Acta Trop 2022; 235:106635. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Drivers of the Ectoparasite Community and Co-Infection Patterns in Rural and Urban Burrowing Owls. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081141. [PMID: 36009768 PMCID: PMC9405203 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary We analyzed the ectoparasite community of a monomorphic and non-social bird, the burrowing owl, Athene cunicularia, breeding in rural and urban habitats. Such community was composed by two lice, one mite and one flea species. Rural individuals had more fleas and less mites than urban ones. Adult birds harbored less ectoparasites than young ones and females harbored more lice than males. The presence of lice was positively related to the presence of fleas. On the contrary, the presence of mites was negatively related to the presence of fleas and lice. The study of parasite communities in urban and rural populations of the same species can shed light on how urban stressor factors impact the physiology of wildlife inhabiting cities and, therefore, the host-parasite relationships. Abstract Urbanization creates new ecological conditions that can affect biodiversity at all levels, including the diversity and prevalence of parasites of species that may occupy these environments. However, few studies have compared bird–ectoparasite interactions between urban and rural individuals. Here, we analyze the ectoparasite community and co-infection patterns of urban and rural burrowing owls, Athene cunicularia, to assess the influence of host traits (i.e., sex, age, and weight), and environmental factors (i.e., number of conspecifics per nest, habitat type and aridity) on its composition. Ectoparasites of burrowing owls included two lice, one flea, and one mite. The overall prevalence for mites, lice and fleas was 1.75%, 8.76% and 3.50%, respectively. A clear pattern of co-infection was detected between mites and fleas and, to less extent, between mites and lice. Adult owls harbored fewer ectoparasites than nestlings, and adult females harbored more lice than males. Our results also show that mite and flea numbers were higher when more conspecifics cohabited the same burrow, while lice showed the opposite pattern. Rural individuals showed higher flea parasitism and lower mite parasitism than urban birds. Moreover, mite numbers were negatively correlated with aridity and host weight. Although the ectoparasitic load of burrowing owls appears to be influenced by individual age, sex, number of conspecifics per nest, and habitat characteristics, the pattern of co-infection found among ectoparasites could also be mediated by unexplored factors such as host immune response, which deserves further research.
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Urban-adapted mammal species have more known pathogens. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:794-801. [PMID: 35501480 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01723-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The world is rapidly urbanizing, inviting mounting concern that urban environments will experience increased zoonotic disease risk. Urban animals could have more frequent contact with humans, therefore transmitting more zoonotic parasites; however, this relationship is complicated by sampling bias and phenotypic confounders. Here we test whether urban mammal species host more zoonotic parasites, investigating the underlying drivers alongside a suite of phenotypic, taxonomic and geographic predictors. We found that urban-adapted mammals have more documented parasites and more zoonotic parasites: despite comprising only 6% of investigated species, urban mammals provided 39% of known host-parasite combinations. However, contrary to predictions, much of the observed effect was attributable to parasite discovery and research effort rather than to urban adaptation status, and urban-adapted species in fact hosted fewer zoonotic parasites than expected on the basis of their total parasite richness. We conclude that extended historical contact with humans has had a limited impact on zoonotic parasite richness in urban-adapted mammals; instead, their greater observed zoonotic richness probably reflects sampling bias arising from proximity to humans, supporting a near-universal conflation between zoonotic risk, research effort and synanthropy. These findings underscore the need to resolve the mechanisms linking anthropogenic change, sampling bias and observed wildlife disease dynamics.
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Bitters ME, Meyers J, Resasco J, Sarre SD, Tuff KT, Davies KF. Experimental habitat fragmentation disrupts host-parasite interaction over decades via life-cycle bottlenecks. Ecology 2022; 103:e3758. [PMID: 35581950 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Habitat loss and fragmentation are likely to seriously impact parasites, a less studied but critical component of ecosystems, yet we lack long-term experimental evidence. Parasites structure communities, increase connectivity in food webs, and account for a large proportion of an ecosystem's total biomass. Food web models predict that parasites with multiple obligate hosts are at greater risk of extinction because the local extinction, or reduction in abundance, of any host will result in a life-cycle bottleneck for the parasite. We examine the response of a parasite and its multiple hosts to forest fragmentation over 26 years in the Wog Wog Habitat Fragmentation Experiment in southeastern Australia. The parasite is the nematode Hedruris wogwogensis, its intermediate host is the amphipod, Arcitalitrus sylvaticus, and its definitive host is the skink, Lampropholis guichenoti. In the first decade after fragmentation, nematodes completely disappeared from the matrix (plantation forestry) and all but disappeared from their definitive host (skinks) in fragments, and by the third decade after fragmentation had not appreciably recovered anywhere in the fragmented landscape compared to continuous forest. The low prevalence of the nematode in the fragmented landscape was associated with the low abundance of one or the other host in different decades: low abundance of the intermediate host (amphipod) in the first decade and low abundance of the definitive host (skink) in the third decade. In turn, the low abundance of each host was associated with changes to the abiotic environment over time due largely to the dynamically changing matrix as the plantation trees grew. Our study provides rare long-term experimental evidence of how disturbance can cause local extinction in parasites with life cycles dependent on more than one host species through population bottlenecks at any life stage. Mismatches in the abundance of multiple hosts over time are likely to be common following disturbance, thus causing parasites with complex life cycles to be particularly susceptible to habitat fragmentation and other disturbances. The integrity of food webs, communities, and ecosystems in fragmented landscapes may be more compromised than presently appreciated due to the sensitivity of parasites to habitat fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Bitters
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
| | - Jacqui Meyers
- CSIRO Land and Water, Black Mountain, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Julian Resasco
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
| | - Stephen D Sarre
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Kika T Tuff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.,Impact Media Lab, Boulder, CO
| | - Kendi F Davies
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
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11
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Dunn A, Amir Z, Decoeur H, Dehaudt B, Nursamsi I, Mendes C, Moore JH, Negret PJ, Sovie A, Luskin MS. The ecology of the banded civet (
Hemigalus derbyanus
) in Southeast Asia with implications for mesopredator release, zoonotic diseases, and conservation. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8852. [PMID: 35505997 PMCID: PMC9047978 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat loss and degradation threaten forest specialist wildlife species, but some generalist mesopredators exploit disturbed areas and human‐derived food, which brings them into closer contact with humans. Mesopredator release is also important for human health for known zoonotic disease reservoirs, such as Asian civets (Viverridae family), since this group includes the intermediator species for the SARS‐CoV‐1 outbreak. Here we use camera trapping to evaluate the habitat associations of the widespread banded civet (Hemigalus derbyanus) across its range in Southeast Asia. At the regional scale, banded civet detections among published studies were positively associated with forest cover and negatively associated with human population. At the local scale (within a landscape), hierarchical modeling of new camera trapping showed that abundance was negatively associated with forest loss and positively associated with distance to rivers. These results do not support mesopredator release and suggest a low likelihood overlap with humans in degraded habitats and, therefore, a low risk of zoonotic disease transmission from this species in the wild. We also estimate that banded civet distribution has contracted to under 21% of its currently recognized IUCN Red List range, only 12% of which falls within protected areas, and a precipitous recent decline in population size. Accordingly, we suggest the banded civet's Red List status should be re‐evaluated in light of our findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashlea Dunn
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Zachary Amir
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Henri Decoeur
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Bastien Dehaudt
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Ilyas Nursamsi
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Calebe Mendes
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Jonathan H. Moore
- School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Norwich UK
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology Shenzhen China
| | - Pablo Jose Negret
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
| | - Adia Sovie
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
| | - Matthew Scott Luskin
- School of Biological Sciences University of Queensland Brisbane Queensland Australia
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science University of Queensland St. Lucia Queensland Australia
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12
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Phylogeography and Prevalence of Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Eucoccidiorida) in Galápagos Marine Iguanas, Amblyrhynchus cristatus (Reptilia: Iguanidae). Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12091142. [PMID: 35565568 PMCID: PMC9105802 DOI: 10.3390/ani12091142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Parasitism is among the most common forms of coexistence of organisms of different species. Hemoparasites live in the bloodstream of the host where they complete different life-cycle stages. Members of the phylum Apicomplexa constitute a large portion of all hemoparasites infecting reptiles and their parasite transmitting vectors, including arthropods. In this study, we carried out a survey and molecular identification of hemoparasites in blood samples of the iconic Galápagos marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus). Major island populations of marine iguanas were sampled to examine large-scale biogeographic patterns of parasite diversity and prevalence. Nested PCRs were used to amplify segments of the 18S rRNA-gene of hemoparasites. Furthermore, ticks attached to marine iguanas were collected and analyzed in the same way to assess their potential use as a non-invasive method for the detection of hemoparasites in vertebrate host species. PCR products were sequenced and a phylogenetic analysis was carried out showing the presence of two genetically distinct clusters of hemoparasites, one more commonly distributed than the other one, belonging to the genera Hepatozoon and/or Hemolivia (Apicomplexa: Eucoccidiorida). Overall, 25% of marine iguanas were infected by hemoparasites. However, infection rates varied strongly among particular island populations (from 3.45% to 50%). Although marine iguanas are an extremely mobile species that has colonized all islands in the Galápagos archipelago, parasite occurrence was not related to geographical distance, suggesting that dispersal behavior has a minor role in parasite transmission. On most islands, females tended to have higher infection rates than males, but this relationship was only significant on one island. Overall, ticks and marine iguanas had similar prevalence and diversity of parasites. However, the infection profiles of ticks and their corresponding hosts (marine iguanas) did not mirror one another, indicating that this method cannot be used reliably to assess marine iguana infection status. Interestingly, we found that hemoparasite prevalence in marine iguanas and ticks tended to be positively correlated across islands. Our results indicate that certain populations of marine iguanas may have special mechanisms and adaptations to cope with parasite infection. In addition, other factors such as vector density, anthropogenic-related activities or the immunological state of marine iguanas could potentially affect the striking variation in hemoparasite prevalence across island populations.
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13
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Lopes S, Calegaro-Marques C, Klain V, Chaves ÓM, Bicca-Marques JC. Necropsies disclose a low helminth parasite diversity in periurban howler monkeys. Am J Primatol 2021; 84:e23346. [PMID: 34783067 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Primate-parasite interactions are often investigated via coprological studies given ethical and conservation restrictions of collecting primate hosts. Yet, these studies are inadequate to recover adult helminths for taxonomic identification and to accurately assess their prevalence, intensity, abundance, and site of infection. Fresh carcasses found in anthropogenic landscapes come as informative and reliable alternatives. In this study, we identified the helminths of brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) and their sites of infection, and measured their prevalence, intensity, and abundance of infection. We necropsied 18 adult males, 11 adult females, and 7 juvenile males that died in conflicts with the anthropogenic environment (domestic dog attacks, n = 11; electrocutions and road-kills, n = 10 each; unknown, n = 5) in periurban landscapes of southern Brazil between 2013 and 2019. We found three nematodes (Trypanoxyuris minutus, Dipetalonema gracile, and Parabronema bonnei) and one cestode (Bertiella cf. studeri), a diversity estimated to account for a sampling completeness of 99%. Prevalence ranged from 3% for P. bonnei to 100% for T. minutus. Mean abundance ranged from 2 (D. gracile and B. cf. studeri) to 55,116 (T. minutus) and mean intensity of infection ranged from 4 (B. cf. studeri) to 55,116 (T. minutus). Trypanoxyuris minutus sex ratio was strongly male-biased. The intensity of infection with T. minutus was higher in juvenile males and adult females than in adult males. The low parasite diversity and the helminths' mode of transmission are compatible with howlers' arboreality and folivorous-frugivorous diet. The howlers were not infected with soil-transmitted helminth parasites of humans and domestic animals on the ground and probably did not eat invertebrates to complement the diet. Given the lack of evidence of howler health problems, we suggest that the causes of death of the necropsied howlers are the major threats to the long-term conservation of the species at the study periurban landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Lopes
- Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Helmintologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Calegaro-Marques
- Departamento de Zoologia, Laboratório de Helmintologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Klain
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Laboratório de Primatologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Óscar M Chaves
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Laboratório de Primatologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.,Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Júlio César Bicca-Marques
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Laboratório de Primatologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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14
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Hurtado G, Mayer G, Mabry KE. Does urbanization ameliorate the effect of endoparasite infection in kangaroo rats? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:13390-13400. [PMID: 34646477 PMCID: PMC8495810 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Urban development can fragment and degrade remnant habitat. Such habitat alterations can have profound impacts on wildlife, including effects on population density, parasite infection status, parasite prevalence, and body condition. We investigated the influence of urbanization on populations of Merriam's kangaroo rat (Dipodomys merriami) and their parasites. We predicted that urban development would lead to reduced abundance, increased parasite prevalence in urban populations, increased probability of parasite infection for individual animals, and decreased body condition of kangaroo rats in urban versus wildland areas. We live trapped kangaroo rats at 5 urban and 5 wildland sites in and around Las Cruces, NM, USA from 2013 to 2015, collected fecal samples from 209 kangaroo rats, and detected endoparasites using fecal flotation and molecular barcoding. Seven parasite species were detected, although only two parasitic worms, Mastophorus dipodomis and Pterygodermatites dipodomis, occurred frequently enough to allow for statistical analysis. We found no effects of urbanization on population density or probability of parasite infection. However, wildland animals infected with P. dipodomis had lower body condition scores than infected animals in urban areas or uninfected animals in either habitat. Our results suggest that urban environments may buffer Merriam's kangaroo rats from the detrimental impacts to body condition that P. dipodomis infections can cause.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gizelle Hurtado
- Department of BiologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNMUSA
- Norris Natural History MuseumUniversity of California Santa CruzSanta CruzCAUSA
| | | | - Karen E. Mabry
- Department of BiologyNew Mexico State UniversityLas CrucesNMUSA
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15
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Vanden Broecke B, Bernaerts L, Ribas A, Sluydts V, Mnyone L, Matthysen E, Leirs H. Linking Behavior, Co-infection Patterns, and Viral Infection Risk With the Whole Gastrointestinal Helminth Community Structure in Mastomys natalensis. Front Vet Sci 2021; 8:669058. [PMID: 34485424 PMCID: PMC8415832 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2021.669058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Infection probability, load, and community structure of helminths varies strongly between and within animal populations. This can be ascribed to environmental stochasticity or due to individual characteristics of the host such as their age or sex. Other, but understudied, factors are the hosts' behavior and co-infection patterns. In this study, we used the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) as a model system to investigate how the hosts' sex, age, exploration behavior, and viral infection history affects their infection risk, parasitic load, and community structure of gastrointestinal helminths. We hypothesized that the hosts' exploration behavior would play a key role in the risk for infection by different gastrointestinal helminths, whereby highly explorative individuals would have a higher infection risk leading to a wider diversity of helminths and a larger load compared to less explorative individuals. Fieldwork was performed in Morogoro, Tanzania, where we trapped a total of 214 individual mice. Their exploratory behavior was characterized using a hole-board test after which we collected the helminths inside their gastrointestinal tract. During our study, we found helminths belonging to eight different genera: Hymenolepis sp., Protospirura muricola, Syphacia sp., Trichuris mastomysi, Gongylonema sp., Pterygodermatites sp., Raillietina sp., and Inermicapsifer sp. and one family: Trichostrongylidae. Hierarchical modeling of species communities (HMSC) was used to investigate the effect of the different host-related factors on the infection probability, parasite load, and community structure of these helminths. Our results show that species richness was higher in adults and in females compared to juveniles and males, respectively. Contrary to our expectations, we found that less explorative individuals had higher infection probability with different helminths resulting in a higher diversity, which could be due to a higher exposure rate to these helminths and/or behavioral modification due to the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bram Vanden Broecke
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Lisse Bernaerts
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Alexis Ribas
- Parasitology Section, Department of Biology, Healthcare and Environment, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, IRBio (Research Institute of Biodiversity), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vincent Sluydts
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Ladslaus Mnyone
- Pest Management Center, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Erik Matthysen
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Herwig Leirs
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
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16
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Murray MH, Fidino M, Lehrer EW, Simonis JL, Magle SB. A multi-state occupancy model to non-invasively monitor visible signs of wildlife health with camera traps that accounts for image quality. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1973-1984. [PMID: 33942308 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Camera traps are an increasingly popular tool to monitor wildlife distributions. However, traditional analytical approaches to camera trap data are difficult to apply to visible wildlife characteristics in single images, such as infection status. Several parasites produce visible signs of infection that could be sampled via camera traps. Sarcoptic mange Sarcoptes scabiei is an ideal disease to study using cameras because it results in visible hair loss and affects a broad host range. Here, we developed a multi-state occupancy model to estimate the occurrence of mange in coyotes Canis latrans across an urban gradient. This model incorporates a secondary detection function for apparent by-image infection status to provide detection-corrected estimates of mange occurrence. We analysed a multi-year camera trap dataset in Chicago, Illinois, United States, to test whether the apparent occurrence of sarcoptic mange in coyotes Canis latrans increases with urbanization or varies through time. We documented visible signs consistent with current or recovering mange infection and variables we hypothesized would improve mange detection: The proportion of the coyote in frame, image blur and whether the image was in colour. We were more likely to detect coyotes with mange in images that were less blurry, in colour, and if a greater proportion of the coyote was visible. Mangy coyote occupancy was significantly higher in urban developed areas with low housing density and higher canopy cover whereas coyote occupancy, mangy or otherwise, decreased with urbanization. By incorporating image quality into our by-image detection function, we provide a robust method to non-invasively survey visible aspects of wildlife health with camera traps. Apparently mangy coyotes were associated with low-density forested neighbourhoods, which may offer vegetated areas while containing sources of anthropogenic resources. This association may contribute to human-wildlife conflict and reinforces posited relationships between infection risk and habitat use. More generally, our model could provide detection-corrected occupancy estimates of visible characteristics that vary by image such as body condition or injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen H Murray
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mason Fidino
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Elizabeth W Lehrer
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Seth B Magle
- Department of Conservation and Science, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, USA
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17
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Escobar LE, Carver S, Cross PC, Rossi L, Almberg ES, Yabsley MJ, Niedringhaus KD, Van Wick P, Dominguez-Villegas E, Gakuya F, Xie Y, Angelone S, Gortázar C, Astorga F. Sarcoptic mange: An emerging panzootic in wildlife. Transbound Emerg Dis 2021; 69:927-942. [PMID: 33756055 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.14082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Sarcoptic mange, a skin infestation caused by the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, is an emerging disease for some species of wildlife, potentially jeopardizing their welfare and conservation. Sarcoptes scabiei has a near-global distribution facilitated by its forms of transmission and use of a large diversity of host species (many of those with broad geographic distribution). In this review, we synthesize the current knowledge concerning the geographic and host taxonomic distribution of mange in wildlife, the epidemiological connections between species, and the potential threat of sarcoptic mange for wildlife conservation. Recent sarcoptic mange outbreaks in wildlife appear to demonstrate ongoing geographic spread, increase in the number of hosts and increased virulence. Sarcoptic mange has been reported in at least 12 orders, 39 families and 148 species of domestic and wild mammals, making it one of the most generalist ectoparasites of mammals. Taxonomically, the orders with most species found infested so far include Perissodactyla (67% species from the entire order), Artiodactyla (47%), and Diprotodontia (67% from this order). This suggests that new species from these mammal orders are likely to suffer cross-species transmission and be reported positive to sarcoptic mange as surveillance improves. We propose a new agenda for the study of sarcoptic mange in wildlife, including the study of the global phylogeography of S. scabiei, linkages between ecological host traits and sarcoptic mange susceptibility, immunology of individuals and species, development of control strategies in wildlife outbreaks and the effects of global environmental change in the sarcoptic mange system. The ongoing transmission globally and sustained spread among areas and wildlife species make sarcoptic mange an emerging panzootic in wildlife. A better understanding of sarcoptic mange could illuminate the aspects of ecological and evolutionary drivers in cross-species transmission for many emerging diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Scott Carver
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Paul C Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Luca Rossi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | | | - Michael J Yabsley
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kevin D Niedringhaus
- Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, China
| | | | | | - Francisca Astorga
- Núcleo de Investigaciones Aplicadas en Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronómicas, Universidad de las Américas, Santiago, Chile
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18
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Carlson CJ, Albery GF, Phelan A. Preparing international cooperation on pandemic prevention for the Anthropocene. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:e004254. [PMID: 33727277 PMCID: PMC7970212 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-004254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Alexandra Phelan
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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19
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Amoroso CR, Nunn CL. Epidemiological transitions in human evolution and the richness of viruses, helminths, and protozoa. EVOLUTION MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 9:139-148. [PMID: 33738104 PMCID: PMC7953414 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoab009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background and objectives In absolute terms, humans are extremely highly parasitized compared to other primates. This may reflect that humans are outliers in traits correlated with parasite richness: population density, geographic range area, and study effort. The high degree of parasitism could also reflect amplified disease risk associated with agriculture and urbanization. Alternatively, controlling for other variables, cultural and psychological adaptations could have reduced parasitism in humans over evolutionary time. Methodology We predicted the number of parasites that would infect a nonhuman primate with human phenotypic characteristics and phylogenetic position, and then compared observed parasitism of humans in eight geopolitical countries to the predicted distributions. The analyses incorporated study effort, phylogeny, and drivers of parasitism in 33 primate species. Results Analyses of individual countries were not supportive of either hypothesis. When analyzed collectively, however, human populations showed consistently lower than expected richness of protozoa and helminths, but higher richness of viruses. Thus, human evolutionary innovations and new parasite exposures may have impacted groups of parasites in different ways, with support for both hypotheses in the overall analysis. Conclusions and implications The high level of parasitism observed in humans only applies to viruses, and was not extreme in any of our tests of individual countries. In contrast, we find consistent reductions in protozoa and helminths across countries, suggesting reduced parasitism by these groups during human evolution. We propose that hygienic and technological advances might have extinguished fecal-orally or indirectly transmitted parasites like helminths, whereas higher human densities and host-shifting potential of viruses have supported increased virus richness. Lay Summary Vastly more parasite species infect humans than any other primate host. Controlling for factors that influence parasite richness, such as the intensity of study effort and body mass, we find that humans may have more viruses, but fewer helminths and protozoa, than expected based on evolutionary analyses of parasitism in other primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline R Amoroso
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27707, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Virginia, 485 McCormick Rd, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Dr, Durham, NC 27707, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, 310 Trent Dr, Durham, NC 27710, USA
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20
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Intestinal Helminths in Wild Rodents from Native Forest and Exotic Pine Plantations ( Pinus radiata) in Central Chile. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11020384. [PMID: 33546281 PMCID: PMC7913297 DOI: 10.3390/ani11020384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Land-use changes are one of the most important drivers of zoonotic disease risk in humans, including helminths of wildlife origin. In this paper, we investigated the presence and prevalence of intestinal helminths in wild rodents, comparing this parasitism between a native forest and exotic Monterey pine plantations (adult and young plantations) in central Chile. By analyzing 1091 fecal samples of a variety of rodent species sampled over two years, we recorded several helminth families and genera, some of them potentially zoonotic. We did not find differences in the prevalence of helminths between habitat types, but other factors (rodent species and season of the year) were relevant to explain changes in helminth prevalence. Given that Monterey pine plantations are one of the most important forestry plantations worldwide, and due to the detection of potentially zoonotic helminths, more research should be conducted in this study area and elsewhere in order to better understand the effect of pine plantations on parasites and pathogens in rodents and other wildlife hosts. Abstract Native forests have been replaced by forestry plantations worldwide, impacting biodiversity. However, the effect of this anthropogenic land-use change on parasitism is poorly understood. One of the most important land-use change in Chile is the replacement of native forests by Monterey pine (Pinus radiata) plantations. In this study, we analyzed the parasitism (presence and prevalence) of intestinal helminths from fecal samples of wild rodents in three habitat types: native forests and adult and young pine plantations in central Chile. Small mammals were sampled seasonally for two years, and a total of 1091 fecal samples from seven small mammal species were analyzed using coprological analysis. We found several helminth families and genera, some of them potentially zoonotic. In addition, new rodent–parasite associations were reported for the first time. The overall helminth prevalence was 16.95%, and an effect of habitat type on prevalence was not observed. Other factors were more relevant for prevalence such rodent species for Hymenolepis sp. and season for Physaloptera sp. Our findings indicate that pine plantations do not increase helminth prevalence in rodents compared to native forests.
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21
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Gecchele LV, Pedersen AB, Bell M. Fine-scale variation within urban landscapes affects marking patterns and gastrointestinal parasite diversity in red foxes. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13796-13809. [PMID: 33391681 PMCID: PMC7771116 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Urban areas are often considered to be a hostile environment for wildlife as they are highly fragmented and frequently disturbed. However, these same habitats can contain abundant resources, while lacking many common competitors and predators. The urban environment can have a direct impact on the species living there but can also have indirect effects on their parasites and pathogens. To date, relatively few studies have measured how fine-scale spatial heterogeneity within urban landscapes can affect parasite transmission and persistence.Here, we surveyed 237 greenspaces across the urban environment of Edinburgh (UK) to investigate how fine-scale variation in socio-economic and ecological variables can affect red fox (Vulpes vulpes) marking behavior, gastrointestinal (GI) parasite prevalence, and parasite community diversity.We found that the presence and abundance of red fox fecal markings were nonuniformly distributed across greenspaces and instead were dependent on the ecological characteristics of a site. Specifically, common foraging areas were left largely unmarked, which indicates that suitable resting and denning sites may be limiting factor in urban environments. In addition, the amount of greenspace around each site was positively correlated with overall GI parasite prevalence, species richness, and diversity, highlighting the importance of greenspace (a commonly used measure of landscape connectivity) in determining the composition of the parasite community in urban areas.Our results suggest that fine-scale variation within urban environments can be important for understanding the ecology of infectious diseases in urban wildlife and could have wider implication for the management of urban carnivores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa V. Gecchele
- Ashworth LaboratoriesSchool of Biological SciencesInstitute of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Amy B. Pedersen
- Ashworth LaboratoriesSchool of Biological SciencesInstitute of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Matthew Bell
- Ashworth LaboratoriesSchool of Biological SciencesInstitute of Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
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22
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Peterson AC, Ghersi BM, Riegel C, Wunder EA, Childs JE, Blum MJ. Amplification of pathogenic Leptospira infection with greater abundance and co-occurrence of rodent hosts across a counter-urbanizing landscape. Mol Ecol 2020; 30:2145-2161. [PMID: 33107122 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Land use change can elevate disease risk by creating conditions beneficial to species that carry zoonotic pathogens. Observations of concordant global trends in increased pathogen prevalence or disease incidence and landscape change have generated concerns that urbanization could increase transmission risk of some pathogens. Yet host-pathogen relationships underlying transmission risk have not been well characterized within cities, even where contact between humans and species capable of transmitting pathogens of concern occurs. We addressed this deficit by testing the hypothesis that areas in cities experiencing greater population loss and infrastructure decline (i.e., counter-urbanization) can support a greater diversity of host species and a larger and more diverse pool of pathogens. We did so by characterizing pathogenic Leptospira infection relative to rodent host richness and abundance across a mosaic of abandonment in post-Katrina New Orleans (Louisiana, USA). We found that Leptospira infection loads were highest in areas that harboured increased rodent species richness (which ranged from one to four rodent species detected). Areas with greater host co-occurrence also harboured a greater abundance of hosts, including the host species most likely to carry high infection loads, indicating that Leptospira infection can be amplified by increases in overall and relative host abundance. Evidence of shared infection among rodent host species indicates that cross-species transmission of Leptospira probably increases infection at sites with greater host richness. Additionally, evidence that rodent co-occurrence and abundance and Leptospira infection load parallel abandonment suggests that counter-urbanization can elevate zoonotic disease risk within cities, particularly in underserved communities that are burdened with disproportionate concentrations of derelict properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Peterson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Bruno M Ghersi
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Claudia Riegel
- City of New Orleans Mosquito, Termite, Rodent Control Board, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Elsio A Wunder
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.,Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Brazilian Ministry of Health, Salvador, Brazil
| | - James E Childs
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael J Blum
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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