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Heredia VIJ, Pérez ME, Salva AG, Robles CI, Hernández MB, Halloy M. Hematology of Liolaemus pacha (Iguania: Liolaemidae) and its relationship with mite infestation, reproductive period and body condition. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2024; 96:e20231175. [PMID: 39046023 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765202420231175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Variations in hematological profile in reptiles can be caused by multiple factors, including parasites presence. Our goals were to identify and morphologically describe blood cells of Liolaemus pacha and analyze their relationship with sex, body condition, individual reproductive/post-reproductive period and mite infestation. Blood smear analyses do not indicate the presence of hemoparasites, suggesting that the mites Neopterygosoma do not serve as vectors for these organisms, as has been proposed for other genera of ectoparasitic mites. In post-reproductive period, there was a reduction in specimens' body condition and a higher leukocyte count in uninfected lizards. This could be a consequence of the testosterone effects, in higher concentration during the reproductive season, which can increase the metabolic rate, decreasing feeding rate. Infested and non-infested lizards showed no differences in body condition, as well as in leukocyte count, hence the host's immune system could be developing infestation tolerance. Infested specimens had a higher count of monocytes, thrombocytes, heterophils and lymphocytes. Based on cells function, mites' effect could be associated with inflammatory processes, allergic reactions or infectious diseases. These results suggested a complex interaction between lizards' hematological parameters and factors associated to ectoparasites or body conditions. We consider this work as a diagnostic tool for genus Liolaemus, to evaluate health quality, with relevance to the conservation or management of this lizard's genus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viviana Isabel Juárez Heredia
- Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Ecología, Comportamiento y Conservación, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Eugenia Pérez
- Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Fisiología Animal, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Ana Gabriela Salva
- Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Ecología, Comportamiento y Conservación, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
- CONICET NOA Sur - Centro Científico Tecnológico Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Juan Crisóstomo Álvarez 722 Sur, T4000 San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Inés Robles
- Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Ecología, Comportamiento y Conservación, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Marcela Beatriz Hernández
- Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Fisiología Animal, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Monique Halloy
- Fundación Miguel Lillo, Instituto de Ecología, Comportamiento y Conservación, Miguel Lillo 251, T4000JFE, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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2
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Dean AD, Childs DZ, Corripio‐Miyar Y, Evans M, Hayward A, Kenyon F, McNally L, McNeilly TN, Pakeman RJ, Sweeny AR, Nussey DH, Pedersen AB, Fenton A. Host resources and parasite traits interact to determine the optimal combination of host parasite-mitigation strategies. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11310. [PMID: 38903143 PMCID: PMC11187858 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Organisms have evolved diverse strategies to manage parasite infections. Broadly, hosts may avoid infection by altering behaviour, resist infection by targeting parasites or tolerate infection by repairing associated damage. The effectiveness of a strategy depends on interactions between, for example, resource availability, parasite traits (virulence, life-history) and the host itself (nutritional status, immunopathology). To understand how these factors shape host parasite-mitigation strategies, we developed a mathematical model of within-host, parasite-immune dynamics in the context of helminth infections. The model incorporated host nutrition and resource allocation to different mechanisms of immune response: larval parasite prevention; adult parasite clearance; damage repair (tolerance). We also considered a non-immune strategy: avoidance via anorexia, reducing intake of infective stages. Resources not allocated to immune processes promoted host condition, whereas harm due to parasites and immunopathology diminished it. Maximising condition (a proxy for fitness), we determined optimal host investment for each parasite-mitigation strategy, singly and combined, across different environmental resource levels and parasite trait values. Which strategy was optimal varied with scenario. Tolerance generally performed well, especially with high resources. Success of the different resistance strategies (larval prevention or adult clearance) tracked relative virulence of larval and adult parasites: slowly maturing, highly damaging larvae favoured prevention; rapidly maturing, less harmful larvae favoured clearance. Anorexia was viable only in the short term, due to reduced host nutrition. Combined strategies always outperformed any lone strategy: these were dominated by tolerance, with some investment in resistance. Choice of parasite mitigation strategy has profound consequences for hosts, impacting their condition, survival and reproductive success. We show that the efficacy of different strategies is highly dependent on timescale, parasite traits and resource availability. Models that integrate such factors can inform the collection and interpretation of empirical data, to understand how those drivers interact to shape host immune responses in natural systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Dean
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | | | | | - Mike Evans
- Department for Disease ControlMoredun Research InstitutePenicuikUK
- The University of Edinburgh Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary StudiesRoslinUK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Adam Hayward
- Department for Disease ControlMoredun Research InstitutePenicuikUK
| | - Fiona Kenyon
- Department for Disease ControlMoredun Research InstitutePenicuikUK
| | - Luke McNally
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Tom N. McNeilly
- Department for Disease ControlMoredun Research InstitutePenicuikUK
| | | | - Amy R. Sweeny
- School of BiosciencesThe University of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Daniel H. Nussey
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Amy B. Pedersen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological SciencesUniversity of EdinburghEdinburghUK
| | - Andy Fenton
- Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
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3
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Mair I, Fenn J, Wolfenden A, Lowe AE, Bennett A, Muir A, Thompson J, Dieumerci O, Logunova L, Shultz S, Bradley JE, Else KJ. The adaptive immune response to Trichuris in wild versus laboratory mice: An established model system in context. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1012119. [PMID: 38626206 PMCID: PMC11051619 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1012119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Laboratory model organisms have provided a window into how the immune system functions. An increasing body of evidence, however, suggests that the immune responses of naive laboratory animals may differ substantially to those of their wild counterparts. Past exposure, environmental challenges and physiological condition may all impact on immune responsiveness. Chronic infections of soil-transmitted helminths, which we define as establishment of adult, fecund worms, impose significant health burdens on humans, livestock and wildlife, with limited treatment success. In laboratory mice, Th1 versus Th2 immune polarisation is the major determinant of helminth infection outcome. Here we compared antigen-specific immune responses to the soil-transmitted whipworm Trichuris muris between controlled laboratory and wild free-ranging populations of house mice (Mus musculus domesticus). Wild mice harbouring chronic, low-level infections produced lower levels of cytokines in response to Trichuris antigen than laboratory-housed C57BL/6 mice. Wild mouse effector/memory CD4+ T cell phenotype reflected the antigen-specific cytokine response across the Th1/Th2 spectrum. Increasing egg shedding was associated with body condition loss. However, local Trichuris-specific Th1/Th2 balance was positively associated with worm burden only in older wild mice. Thus, although the fundamental relationships between the CD4+ T helper cell response and resistance to T. muris infection are similar in both laboratory and wild M. m. domesticus, there are quantitative differences and age-specific effects that are analogous to human immune responses. These context-dependent immune responses demonstrate the fundamental importance of understanding the differences between model and natural systems for translating mechanistic models to 'real world' immune function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Mair
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Manchester Environmental Research Institute, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Fenn
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Wolfenden
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ann E. Lowe
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Bennett
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Muir
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Thompson
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Olive Dieumerci
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Larisa Logunova
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Susanne Shultz
- School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Janette E. Bradley
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn J. Else
- Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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van Beest FM, Petersen HH, Krogh AK, Frederiksen ML, Schmidt NM, Hansson SV. Estimating parasite-condition relationships and potential health effects for fallow deer ( Dama dama) and red deer ( Cervus elaphus) in Denmark. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:143-152. [PMID: 37215531 PMCID: PMC10196918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.05.002] [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: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Parasites can exert a substantial influence on the ecology of wildlife populations by altering host condition. Our objectives were to estimate single and multiparasite-condition relationships for fallow deer (Dama dama) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Denmark and to assess potential health effects along the parasite burden gradient. Fallow deer hosted on average two endoparasite taxa per individual (min = 0, max = 5) while red deer carried on average five parasite taxa per individual (min = 2, max = 9). Body condition of both deer species was negatively related to presence of Trichuris ssp. eggs while body condition of red deer was positively related to antibodies of the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. For the remaining parasite taxa (n = 12), we either found weak or no apparent association between infection and deer body condition or low prevalence levels restricted formal testing. Importantly, we detected a strong negative relationship between body condition and the sum of endoparasite taxa carried by individual hosts, a pattern that was evident in both deer species. We did not detect systemic inflammatory reactions, yet serology revealed reduced total protein and iron concentrations with increased parasite load in both deer species, likely due to maldigestion of forage or malabsorption of nutrients. Despite moderate sample sizes, our study highlights the importance of considering multiparasitism when assessing body condition impacts in deer populations. Moreover, we show how serum chemistry assays are a valuable diagnostic tool to detect subtle and sub-clinical health impacts of parasitism, even at low-level infestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floris M. van Beest
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej, 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Heidi H. Petersen
- Center for Diagnostics, Technical University of Denmark, Kemitorvet, 2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Anne K.H. Krogh
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Dyrlægevej 16, 1870, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | | | - Niels M. Schmidt
- Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej, 399, 4000, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Sophia V. Hansson
- Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement (UMR- 5245), CNRS, Université de Toulouse, Ave. de l'Agrobiopole, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France
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5
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Gałązka M, Klich D, Filip-Hutsch K, Olech W, Anusz K, Pyziel AM. Endoparasite loads and the efficacy of conventional anthelmintics against gastrointestinal nematodes in captive European bison. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 21:224-231. [PMID: 37415923 PMCID: PMC10319643 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.06.005] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Although little information exists on the efficacy of deworming in wild ruminants, gastrointestinal nematodes have been found to demonstrate increasing drug resistance. The spread of drug-resistant strains may be increased by transmission among livestock and susceptible wildlife species, thus posing a potential threat to endangered species, such as the European bison. The aim of the study was twofold: to identify the parasite loads in captive European bison with the use of coprological techniques, and to test the influence of other nearby ungulates on the richness of bison parasitofauna. Additionally, the efficacy of deworming procedures against gastrointestinal nematodes in bison was evaluated. The survey was based on a coprological investigation of 285 fecal samples from 156 European bison in 15 enclosures. The parasitofauna of the captive European bison was consistent with those of free-ranging populations. The highest prevalence was noted for Eimeria spp. oocysts (60.7%), strongyle eggs (50.9%), Fasciola hepatica eggs (13.1%), Dictyocaulus viviparus larvae (12.3%) and Trichuris sp. Eggs (9.47%). Moreover, the close proximity of other ungulate species resulted in a higher diversity of parasite species. In all cases, deworming with albendazole, fenbendazole and ivermectin proved to be ineffective against strongylids and Trichuris sp. The results of fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) ranged from 37.2 to 99.6% (95% CI <90%) for albendazole; values >95% (95% CI = 41-100) were noted for fenbendazole, and FECRT ranged from 63.2 to 97.5 (95% CI = 0-99) for ivermectin. As the results of anthelmintic treatment are unsatisfactory, it seems justified to continue study in this area. Our study is the first large-scale attempt to evaluate the efficacy of anthelminthics in captive European bison. The potential sharing of parasite species between bison and other ungulates should also be further investigated from the perspective of minimizing the risk of the spread of drug-resistant parasite strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Gałązka
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland
- Municipal Zoological Garden in Warsaw, Ratuszowa 1/3, 03-461, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Daniel Klich
- Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Filip-Hutsch
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wanda Olech
- Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-787, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Anusz
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna M. Pyziel
- Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences - WULS, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776, Warsaw, Poland
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6
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Bosch J, Thumsová B, Puschendorf R, Bielby J. Drivers of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis infection load, with evidence of infection tolerance in adult male toads (Bufo spinosus). Oecologia 2023; 202:165-174. [PMID: 37147397 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05380-3] [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: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Chytridiomycosis is affecting hundreds of amphibian species worldwide, but while in tropical areas, adult individuals have been the focus of most investigations, the exact role played by infection intensity of breeding adults is not well understood in temperate areas. We conducted mark-recapture-capture surveys during spiny common toad breeding seasons from 2006 to 2018 at the site of the first recorded outbreak of chytridiomycosis in Europe, the Peñalara Massif (Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, central Spain), and collected infection samples and several variables related to the reproductive effort of male individuals. We used general linear mixed models to evaluate the contribution of study variables on the infection loads of adult male toads exhibited at their capturing date. We also analysed the differences on several male characteristics between the pond with the largest breeding population against the rest of the ponds. We found that the duration of time spent in the waterbody and the condition of the host predicted infection loads. Animals of good physical condition, that spent longer in water, have higher infection levels than individuals with the opposite set of traits. The pond supporting the largest breeding population housed smaller male toads and in poorer condition. Our results are consistent with a shift in reproductive strategy in response to infection and potentially a strategy of tolerance, rather than resistance to infection. These findings have applications for disease mitigation and theoretical implications related to the trade-offs made and the evolution of traits in response to the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Bosch
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB), CSIC-University of Oviedo-Principality of Asturias, Mieres, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación, Seguimiento y Evaluación, Parque Nacional de la Sierra de Guadarrama, Rascafría, Spain.
| | - Barbora Thumsová
- Asociación Herpetológica Española (AHE), Madrid, Spain
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Robert Puschendorf
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Jon Bielby
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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Philippon J, Serrano-Martínez E, Poirotte C. Fecal avoidance and gastrointestinal parasitism in semi-free ranging woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03317-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
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8
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Warburton EM, Budischak SA, Jolles AE, Ezenwa VO. Within-host and external environments differentially shape β-diversity across parasite life stages. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:665-676. [PMID: 36567629 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Uncovering drivers of community assembly is a key aspect of learning how biological communities function. Drivers of community similarity can be especially useful in this task as they affect assemblage-level changes that lead to differences in species diversity between habitats. Concepts of β-diversity originally developed for use in free-living communities have been widely applied to parasite communities to gain insight into how infection risk changes with local conditions by comparing parasite communities across abiotic and biotic gradients. Factors shaping β-diversity in communities of immature parasites, such as larvae, are largely unknown. This is a key knowledge gap as larvae are frequently the infective life-stage and understanding variation in these larval communities is thus key for disease prevention. Our goal was to uncover links between β-diversity of parasite communities at different life stages; therefore, we used gastrointestinal nematodes infecting African buffalo in Kruger National Park, South Africa, to investigate within-host and extra-host drivers of adult and larval parasite community similarity. We employed a cross-sectional approach using PERMANOVA that examined each worm community at a single time point to assess independent drivers of β-diversity in larvae and adults as well as a longitudinal approach with path analysis where adult and larval communities from the same host were compared to better link drivers of β-diversity between these two life stages. Using the cross-sectional approach, we generally found that intrinsic, within-host traits had significant effects on β-diversity of adult nematode communities, while extrinsic, extra-host variables had significant effects on β-diversity of larval nematode communities. However, the longitudinal approach provided evidence that intrinsic, within-host factors affected the larval community indirectly via the adult community. Our results provide key data for the comparison of community-level processes where adult and immature stages inhabit vastly different habitats (i.e. within-host vs. abiotic environment). In the context of parasitism, this helps elucidate host infection risk via larval stages and the drivers that shape persistence of adult parasite assemblages, both of which are useful for predicting and preventing infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Warburton
- Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Sarah A Budischak
- W.M. Keck Department of Science, Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, California, USA
| | - Anna E Jolles
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
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9
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Soe BK, Su Hlaing K, Naing TW, Thaw ZH, Myint W. The first study on the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in owned and sheltered cats in Yangon, Myanmar. Vet World 2023; 16:414-420. [PMID: 37041997 PMCID: PMC10082719 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.414-420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: People who used to rear companion animals are healthier than others who do not. Gastrointestinal (GI) helminths are common in cats and serve as reservoirs for zoonotic diseases. However, the prevalence of GI parasites in cats in Myanmar has never been reported. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of GI parasites in cats in Myanmar and identify the potential risk factors associated with GI parasites.
Materials and Methods: A total of 230 fecal samples were collected from seven veterinary clinics and two shelters within the Yangon region from January to May 2022. Sampled cats were classified according to age, gender, and deworming and rearing practices. Fecal samples were analyzed by fecal wet mount, ethyl acetate centrifugal sedimentation, and zinc sulfate centrifugal flotation techniques. Descriptive data were described, and Pearson's χ2 test was used to identify associated risk factors, such as age, gender, and deworming and rearing practices.
Results: The overall prevalence of GI parasites was 79.56%, and 57.82% of cats were infected with a diagnostic stage of more than one parasite species. Seven GI parasites were detected, including Ancylostoma spp. (55.65%), Toxocara spp. (46.08%), Trichuris spp. (20.86%), Platynosomum spp. (11.73%), Dipylidium caninum (7.39%), Taenia spp. (4.34%), and Cystoisospora spp. (32.17%). Based on statistical analysis, deworming and rearing practices were significantly associated (p < 0.05) with GI parasitic infections.
Conclusion: This study is the first to reveal the prevalence of GI parasites that could assist the need for effective control measures for zoonotic hookworm and roundworm infections in cats. Even with simple microscopic examination, the remarkably high prevalence of GI parasitic infections warrants regular deworming practice. Further molecular studies should also be performed to understand their genetic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Babi Kyi Soe
- Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary, Yangon 11021, Myanmar
| | - Khin Su Hlaing
- Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary, Yangon 11021, Myanmar
| | - Toe Win Naing
- Livestock Improvement Section, De Heus Myanmar, Yangon 11021, Myanmar
| | - Zin Hnin Thaw
- Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary, Yangon 11021, Myanmar
| | - Win Myint
- Pathology Unit, Department of Livestock Breeding and Veterinary, Yangon 11021, Myanmar
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10
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Wood CL, Vanhove MPM. Is the world wormier than it used to be? We'll never know without natural history collections. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:250-262. [PMID: 35959636 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many disease ecologists and conservation biologists believe that the world is wormier than it used to be-that is, that parasites are increasing in abundance through time. This argument is intuitively appealing. Ecologists typically see parasitic infections, through their association with disease, as a negative endpoint, and are accustomed to attributing negative outcomes to human interference in the environment, so it slots neatly into our worldview that habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and climate change should have the collateral consequence of causing outbreaks of parasites. But surprisingly, the hypothesis that parasites are increasing in abundance through time remains entirely untested for the vast majority of wildlife parasite species. Historical data on parasites are nearly impossible to find, which leaves no baseline against which to compare contemporary parasite burdens. If we want to know whether the world is wormier than it used to be, there is only one major research avenue that will lead to an answer: parasitological examination of specimens preserved in natural history collections. Recent advances demonstrate that, for many specimen types, it is possible to extract reliable data on parasite presence and abundance. There are millions of suitable specimens that exist in collections around the world. When paired with contemporaneous environmental data, these parasitological data could even point to potential drivers of change in parasite abundance, including climate, pollution or host density change. We explain how to use preserved specimens to address pressing questions in parasite ecology, give a few key examples of how collections-based parasite ecology can resolve these questions, identify some pitfalls and workarounds, and suggest promising areas for research. Natural history specimens are 'parasite time capsules' that give ecologists the opportunity to test whether infectious disease is on the rise and to identify what forces might be driving these changes over time. This approach will facilitate major advances in a new sub-discipline: the historical ecology of parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea L Wood
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity & Toxicology, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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11
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Low impact of tuberculosis severity on wild boar body condition. Res Vet Sci 2023; 155:161-167. [PMID: 36706665 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Body condition (BC), is a measure to assess the health status of domestic and wild animals. When food resources are abundant, a decrease in BC may indicate an increase in the energetic expenditure due to the effects of growth, reproduction, or disease. BC impoverishment is one of the most common clinical effects of diseases progressing chronically, such as animal tuberculosis (TB) caused by bacteria belonging to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the main wild TB reservoir in the Mediterranean basin. The specific aims of this work were to assess the relationship between sex, age and TB severity altogether on the BC of wild boar. For this purpose, we used the kidney fat index (KFI), to assess the impact of TB progression on the BC of 1372 hunter-harvested free-ranging wild boar in seven populations in southern Spain. Surprisingly, TB had only slight effects on wild boar BC and individuals exhibiting severe TB showed greater BC than TB-free individuals. The age (adults had greater BC than juveniles) and sex (females had greater BC than males) were the main BC determinants in wild boar. Sampling population and season explained more BC variability than individual factors, suggesting that other external factors might play an important role in the BC, and probably on the impact of the disease on this wild reservoir. The low impact of TB on wild boar BC suggests that individuals with severe TB and good BC represent potential long-term super-shedders of this pathogen.
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12
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Gildner TE, Cepon-Robins TJ, Urlacher SS. Cumulative host energetic costs of soil-transmitted helminth infection. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:629-641. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Dibakou SE, Ngoubangoye B, Boundenga L, Ntie S, Moussadji C, Tsoumbou TA, Setchell JM. Preliminary assessment of gastrointestinal parasites of the sun-tailed monkey (Allochrocebus solatus) in a semi-free-ranging colony. J Med Primatol 2022; 51:127-133. [PMID: 35338662 DOI: 10.1111/jmp.12581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in the sun-tailed monkey (Allochrocebus solatus) at the CIRMF primatology center is unknown. We, therefore, assessed the presence and richness (number of different parasite taxa) of gastrointestinal parasites in a semi-free-ranging colony of A. solatus. METHODS A total of 46 fecal samples were screened using a modified McMaster technique for fecal egg counts. RESULTS In the 46 samples collected, seven taxa of gastrointestinal parasites, including protozoa and nematodes were identified. The most prevalent parasite was strongyles parasites (98%), followed by Trichuris spp. (72%), Strongyloides spp. (67%) and Entamoeba coli (65%). Balantioides coli (33%), Endolimax nana (25%), and Spirurid eggs (26%) were only found in a minority of the animals. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes new host records of gastrointestinal parasites in semi-free-ranging A. solatus and highlights the need to investigate the health of this species and implement proper precautions in the management of this colony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge-Ely Dibakou
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Barthélémy Ngoubangoye
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon.,Department of Anthropology, and Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon.,Department of Anthropology, and Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, UK.,Groupe Evolution et Transmission Inter-espèces de Parasites (GETIP) du Département de Parasitologie, CIRMF, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Stephan Ntie
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire (LABMC), Département de Biologie, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku (USTM), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Cyr Moussadji
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Thierry-Audrey Tsoumbou
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), Franceville, Gabon
| | - Joanna M Setchell
- Department of Anthropology, and Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, Durham University, Durham, UK
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Dibakou SE, Maloueki U, Ngoubangoye B, Boundenga L, Ntie S, Tsoumbou TA, Moussadji C, Zang RO, Kombila D, Basset D. Diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in sympatric mammals in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park, Gabon. Vet World 2021; 14:3149-3155. [PMID: 35153406 PMCID: PMC8829402 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.3149-3155] [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: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim: Gastrointestinal parasites identified in the wild can negatively affect host fitness, lower performance, and growth. On the other side, sympatric mammals that share habitat and resources may also cross-transmit parasites, which are often zoonotic and can contribute to morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to characterize the diversity of gastrointestinal parasites circulating in mammalian hosts in Moukalaba-Doudou National Park.
Materials and Methods: We screened a total of 25 fecal samples collected from nine wild mammalian species, namely, western gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), putty-nosed monkey (Cercopithecus nictitans), African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis), African buffalo (Syncerus caffer), blue duiker (Philantomba monticola), bay duiker (Cephalophus dorsalis), and red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus) as well as people working as trackers (Homo sapiens) using direct microscopic observations following a sedimentation technique to concentrate the fecal material.
Results: Of the total 25 fecal samples screened, 15 (60%) were positive for parasitic gastrointestinal infection. Based on the morphology of parasite eggs and cysts, we identified a rich diversity of nematodes, protozoans, trematodes, and cestodes, including unidentified strongyles (73%), Oesophagostomum spp. (53%), Ancylostoma spp. (27%), Trichuris spp. (13%), Ascaris spp. (13%), Mammomonogamus spp. (13%), Strongyloides spp. (47%), Balantidium coli (20%), Entamoeba coli (20%), Endolimax nana (6%), Fasciola hepatica (6%), Paramphistomum spp. (13%), and Taenia spp. (6%).
Conclusion: All parasites were found at least once in one of the hosts, and most were potentially zoonotic and responsible for several diseases of public health concern. Because of the small sample size, our findings should not be considered conclusive. Nevertheless, they highlight the diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serge-Ely Dibakou
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Ulrich Maloueki
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Kinshasa University, PO Box 190, Kinshasa XI; Protectrice des Grands Singes de la Moukalaba (PROGRAM), PO Box 861, Libreville, Tchibanga, Gabon
| | - Barthélémy Ngoubangoye
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Larson Boundenga
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon; Groupe Evolution et Transmission Inter-espèces de Parasites (GETIP) du Département de Parasitologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, BP 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Stephan Ntie
- Département de Biologie, Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Université des Sciences et Techniques de Masuku, BP 941, Franceville, Gabon
| | - Thierry-Audrey Tsoumbou
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Cyr Moussadji
- Centre de Primatologie, Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches Médicales de Franceville (CIRMF), BP 769 Franceville, Gabon
| | - Rina Obame Zang
- Protectrice des Grands Singes de la Moukalaba (PROGRAM), PO Box 861, Libreville, Tchibanga, Gabon
| | - Dikenane Kombila
- Protectrice des Grands Singes de la Moukalaba (PROGRAM), PO Box 861, Libreville, Tchibanga, Gabon
| | - Didier Basset
- Parasitology Laboratory, CHU Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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15
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Beaumelle C, Redman EM, de Rijke J, Wit J, Benabed S, Debias F, Duhayer J, Pardonnet S, Poirel MT, Capron G, Chabot S, Rey B, Yannic G, Gilleard JS, Bourgoin G. Metabarcoding in two isolated populations of wild roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) reveals variation in gastrointestinal nematode community composition between regions and among age classes. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:594. [PMID: 34863264 PMCID: PMC8642965 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-05087-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Gastrointestinal nematodes are ubiquitous for both domestic and wild ungulates and have varying consequences for health and fitness. They exist as complex communities of multiple co-infecting species, and we have a limited understanding of how these communities vary in different hosts, regions and circumstances or of how this affects their impacts. Methods We have undertaken ITS2 rDNA nemabiome metabarcoding with next-generation sequencing on populations of nematode larvae isolated from 149 fecal samples of roe deer of different sex and age classes in the two isolated populations of Chizé and Trois Fontaines in France not co-grazing with any domestic ungulate species. Results We identified 100 amplified sequence variants (ASVs) that were assigned to 14 gastrointestinal nematode taxa overall at either genus (29%) or species (71%) level. These taxa were dominated by parasites classically found in cervids—e.g. Ostertagia leptospicularis, Spiculopteragia spp. Higher parasite species diversity was present in the Trois Fontaines population than in the Chizé population including the presence of species more typically seen in domestic livestock (Haemonchus contortus, Bunostomum sp., Cooperia punctata, Teladorsagia circumcincta). No differences in parasite species diversity or community composition were seen in the samples collected from three zones of differing habitat quality within the Chizé study area. Young roe deer hosted the highest diversity of gastrointestinal nematodes, with more pronounced effects of age apparent in Trois Fontaines. The effect of host age differed between gastrointestinal nematode species, e.g. there was little effect on O. leptospicularis but a large effect on Trichostrongylus spp. No effect of host sex was detected in either site. Conclusions The presence of some livestock parasite species in the Trois Fontaines roe deer population was unexpected given the isolation of this population away from grazing domestic livestock since decades. Overall, our results illustrate the influence of host traits and the local environment on roe deer nemabiome and demonstrate the power of the nemabiome metabarcoding approach to elucidate the composition of gastrointestinal nematode communities in wildlife. Graphical Abstract ![]()
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-05087-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Beaumelle
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France. .,Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000, Grenoble, France.
| | - Elizabeth M Redman
- Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasites Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jill de Rijke
- Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasites Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Janneke Wit
- Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasites Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Slimania Benabed
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France.,VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - François Debias
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Sylvia Pardonnet
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Marie-Thérèse Poirel
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France.,VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Gilles Capron
- Office Français de la Biodiversité, 75008, Paris, France
| | | | - Benjamin Rey
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Glenn Yannic
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Université Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, LECA, 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - John S Gilleard
- Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Host-Parasites Interactions Program, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Gilles Bourgoin
- Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Université de Lyon, 69100, Villeurbanne, France.,VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, Université de Lyon, 69280, Marcy l'Etoile, France
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16
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Metabolizable energy balance in hair sheep lambs artificially infected with Haemonchus contortus. Vet Parasitol 2021; 300:109620. [PMID: 34801871 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109620] [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: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In sheep, infection with Haemonchus contortus may increase the need for energy, and this demand may vary according to the infection level. In this study, the energy intake, digestibility, and energy retention of lambs artificially infected with different levels of H. contortus were estimated. A total of 24 hair sheep lambs reared parasite-free were experimentally infected with H. contortus at one of three infection levels: non-infected (n = 6); infected with 300 infective larvae (L3) of H. contortus/kg body weight (BW) (n = 9); and infected with 500 H. contortus L3/kg BW (n = 9). The lambs were fed for an individual weight gain of 100 g/day, and intake of organic matter (OMI) and gross energy (GEI), digestible (DEI) and metabolizable energy (MEI) were measured weekly. The digestibility of organic matter (OMD) and GE (GED) and the metabolizable energy (ME) balance adjusted to zero nitrogen balance (MEadj) were measured for each lamb during the prepatent and patent periods of infection. From day 21 post-infection (PI), the individual eggs per gram (EPG) of feces and the total number of eggs in feces (TEF) were estimated weekly. After humane slaughter on day 42 PI, the worm burden (WB) was determined. Correlation and regression analyses were performed to estimate the relationships between the parasitological variables (L3, EPG, TEF and WB) and the response variables (OMI, GEI, DEI, MEI, OMD, GED, MEadj). During the prepatent period, there were no significant relationships of L3 with the response variables (OMI, GEI, DEI, MEI, OMD, GED, ME, MEadj). Similarly, during the patent period, no relationship was evident between infection (EPG, TEF or WB) and OMI, GEI, DEI, GED, OMD, ME or MEadj. Thus, the gradient of H. contortus infection examined in the present study did not influence energy balance in hair sheep lambs, and infection did not impose any detectable energy cost. Further studies are needed to fully assess the impact of H. contortus infection on energy metabolism in hair sheep.
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17
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Ramos-Bruno E, Sandoval-Castro CA, Torres-Acosta JFJ, Sarmiento-Franco LA, Torres-Fajardo R, Chan-Pérez JI, Ortiz-Ocampo GI. Nitrogen retention in hair sheep lambs with a gradient of Haemonchus contortus infection. Vet Parasitol 2021; 296:109488. [PMID: 34120032 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2021.109488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The impact of Haemonchus contortus infections on nitrogen retention (NR) of hair sheep lambs is unknown. This study estimated the feed intake, digestibility, NR, haematocrit (HT), and their relationship with the gradient of H. contortus infection in hair sheep lambs. Twenty-four hair sheep lambs, 3-4 months old, reared parasite-free were used (live weight (LW) 16.7 ± 1.7 kg). Six lambs were kept parasite-free, nine lambs received a dose of 300 H. contortus infective larvae (L3)/kg LW, and the remaining nine lambs received 500 H. contortus L3/kg LW. Infection doses ranged from 3870 to 9,500 L3. Lambs were individually fed for an average daily gain (ADG) of 100 g. On days 1 (P < 0.01) and 7 (P < 0.001) post-infection (PI), the L3 doses were positively associated with HT, possibly due to platelet recruitment. On week 1 PI, the infection (L3) reduced the crude protein (CP) intake (g/kg metabolic LW) (P < 0.05). A reduction of 1% HT corresponded to 1200 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) for day 21 PI (P < 0.05), 2300 EPG for day 28 PI (P < 0.001), 2400 EPG for day 35 (P < 0.001), and 1300 EPG for day 41 PI (P < 0.001). However, the HT levels were never lower than 21 %. A lower CP digestibility was associated with EPG only on week 5 PI (P < 0.05). There was no significant association between EPG, Total egg in faeces, or worm burden (WB) with intake, dry matter digestibility (DMD), ADG or NR. The NR of lambs was positive along the different weeks of study irrespective of infection level. The WB was negatively associated only with HT on day 41 PI (P < 0.001), where a 1 % HT reduction was estimated for every 257 worms hosted. In conclusion, no relationship was found between H. contortus infection and DMD, ADG or NR in hair sheep lambs. The cost of H. contortus infection resulted only from the HT reduction and depended on the gradient and stage of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Ramos-Bruno
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - C A Sandoval-Castro
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico.
| | - J F J Torres-Acosta
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - L A Sarmiento-Franco
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - R Torres-Fajardo
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - J I Chan-Pérez
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - G I Ortiz-Ocampo
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Campus de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Km 15.5 Carretera Mérida-Xmatkuil, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
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18
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Natural resistance to worms exacerbates bovine tuberculosis severity independently of worm coinfection. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2015080118. [PMID: 33431676 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2015080118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathogen interactions arising during coinfection can exacerbate disease severity, for example when the immune response mounted against one pathogen negatively affects defense of another. It is also possible that host immune responses to a pathogen, shaped by historical evolutionary interactions between host and pathogen, may modify host immune defenses in ways that have repercussions for other pathogens. In this case, negative interactions between two pathogens could emerge even in the absence of concurrent infection. Parasitic worms and tuberculosis (TB) are involved in one of the most geographically extensive of pathogen interactions, and during coinfection worms can exacerbate TB disease outcomes. Here, we show that in a wild mammal natural resistance to worms affects bovine tuberculosis (BTB) severity independently of active worm infection. We found that worm-resistant individuals were more likely to die of BTB than were nonresistant individuals, and their disease progressed more quickly. Anthelmintic treatment moderated, but did not eliminate, the resistance effect, and the effects of resistance and treatment were opposite and additive, with untreated, resistant individuals experiencing the highest mortality. Furthermore, resistance and anthelmintic treatment had nonoverlapping effects on BTB pathology. The effects of resistance manifested in the lungs (the primary site of BTB infection), while the effects of treatment manifested almost entirely in the lymph nodes (the site of disseminated disease), suggesting that resistance and active worm infection affect BTB progression via distinct mechanisms. Our findings reveal that interactions between pathogens can occur as a consequence of processes arising on very different timescales.
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19
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Sabey KA, Song SJ, Jolles A, Knight R, Ezenwa VO. Coinfection and infection duration shape how pathogens affect the African buffalo gut microbiota. THE ISME JOURNAL 2021; 15:1359-1371. [PMID: 33328653 PMCID: PMC8115229 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-020-00855-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the gut microbiota during pathogen infection are often predicted to influence disease outcomes. However, studies exploring whether pathogens induce microbiota shifts have yielded inconsistent results. This suggests that variation in infection, rather than the presence of infection alone, might shape pathogen-microbiota relationships. For example, most hosts are coinfected with multiple pathogens simultaneously, and hosts vary in how long they are infected, which may amplify or diminish microbial shifts expected in response to a focal pathogen. We used a longitudinal anthelmintic treatment study of free-ranging African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) to examine whether (i) coinfection with bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis, TB) and gastrointestinal nematodes, and (ii) the duration of TB infection, modified effects of single pathogens on the gut microbiota. By accounting for the interaction between TB and nematodes, we found that coinfection affected changes in microbial abundance associated with single infections. Furthermore, the duration of TB infection predicted more microbiota variation than the presence of TB. Importantly, coinfection and infection duration had nearly as much influence on microbial patterns as demographic and environmental factors commonly examined in microbiota research. These findings demonstrate that acknowledging infection heterogeneities may be crucial to understanding relationships between pathogens and the gut microbiota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate A Sabey
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Se Jin Song
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anna Jolles
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Rob Knight
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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20
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O'Keeffe KR, Halliday FW, Jones CD, Carbone I, Mitchell CE. Parasites, niche modification and the host microbiome: A field survey of multiple parasites. Mol Ecol 2021; 30:2404-2416. [PMID: 33740826 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Parasites can affect and be affected by the host's microbiome, with consequences for host susceptibility, parasite transmission, and host and parasite fitness. Yet, two aspects of the relationship between parasite infection and host microbiota remain little understood: the nature of the relationship under field conditions, and how the relationship varies among parasites. To overcome these limitations, we performed a field survey of the within-leaf fungal community in a tall fescue population. We investigated how diversity and composition of the fungal microbiome associate with natural infection by fungal parasites with different feeding strategies. A parasite's feeding strategy affects both parasite requirements of the host environment and parasite impacts on the host environment. We hypothesized that parasites that more strongly modify niches available within a host will be associated with greater changes in microbiome diversity and composition. Parasites with a feeding strategy that creates necrotic tissue to extract resources (necrotrophs) may not only have different niche requirements, but also act as particularly strong niche modifiers. Barcoded amplicon sequencing of the fungal ITS region revealed that leaf segments symptomatic of necrotrophs had lower fungal diversity and distinct composition compared to segments that were asymptomatic or symptomatic of other parasites. There were no clear differences in fungal diversity or composition between leaf segments that were asymptomatic and segments symptomatic of other parasite feeding strategies. Our results motivate future experimental work to test how the relationship between the microbiome and parasite infection is impacted by parasite feeding strategy and highlight the potential importance of parasite traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayleigh R O'Keeffe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Fletcher W Halliday
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Corbin D Jones
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Carolina Center for Genome Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Ignazio Carbone
- Center for Integrated Fungal Research, Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Charles E Mitchell
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.,Environment, Ecology and Energy Program, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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21
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Habig B, Chowdhury S, Monfort SL, Brown JL, Swedell L, Foerster S. Predictors of helminth parasite infection in female chacma baboons ( Papio ursinus). Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2021; 14:308-320. [PMID: 33898232 PMCID: PMC8056146 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Helminth parasite infection can impose major consequences on host fitness. Several factors, including individual characteristics of hosts, environmental conditions, and patterns of coinfection, are thought to drive variation in parasite risk. Here, we report on four key drivers of parasite infection-phase of reproduction, steroid hormone profiles, rainfall, and patterns of coinfection-in a population of wild female chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) in South Africa. We collected data on reproductive state and hormone profiles over a 3-year span, and quantified helminth parasite burdens in 2955 fecal samples from 24 female baboons. On a host level, we found that baboons are sensitive to parasite infection during the costliest phases of the reproductive cycle: pregnant females harbored higher intensities of Protospirura eggs than cycling and lactating females; lactating and cycling females had a higher probability of Oesophagostomum infection than pregnant females; and cycling females exhibited lower Trichuris egg counts than pregnant and lactating females. Steroid hormones were associated with both immunoenhancing and immunosuppressive properties: females with high glucocorticoid concentrations exhibited high intensities of Trichuris eggs but were at low risk of Oesophagostomum infection; females with high estrogen and progestagen concentrations exhibited high helminth parasite richness; and females with high progestagen concentrations were at high risk of Oesophagostomum infection but exhibited low Protospirura egg counts. We observed an interaction between host reproductive state and progestagen concentrations in infection intensity of Protospirura: pregnant females exhibited higher intensities and non-pregnant females exhibited lower intensities of Protospirura eggs with increasing progestagen concentrations. At a population level, rainfall patterns were dominant drivers of parasite risk. Lastly, helminth parasites exhibited positive covariance, suggesting that infection probability increases if a host already harbors one or more parasite taxa. Together, our results provide a holistic perspective of factors that shape variation in parasite risk in a wild population of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobby Habig
- Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
| | - Shahrina Chowdhury
- Department of Anthropology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Ave, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA
- Anthropology Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York NY, 10016, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, Anthropology Program, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Steven L. Monfort
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Janine L. Brown
- Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA, 22630, USA
| | - Larissa Swedell
- Anthropology Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York NY, 10016, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, Anthropology Program, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Department of Anthropology, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd. Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Steffen Foerster
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
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22
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Gupta P, Vishnudas CK, Robin VV, Dharmarajan G. Host phylogeny matters: Examining sources of variation in infection risk by blood parasites across a tropical montane bird community in India. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:536. [PMID: 33115505 PMCID: PMC7594458 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04404-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Identifying patterns and drivers of infection risk among host communities is crucial to elucidate disease dynamics and predict infectious disease risk in wildlife populations. Blood parasites of the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are a diverse group of vector-borne protozoan parasites that affect bird populations globally. Despite their widespread distribution and exceptional diversity, factors underlying haemosporidian infection risk in wild bird communities remain poorly understood. While some studies have examined variation in avian haemosporidian risk, researchers have primarily focused on host ecological traits without considering host phylogenetic relationships. In this study, we employ a phylogenetically informed approach to examine the association between host ecological traits and haemosporidian infection risk in endemic bird communities in the Western Ghats Sky Islands. Methods We used parasite sequence data based on partial mitochondrial cytochrome b gene, that was amplified from genomic DNA extracted from 1177 birds (28 species) across the Western Ghats to assess infection of birds with haemosporidian parasites. We employed a Bayesian phylogenetic mixed effect modelling approach to test whether haemosporidian infection risk was affected by seven species-specific and four individual-level ecological predictors. We also examined the effect of host phylogenetic relationships on the observed patterns of variation in haemosporidian infection risk by estimating phylogenetic signal. Results Our study shows that host ecological traits and host phylogeny differentially influence infection risk by Plasmodium (generalist parasite) and Haemoproteus (specialist parasite). For Plasmodium, we found that sociality, sexual dimorphism and foraging strata were important ecological predictors. For Haemoproteus, patterns of infection risk among host species were associated with sociality, species elevation and individual body condition. Interestingly, variance in infection risk explained by host phylogeny was higher for Haemoproteus parasites compared to Plasmodium. Conclusions Our study highlights that while host ecological traits promoting parasite exposure and host susceptibility are important determinants of infection risk, host phylogeny also contributes substantially to predicting patterns of haemosporidian infection risk in multi-host communities. Importantly, infection risk is driven by joint contributions of host ecology and host phylogeny and studying these effects together could increase our ability to better understand the drivers of infection risk and predict future disease threats. Graphical abstract ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Gupta
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA. .,Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India.
| | - C K Vishnudas
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Mangalam, Tirupati, 517507, India
| | - V V Robin
- Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati, Mangalam, Tirupati, 517507, India
| | - Guha Dharmarajan
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA.,Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, Mohanpur, West Bengal, 741246, India
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23
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Parasite intensity drives fetal development and sex allocation in a wild ungulate. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15626. [PMID: 32973197 PMCID: PMC7518422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72376-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
An understanding of the mechanisms influencing prenatal characteristics is fundamental to comprehend the role of ecological and evolutionary processes behind survival and reproductive success in animals. Although the negative influence of parasites on host fitness is undisputable, we know very little about how parasitic infection in reproductive females might influence prenatal factors such as fetal development and sex allocation. Using an archival collection of Dall’s sheep (Ovis dalli dalli), a capital breeder that depends on its body reserves to overcome the arctic winter, we investigated the direct and indirect impacts of the parasite community on fetal development and sex allocation. Using partial least squares modelling, we observed a negative effect of parasite community on fetal development, driven primarily by the nematode Marshallagia marshalli. Principal component analysis demonstrated that mothers with low parasite burden and in good body condition were more likely to have female versus male fetuses. This association was primarily driven by the indirect effect of M. marshalli on ewe body condition. Refining our knowledge of the direct and indirect impact that parasite communities can have on reproduction in mammals is critical for understanding the effects of infectious diseases on wildlife populations. This can be particularly relevant for species living in ecosystems sensitive to the effects of global climate change.
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24
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Tombak KJ, Budischak SA, Hauck S, Martinez LA, Rubenstein DI. The non-invasive measurement of faecal immunoglobulin in African equids. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2020; 12:105-112. [PMID: 32528845 PMCID: PMC7283094 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Eco-immunological research is encumbered by a lack of basic research in a wild context and by the availability of few non-invasive tools to measure the internal state of wild animals. The recent development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measuring immunoglobulins in faecal samples from Soay sheep prompted us to optimize such an assay to measure immunoglobulin A (IgA: an antibody associated with parasitic nematode fecundity) in faecal samples from equids. We measured total IgA in domestic donkeys, wild plains zebras, and wild Grevy's zebras sharing the same landscape in central Kenya over two field seasons. Attempts to measure anti-nematode IgA more specifically, using a homogenized extract from a mixture of excreted nematodes, failed to clear background. However, we found that total IgA positively correlated with strongyle nematode faecal egg counts (FECs) in donkeys sampled during the wetter field season - a time when the donkeys were in good condition. Further, this relationship appeared among donkeys with high body condition but not among those with low body condition. Time lags of 1–4 days introduced between IgA and FEC measurements in repeatedly sampled donkeys did not yield correlations, suggesting that IgA and FEC roughly tracked one another without much delay in the wet field season. Such a direct IgA-FEC relationship did not appear for zebras in either the wet or dry field season, possibly due to higher interindividual variation in body condition among the free-roaming zebras than in the donkeys. However, Grevy's zebras had higher overall levels of IgA than either plains zebras or donkeys, potentially associated with their reportedly lower FECs at the population level. Our results suggest that equids may mount an IgA response to nematode egg production when the host is in good condition and that equid species may differ in baseline levels of mucosal IgA. We optimized an immunosorbent assay to non-invasively measure total IgA in faeces from equids. IgA positively correlated with nematode faecal egg count (FEC) in donkeys in good body condition. IgA and FEC were not correlated in a dry year for donkeys or in any year for wild plains and Grevy's zebras. IgA may relate to FECs at the population level only when body condition is uniformly good. IgA was higher in Grevy's than plains zebras or donkeys, suggesting differences in immune strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaia J Tombak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Sarah A Budischak
- Keck Science Department of Claremont McKenna, Pitzer and Scripps Colleges, Claremont, CA, United States
| | - Stephanie Hauck
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Lindsay A Martinez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Daniel I Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
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25
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Comas M. Body condition, sex and elevation in relation to mite parasitism in a high mountain gecko. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Comas
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD) Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) Sevilla Spain
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Science Universidad de Granada Granada Spain
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26
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Portanier E, Garel M, Devillard S, Duhayer J, Poirel MT, Henri H, Régis C, Maillard D, Redman E, Itty C, Michel P, Bourgoin G. Does host socio-spatial behavior lead to a fine-scale spatial genetic structure in its associated parasites? ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:64. [PMID: 31697232 PMCID: PMC6836744 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2019062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Gastro-intestinal nematodes, especially Haemonchus contortus, are widespread pathogenic parasites of small ruminants. Studying their spatial genetic structure is as important as studying host genetic structure to fully understand host-parasite interactions and transmission patterns. For parasites having a simple life cycle (e.g., monoxenous parasites), gene flow and spatial genetic structure are expected to strongly rely on the socio-spatial behavior of their hosts. Based on five microsatellite loci, we tested this hypothesis for H. contortus sampled in a wild Mediterranean mouflon population (Ovis gmelini musimon × Ovis sp.) in which species- and environment-related characteristics have been found to generate socio-spatial units. We nevertheless found that their parasites had no spatial genetic structure, suggesting that mouflon behavior was not enough to limit parasite dispersal in this study area and/or that other ecological and biological factors were involved in this process, for example other hosts, the parasite life cycle, or the study area history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elodie Portanier
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Mathieu Garel
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin, 38610 Gières, France
| | - Sébastien Devillard
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France - Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin, 38610 Gières, France - Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Marie-Thérèse Poirel
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France - Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
| | - Hélène Henri
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Corinne Régis
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France
| | - Daniel Maillard
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin, 38610 Gières, France
| | - Elizabeth Redman
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, CA-T3B 2C3 Calgary, Canada
| | - Christian Itty
- Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage, Unité Ongulés Sauvages, 5 allée de Bethléem, Z.I. Mayencin, 38610 Gières, France
| | - Patricia Michel
- GIEC du Caroux-Espinouse, Fagairolles, 34610 Castanet-Le-Haut, France
| | - Gilles Bourgoin
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, 69622 Villeurbanne, France - Université de Lyon, VetAgro Sup, Campus Vétérinaire de Lyon, 1 Avenue Bourgelat, BP 83, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France
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27
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Seguel M, Beechler BR, Coon CC, Snyder PW, Spaan JM, Jolles AE, Ezenwa VO. Immune stability predicts tuberculosis infection risk in a wild mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191401. [PMID: 31575363 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Immunity is one of the most variable phenotypic traits in animals; however, some individuals may show less fluctuation in immune traits, resulting in stable patterns of immune variation over time. It is currently unknown whether immune variation has consequences for infectious disease risk. In this study, we identified moderately stable immune traits in wild African buffalo and asked whether the stability of these traits affected bovine tuberculosis (TB) infection risk. We found that adaptive immune traits such as the level of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) released after white blood cell stimulation, the number of circulating lymphocytes and the level of antibodies against bovine adenovirus-3 were moderately repeatable (i.e. stable) over time, whereas parameters related to innate immunity either had low repeatability (circulating eosinophil numbers) or were not repeatable (e.g. neutrophil numbers, plasma bacteria killing capacity). Intriguingly, individuals with more repeatable IFN-γ and lymphocyte levels were at a significantly higher risk of acquiring TB infection. In stark contrast, average IFN-γ and lymphocyte levels were poor predictors of TB risk, indicating that immune variability rather than absolute response level better captured variation in disease susceptibility. This work highlights the important and under-appreciated role of immune variability as a predictor of infection risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Seguel
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Brianna R Beechler
- Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Courtney C Coon
- Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,Felidae Conservation Fund, Mill Valley, CA, USA
| | - Paul W Snyder
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Johannie M Spaan
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, OR, USA
| | - Anna E Jolles
- Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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28
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Habig B, Jansen DAWAM, Akinyi MY, Gesquiere LR, Alberts SC, Archie EA. Multi-scale predictors of parasite risk in wild male savanna baboons (Papio cynocephalus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2748-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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29
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Tavalire HF, Hoal EG, le Roex N, van Helden PD, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Risk alleles for tuberculosis infection associate with reduced immune reactivity in a wild mammalian host. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190914. [PMID: 31311473 PMCID: PMC6661349 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrating biological processes across scales remains a central challenge in disease ecology. Genetic variation drives differences in host immune responses, which, along with environmental factors, generates temporal and spatial infection patterns in natural populations that epidemiologists seek to predict and control. However, genetics and immunology are typically studied in model systems, whereas population-level patterns of infection status and susceptibility are uniquely observable in nature. Despite obvious causal connections, organizational scales from genes to host outcomes to population patterns are rarely linked explicitly. Here we identify two loci near genes involved in macrophage (phagocyte) activation and pathogen degradation that additively increase risk of bovine tuberculosis infection by up to ninefold in wild African buffalo. Furthermore, we observe genotype-specific variation in IL-12 production indicative of variation in macrophage activation. Here, we provide measurable differences in infection resistance at multiple scales by characterizing the genetic and inflammatory variation driving patterns of infection in a wild mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah F. Tavalire
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Eileen G. Hoal
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Nikki le Roex
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Paul D. van Helden
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
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30
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Montalva F, Pérez‐Venegas D, Gutiérrez J, Seguel M. The contrasting hidden consequences of parasitism: Effects of a hematophagous nematode ( Uncinaria sp.) in the development of a marine mammal swimming behavior. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:3689-3699. [PMID: 31015959 PMCID: PMC6468065 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Parasites are an important part of ecosystems, playing a critical role in their equilibrium. However, the consequences of parasitism beyond the direct effects associated with disease and mortality are not completely understood. This gap in knowledge is in part due to the difficulties to isolate the effect of single parasite species on physiological and behavioral traits in natural systems.The South American fur seal (Arctocephalus australis)-hookworm (Uncinaria sp.) interaction offers an ideal system to overcome these difficulties and study the behavioral and physiological effects of parasites in their hosts.Hookworms cause stunted growth and anemia in pinniped pups, which could affect early life active behaviors such as swimming. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of hookworms (Uncinaria sp.) on the development of swimming capabilities in A. australis through physiological and ethological analyses.Higher parasite burden was associated with reduced growth rates and lower blood hemoglobin concentrations, whereas scaled body mass and blood hemoglobin levels had an important positive effect on the water activity of the pups. However, antihookworm treatment did not affect the level of water activity of the pups, and pups with high hookworm burden increased their time budget in water. This was probably related to lower maternal attendance in heavily parasitized pups, leaving these pups more time to perform water activities. Therefore, pups with heavy hookworm burden, despite having decreased growth rates and blood hemoglobin concentrations, compensated for their handicap in physiological traits related to swimming by spending more time in the water.This work offers new insights to understand the contrasting effects of parasites on aquatic organisms, and the compensatory mechanisms employed by infected animals to avoid the worst consequences of parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Montalva
- Facultad de Ciencias BiológicasPontificia Universidad Católica de ChileSantiagoChile
| | - Diego Pérez‐Venegas
- PhD Program in Conservation Medicine, Facultad de Ciencias de la VidaUniversidad Andrés BelloSantiagoChile
| | - Josefina Gutiérrez
- Instituto de Patología Animal, Facultad de Ciencias VeterinariasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
- Programa de Investigación Aplicada en Fauna Silvestre, Facultad de Ciencias VeterinariasUniversidad Austral de ChileValdiviaChile
| | - Mauricio Seguel
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
- Present address:
Odum School of EcologyUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
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31
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Tavalire HF, Beechler BR, Buss PE, Gorsich EE, Hoal EG, le Roex N, Spaan JM, Spaan RS, van Helden PD, Ezenwa VO, Jolles AE. Context-dependent costs and benefits of tuberculosis resistance traits in a wild mammalian host. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:12712-12726. [PMID: 30619576 PMCID: PMC6308860 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Disease acts as a powerful driver of evolution in natural host populations, yet individuals in a population often vary in their susceptibility to infection. Energetic trade-offs between immune and reproductive investment lead to the evolution of distinct life history strategies, driven by the relative fitness costs and benefits of resisting infection. However, examples quantifying the cost of resistance outside of the laboratory are rare. Here, we observe two distinct forms of resistance to bovine tuberculosis (bTB), an important zoonotic pathogen, in a free-ranging African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) population. We characterize these phenotypes as "infection resistance," in which hosts delay or prevent infection, and "proliferation resistance," in which the host limits the spread of lesions caused by the pathogen after infection has occurred. We found weak evidence that infection resistance to bTB may be heritable in this buffalo population (h 2 = 0.10) and comes at the cost of reduced body condition and marginally reduced survival once infected, but also associates with an overall higher reproductive rate. Infection-resistant animals thus appear to follow a "fast" pace-of-life syndrome, in that they reproduce more quickly but die upon infection. In contrast, proliferation resistance had no apparent costs and was associated with measures of positive host health-such as having a higher body condition and reproductive rate. This study quantifies striking phenotypic variation in pathogen resistance and provides evidence for a link between life history variation and a disease resistance trait in a wild mammalian host population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah F. Tavalire
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- The Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon
- Present address:
Prevention Science InstituteUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon
- Present address:
Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of OregonEugeneOregon
| | | | | | - Erin E. Gorsich
- College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- Present address:
Erin E. Gorsich, Zeeman Institute: Systems Biology and Infectious Disease Epidemiology Research (SBIDER)University of WarwickCoventryUK
- Present address:
School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryUK
| | - Eileen G. Hoal
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityTygerbergSouth Africa
| | - Nikki le Roex
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityTygerbergSouth Africa
| | - Johannie M. Spaan
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
| | - Robert S. Spaan
- Department of Fisheries and WildlifeOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
| | - Paul D. van Helden
- South African Medical Research Council, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Health SciencesStellenbosch UniversityTygerbergSouth Africa
| | - Vanessa O. Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology and Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Anna E. Jolles
- Department of Integrative BiologyOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
- College of Veterinary MedicineOregon State UniversityCorvallisOregon
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Ezenwa VO, Worsley-Tonks KEL. Social living simultaneously increases infection risk and decreases the cost of infection. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.2142. [PMID: 30487314 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Elevated parasite infection risk is considered to be a near-universal cost of social living. However, living in groups may also provide benefits that reduce the negative impacts of infection. These potential 'tolerance' benefits of living socially are theoretically possible, but have rarely been described. In this study, we used an anthelmintic treatment experiment in wild Grant's gazelles (Nanger granti), who are commonly infected with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN), to show that social living confers both costs and benefits related to GIN parasitism. We show that although larger group size increases GIN infection risk, a key cost of GIN infection-the suppression of food intake-is simultaneously moderated by living in larger groups. Our findings help illuminate the complex role parasites play in the evolution of host social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa O Ezenwa
- Odum School of Ecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA .,Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Katherine E L Worsley-Tonks
- Odum School of Ecology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
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33
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Ruiz-Aravena M, Jones ME, Carver S, Estay S, Espejo C, Storfer A, Hamede RK. Sex bias in ability to cope with cancer: Tasmanian devils and facial tumour disease. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.2239. [PMID: 30464069 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Knowledge of the ecological dynamics between hosts and pathogens during the initial stages of disease emergence is crucial to understanding the potential for evolution of new interspecific interactions. Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii) populations have declined precipitously owing to infection by a transmissible cancer (devil facial tumour disease, DFTD) that emerged approximately 20 years ago. Since the emergence of DFTD, and as the disease spreads across Tasmania, the number of devils has dropped up to 90% across 80% of the species's distributional range. As a result, the disease is expected to act as a strong selective force on hosts to develop mechanisms of tolerance and/or resistance to the infection. We assessed the ability of infected devils to cope with infection, which translates into host tolerance to the cancer, by using the reaction norm of the individual body condition by tumour burden. We found that body condition of infected hosts is negatively affected by cancer progression. Males and females presented significant differences in their tolerance levels to infection, with males suffering declines of up to 25% of their body condition, in contrast to less than 5% in females. Sex-related differences in tolerance to cancer progression may select for changes in life-history strategies of the host and could also alter the selective environment for the tumours.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Menna E Jones
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Scott Carver
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Sergio Estay
- Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile.,Center of Applied Ecology and Sustainability, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Camila Espejo
- School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - Andrew Storfer
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Rodrigo K Hamede
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
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Sánchez CA, Becker DJ, Teitelbaum CS, Barriga P, Brown LM, Majewska AA, Hall RJ, Altizer S. On the relationship between body condition and parasite infection in wildlife: a review and meta-analysis. Ecol Lett 2018; 21:1869-1884. [PMID: 30369000 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Body condition metrics are widely used to infer animal health and to assess costs of parasite infection. Since parasites harm their hosts, ecologists might expect negative relationships between infection and condition in wildlife, but this assumption is challenged by studies showing positive or null condition-infection relationships. Here, we outline common condition metrics used by ecologists in studies of parasitism, and consider mechanisms that cause negative, positive, and null condition-infection relationships in wildlife systems. We then perform a meta-analysis of 553 condition-infection relationships from 187 peer-reviewed studies of animal hosts, analysing observational and experimental records separately, and noting whether authors measured binary infection status or intensity. Our analysis finds substantial heterogeneity in the strength and direction of condition-infection relationships, a small, negative average effect size that is stronger in experimental studies, and evidence for publication bias towards negative relationships. The strongest predictors of variation in study outcomes are host thermoregulation and the methods used to evaluate body condition. We recommend that studies aiming to assess parasite impacts on body condition should consider host-parasite biology, choose condition measures that can change during the course of infection, and employ longitudinal surveys or manipulate infection status when feasible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia A Sánchez
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Claire S Teitelbaum
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Paola Barriga
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Leone M Brown
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, MA, USA
| | - Ania A Majewska
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Richard J Hall
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Sonia Altizer
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Disease, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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