1
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Sirén APK, Berube J, Clarfeld LA, Sullivan CF, Simpson B, Wilson TL. Accounting for missing ticks: Use (or lack thereof) of hierarchical models in tick ecology studies. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2024; 15:102342. [PMID: 38613901 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2024.102342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Ixodid (hard) ticks play important ecosystem roles and have significant impacts on animal and human health via tick-borne diseases and physiological stress from parasitism. Tick occurrence, abundance, activity, and key life-history traits are highly influenced by host availability, weather, microclimate, and landscape features. As such, changes in the environment can have profound impacts on ticks, their hosts, and the spread of diseases. Researchers recognize that spatial and temporal factors influence activity and abundance and attempt to account for both by conducting replicate sampling bouts spread over the tick questing period. However, common field methods notoriously underestimate abundance, and it is unclear how (or if) tick studies model the confounding effects of factors influencing activity and abundance. This step is critical as unaccounted variance in detection can lead to biased estimates of occurrence and abundance. We performed a descriptive review to evaluate the extent to which studies account for the detection process while modeling tick data. We also categorized the types of analyses that are commonly used to model tick data. We used hierarchical models (HMs) that account for imperfect detection to analyze simulated and empirical tick data, demonstrating that inference is muddled when detection probability is not accounted for in the modeling process. Our review indicates that only 5 of 412 (1 %) papers explicitly accounted for imperfect detection while modeling ticks. By comparing HMs with the most common approaches used for modeling tick data (e.g., ANOVA), we show that population estimates are biased low for simulated and empirical data when using non-HMs, and that confounding occurs due to not explicitly modeling factors that influenced both detection and abundance. Our review and analysis of simulated and empirical data shows that it is important to account for our ability to detect ticks using field methods with imperfect detection. Not doing so leads to biased estimates of occurrence and abundance which could complicate our understanding of parasite-host relationships and the spread of tick-borne diseases. We highlight the resources available for learning HM approaches and applying them to analyzing tick data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexej P K Sirén
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA; Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA; Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA.
| | - Juliana Berube
- Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Laurence A Clarfeld
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Cheryl F Sullivan
- Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Benjamin Simpson
- Penobscot Nation Department of Natural Resources, Indian Island, ME, USA
| | - Tammy L Wilson
- U.S. Geological Survey, Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA
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2
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Boyles JG, Brack V, Marshall KE, Brack D. Shifts in population density centers of a hibernating mammal driven by conflicting effects of climate change and disease. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17035. [PMID: 37987538 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Populations wax and wane over time in response to an organism's interactions with abiotic and biotic forces. Numerous studies demonstrate that fluctuations in local populations can lead to shifts in relative population densities across the geographic range of a species over time. Fewer studies attempt to disentangle the causes of such shifts. Over four decades (1983-2022), we monitored populations of hibernating Indiana bats (Myotis sodalis) in two areas separated by ~110 km. The number of bats hibernating in the northern area increased from 1983 to 2011, while populations in the southern area remained relatively constant. We used simulation models and long-term weather data to demonstrate the duration of time bats must rely on stored fat during hibernation has decreased in both areas over that period, but at a faster rate in the northern area. Likewise, increasing autumn and spring temperatures shortened the periods of sporadic prey (flying insect) availability at the beginning and end of hibernation. Climate change thus increased the viability of northern hibernacula for an increasing number of bats by decreasing energetic costs of hibernation. Then in 2011, white-nose syndrome (WNS), a disease of hibernating bats that increases energetic costs of hibernation, was detected in the area. From 2011 to 2022, the population rapidly decreased in the northern area and increased in the southern area, completely reversing the northerly shift in population densities associated with climate change. Energy balance during hibernation is the singular link explaining the northerly shift under a changing climate and the southerly shift in response to a novel disease. Continued population persistence suggests that bats may mitigate many impacts of WNS by hibernating farther south, where insects are available longer each year.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin G Boyles
- School of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
| | - Virgil Brack
- Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Katie E Marshall
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Darwin Brack
- Environmental Solutions & Innovations, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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3
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Shaw AK, Torstenson M, Craft ME, Binning SA. Gaps in modelling animal migration with evolutionary game theory: infection can favour the loss of migration. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210506. [PMID: 36934748 PMCID: PMC10024995 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 03/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Ongoing environmental changes alter how natural selection shapes animal migration. Understanding how these changes play out theoretically can be done using evolutionary game theoretic (EGT) approaches, such as looking for evolutionarily stable strategies. Here, we first describe historical patterns of how EGT models have explored different drivers of migration. We find that there are substantial gaps in both the taxa (mammals, amphibians, reptiles, insects) and mechanisms (mutualism, interspecific competition) included in past EGT models of migration. Although enemy interactions, including parasites, are increasingly considered in models of animal migration, they remain the least studied of factors for migration considered to date. Furthermore, few papers look at changes in migration in response to perturbations (e.g. climate change, new species interactions). To address this gap, we present a new EGT model to understand how infection with a novel parasite changes host migration. We find three possible outcomes when migrants encounter novel parasites: maintenance of migration (despite the added infection cost), loss of migration (evolutionary shift to residency) or population collapse, depending on the risk and cost of getting infected, and the cost currency. Our work demonstrates how emerging infection can alter animal behaviour such as migration. This article is part of the theme issue 'Half a century of evolutionary games: a synthesis of theory, application and future directions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison K. Shaw
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Martha Torstenson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Sandra A. Binning
- Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
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4
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Holmes SM, Dressel S, Morel J, Spitzer R, Ball JP, Ericsson G, Singh NJ, Widemo F, Cromsigt JPGM, Danell K. Increased summer temperature is associated with reduced calf mass of a circumpolar large mammal through direct thermoregulatory and indirect, food quality, pathways. Oecologia 2023; 201:1123-1136. [PMID: 37017733 PMCID: PMC10113315 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05367-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Climate change represents a growing ecological challenge. The (sub) arctic and boreal regions of the world experience the most rapid warming, presenting an excellent model system for studying how climate change affects mammals. Moose (Alces alces) are a particularly relevant model species with their circumpolar range. Population declines across the southern edge of this range are linked to rising temperatures. Using a long-term dataset (1988-1997, 2017-2019), we examine the relative strength of direct (thermoregulatory costs) and indirect (food quality) pathways linking temperature, precipitation, and the quality of two important food items (birch and fireweed) to variation in moose calf mass in northern Sweden. The direct effects of temperature consistently showed stronger relationships to moose calf mass than did the indirect effects. The proportion of growing season days where the temperature exceeded a 20 °C threshold showed stronger direct negative relationships to moose calf mass than did mean temperature values. Finally, while annual forb (fireweed) quality was more strongly influenced by temperature and precipitation than were perennial (birch) leaves, this did not translate into a stronger relationship to moose calf weight. The only indirect path with supporting evidence suggested that mean growing season temperatures were positively associated with neutral detergent fiber, which was, in turn, negatively associated with calf mass. While indirect impacts of climate change deserve further investigation, it is important to recognize the large direct impacts of temperature on cold-adapted species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila M Holmes
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Sabrina Dressel
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
- Forest and Nature Conservation Policy Chair Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Julien Morel
- Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Robert Spitzer
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - John P Ball
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Göran Ericsson
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Navinder J Singh
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Fredrik Widemo
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Joris P G M Cromsigt
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Kjell Danell
- Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 90183, Umeå, Sweden
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5
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Fan X, Ma R, Yue C, Liu J, Yue B, Yang W, Li Y, Gu J, Ayala JE, Bunker DE, Yan X, Qi D, Su X, Li L, Zhang D, Zhang H, Yang Z, Hou R, Liu S. A snapshot of climate drivers and temporal variation of Ixodes ovatus abundance from a giant panda living in the wild. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2023; 20:162-169. [PMID: 36890989 PMCID: PMC9986245 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.02.005] [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: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Ticks and tick-borne diseases have negative impacts on the health of wild animals including endangered and vulnerable species. The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), a vulnerable and iconic flagship species, is threatened by tick infestation as well. Not only can ticks cause anemia and immunosuppression in the giant panda, but also bacterial and viral diseases. However, previous studies regarding tick infestation on giant pandas were limited in scope as case reports from sick or dead animals. In this study, an investigation focusing on the tick infestation of a reintroduced giant panda at the Daxiangling Reintroduction Base in Sichuan, China was conducted. Ticks were routinely collected and identified from the ears of the giant panda from March to September in 2021. A linear model was used to test the correlation between tick abundance and climate factors. All ticks were identified as Ixodes ovatus. Tick abundance was significantly different among months. Results from the linear model showed temperature positively correlated to tick abundance, while air pressure had a negative correlation with tick abundance. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first reported investigation of tick species and abundance on a healthy giant panda living in the natural environment, and provides important information for the conservation of giant pandas and other species sharing the same habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyang Fan
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Rui Ma
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Changjuan Yue
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Jiabin Liu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Bisong Yue
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanjing Yang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Yunli Li
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Jiang Gu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - James E Ayala
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Daniel E Bunker
- Department of Biological Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
| | - Xia Yan
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Dunwu Qi
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Xiaoyan Su
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Lin Li
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Dongsheng Zhang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Hongwen Zhang
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Zhisong Yang
- Sichuan Academy of Giant Panda, Chengdu, 610081, China
| | - Rong Hou
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
| | - Songrui Liu
- Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology for Endangered Wildlife, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375 Panda Road, Chenghua District, Sichuan Province, 610081, China
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6
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Chenery ES, Harms NJ, Fenton H, Mandrak NE, Molnár PK. Revealing large‐scale parasite ranges: An integrated spatiotemporal database and multisource analysis of the winter tick. Ecosphere 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emily S. Chenery
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Scarborough Ontario Canada
| | - N. Jane Harms
- Animal Health Unit Department of Environment Whitehorse Yukon Canada
| | - Heather Fenton
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources Government of Northwest Territories Yellowknife Northwest Territories Canada
| | - Nicholas E. Mandrak
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Scarborough Ontario Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Scarborough Ontario Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Péter K. Molnár
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Scarborough Ontario Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Toronto Scarborough Scarborough Ontario Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
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7
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Peralbo-Moreno A, Baz-Flores S, Cuadrado-Matías R, Barroso P, Triguero-Ocaña R, Jiménez-Ruiz S, Herraiz C, Ruiz-Rodríguez C, Acevedo P, Ruiz-Fons F. Environmental factors driving fine-scale ixodid tick abundance patterns. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158633. [PMID: 36084775 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Tick abundance is an essential demographic parameter to infer tick-borne pathogen transmission risks. Spatiotemporal patterns of tick abundance are heterogeneous, so its determinants at small spatial scales need to be understood to reduce their negative effects on hosts. Current knowledge of these determinants is scarce, especially in Mediterranean environments, limiting the possibilities for designing efficient tick control strategies. With the goal of unravelling tick abundance determinants and informing new tick management strategies, we estimated tick burdens on 1965 wild ungulates in Doñana National Park, Spain, annually between 2010 and 2020. Under the hypothesis of a predominant host influence on tick abundance, we modelled the burdens of Rhipicephalus annulatus, Hyalomma lusitanicum, and Ixodes ricinus with relevant predictors grouped into four factors: i) environment; ii) host population; iii) host individual; and iv) land-use. Generalized linear mixed models with a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution were built. Additionally, we analysed the differential contribution to abundance of each factor by deviance partitioning. We finally estimated the similarity in the environmental space of tick species by analysing their niche overlap with the environmental principal component analysis method. Our work hypothesis was confirmed for R. annulatus and H. lusitanicum, but we found that tick abundance at a fine spatial scale is jointly driven by multiple drivers, including all four factors considered in this study. This result points out that understanding the demography of ticks is a complex multifactorial issue, even at small spatial scales. We found no niche differences between the three tick species at the study spatial scale, thus showing similar host and environmental dependencies. Overall results identify that host aggregation areas displaying environmentally favourable traits for ticks are relevant tick and vector-borne pathogen transmission hotspots. Our findings will facilitate the design of new strategies to reduce the negative effects of tick parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Peralbo-Moreno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Sara Baz-Flores
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Raúl Cuadrado-Matías
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Patricia Barroso
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Roxana Triguero-Ocaña
- VISAVET Health Surveillance Centre, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Saúl Jiménez-Ruiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain; Animal Health and Zoonoses Research Group (GISAZ), Department of Animal Health, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Cesar Herraiz
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Carmen Ruiz-Rodríguez
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Pelayo Acevedo
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Fons
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ciudad Real, Spain.
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8
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Schoepf I, Olson S, Moore IT, Bonier F. Experimental reduction of haemosporidian infection affects maternal reproductive investment, parental behaviour and offspring condition. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221978. [PMID: 36448284 PMCID: PMC9709520 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
When hosts have a long coevolutionary history with their parasites, fitness costs of chronic infection have often been assumed to be negligible. Yet, experimental manipulation of infections sometimes reveals effects of parasites on their hosts, particularly during reproduction. Whether these effects translate into fitness costs remains unclear. Here, we present the results of an experimental study conducted in a free-ranging population of red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) naturally experiencing a high prevalence of haemosporidian infections, with more than 95% of breeding adults infected with parasites from one or more haemosporidian genus. To assess effects of infection during reproduction, we manipulated adult red-winged blackbird females' parasite burden by administering an anti-haemosporidian medication before onset of egg-laying. Experimental reduction of infection resulted in significant benefits to mothers and their offspring. Medicated females laid heavier clutches, invested more in incubation and provisioning behaviour, and produced more fledglings than control females. Nestlings of medicated females had higher haematocrit, higher blood glucose, and lower reactive oxygen metabolites than nestlings of control females. Overall, our results provide evidence that, even in a species with high prevalence of infection, parasites can lead to decreased maternal investment and offspring quality, substantially reducing fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Schoepf
- Biology Department, Queen's University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
- University of Alberta, Augustana Campus, 4901 46 Avenue, Camrose, Alberta, Canada T4V 2R3
| | - Sarena Olson
- Biology Department, Queen's University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Ignacio T. Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Frances Bonier
- Biology Department, Queen's University, 116 Barrie Street, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
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9
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Tiffin HS, Rajotte EG, Sakamoto JM, Machtinger ET. Tick Control in a Connected World: Challenges, Solutions, and Public Policy from a United States Border Perspective. Trop Med Infect Dis 2022; 7:388. [PMID: 36422939 PMCID: PMC9695313 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed7110388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Ticks are able to transmit the highest number of pathogen species of any blood-feeding arthropod and represent a growing threat to public health and agricultural systems worldwide. While there are numerous and varied causes and effects of changes to tick-borne disease (re)emergence, three primary challenges to tick control were identified in this review from a U.S. borders perspective. (1) Climate change is implicated in current and future alterations to geographic ranges and population densities of tick species, pathogens they can transmit, and their host and reservoir species, as highlighted by Ixodes scapularis and its expansion across southern Canada. (2) Modern technological advances have created an increasingly interconnected world, contributing to an increase in invasive tick species introductions through the increased speed and frequency of trade and travel. The introduction of the invasive Haemaphysalis longicornis in the eastern U.S. exemplifies the challenges with control in a highly interconnected world. (3) Lastly, while not a new challenge, differences in disease surveillance, control, and management strategies in bordering countries remains a critical challenge in managing ticks and tick-borne diseases. International inter-agency collaborations along the U.S.-Mexico border have been critical in control and mitigation of cattle fever ticks (Rhipicephalus spp.) and highlight the need for continued collaboration and research into integrated tick management strategies. These case studies were used to identify challenges and opportunities for tick control and mitigation efforts through a One Health framework.
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10
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Galán AP, Hamer SA, Folmar HA, Campbell TA, Light JE. Baseline Biodiversity Assessment of South Texas Small Mammals and Host-Associated Hard Ticks with No Detection of Selected Tick-Borne Pathogens. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2022. [DOI: 10.3398/064.082.0204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aleyda P. Galán
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Sarah A. Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Hunter A. Folmar
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | | | - Jessica E. Light
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
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11
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Hinton JW, Wheat RE, Schuette P, Hurst JE, Kramer DW, Stickles JH, Frair JL. Challenges and opportunities for estimating abundance of a low‐density moose population. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph W. Hinton
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 USA
| | - Rachel E. Wheat
- Wildlife Division, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem OR 97302 USA
| | - Paul Schuette
- Marine Mammals Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service 1011 E. Tudor Rd Anchorage AK 99503 USA
| | - Jeremy E. Hurst
- Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany NY 12233 USA
| | - David W. Kramer
- Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany NY 12233 USA
| | - James H. Stickles
- Division of Fish, Wildlife, and Marine Resources, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 625 Broadway Albany NY 12233 USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Roosevelt Wild Life Station, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse NY 13210 USA
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12
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Frank Sullivan C, Parker BL, Skinner M. Survival of off-host Dermacentor albipictus (Acari: Ixodidae) adult females and larvae underwater. CAN J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2022-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dermacentor albipictus (Packard, 1869) [Acari: Ixodidae], the winter tick, significantly affects the health and productivity of North American moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758) [Artiodactyla: Cervidae]). Survival of off-host stages of Ixodid ticks depends on microclimate driven in part by extrinsic factors resulting from weather, such as temperature, humidity, drought, and floods. The impact of some of these abiotic factors is unclear for D. albipictus. The effect of water submergence on biological parameters of engorged, adult, females and unfed larvae was assessed in the laboratory. Survival of adult females after submergence for three days was 88% with significant effects on their ability to oviposit. After five weeks, 63% of larvae (one-month-old) survived submergence in water whereas survival of larvae (three-months-old) was reduced to 23% after seven days. The off-host stages of D. albipictus have variable tolerance to periods of submergence that may influence the number of larvae available on the landscape for recruitment to moose in autumn.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bruce L. Parker
- University of Vermont, 2092, Burlington, United States, 05405-0160
| | - Margaret Skinner
- University of Vermont, 2092, Burlington, United States, 05405-0160
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14
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Fellin E, Schulte-Hostedde A. Tick infestation effects on haemoglobin levels of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus). Parasitology 2022; 149:209-217. [PMID: 35234604 PMCID: PMC11010517 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182021001700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) are hosts to ixodid ticks as well as the associated tick-borne pathogens they can spread. As the ranges of black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis) expand northwards, naïve host populations of deer mice are likely to become infested by ticks and experience the physiological effects that ticks can have on them via blood-feeding. The prevalence of these haematophagous ticks can affect the haemoglobin levels of the mice they infest. Haemoglobin levels were compared and analysed in deer mice populations at three different sites with varying tick exposure. These results suggested that without confounding effects, the abundance of black-legged and American dog ticks on individual mice had a significant negative effect on the hosts' haemoglobin levels, but only in an area with high tick infestation. This was seen across the average haemoglobin levels between populations, where there was a significant difference between the source population with the longest established tick populations and the source population where neither black-legged nor American dog ticks were prevalent. As the ticks' ranges expand and they become more abundant, it is important to understand how their prevalence and intensity can alter host physiology, potentially affecting their own range expansion and the spread of the diseases they may carry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Fellin
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada
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15
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Normandeau J, Cassady St. Clair C, Kutz SJ, Hebblewhite M, Merrill EH. What makes elk tick: winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) grooming behavior in wild elk (Cervus canadensis). J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyab155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Ungulates groom to remove ectoparasites but grooming may interfere with foraging, vigilance, and rumination, and it is possible that these effects differ among migratory tactics due to differences in parasite infestations. We compared the effects of grooming for winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) on winter foraging behavior by migrating and resident elk (Cervus canadensis) in the partially migratory population at the Ya Ha Tinda, adjacent to Banff National Park, Canada. We used hair loss on the dorsal shoulder area (“withers”) measured from photographic images as an index of tick infestation of individual elk. We conducted 594 focal observations on 48 radio-collared and 18 uncollared individuals that were uniquely identifiable from ear-tags (N = 66) in 2019 to assess whether grooming for ticks in winter reduced time spent foraging, ruminating, or being vigilant. Because rubbing or hair loss from radio-collars may influence tick infestations and behavior, we controlled for whether elk were collared or uncollared in our analyses. Neck hair loss was 3−5% greater in collared elk than uncollared elk, but neither withers hair loss nor time spent grooming differed. Grooming occurred during 42% of the observations but grooming comprised only ~1% of observation time. Nevertheless, 40% of all grooming was observed during resting, and grooming interrupted vigilance behavior ~8 times more than foraging. We found no differences among elk following different migratory tactics in time spent grooming or in other behaviors, but one of the two groups of migrant elk had higher withers hair loss. Our results suggest winter ticks may have slight effects on elk relative to other ungulates, particularly moose (Alces alces), in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacalyn Normandeau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Colleen Cassady St. Clair
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Susan J Kutz
- Department of Ecosystem and Public Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4
| | - Mark Hebblewhite
- Wildlife Biology Program, Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, Franke College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812, USA
| | - Evelyn H Merrill
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
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Thomas S, Abraham A, Callaghan PJ, Rappuoli R. Challenges for Vaccinologists in the First Half of the Twenty-First Century. Methods Mol Biol 2022; 2410:3-25. [PMID: 34914040 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1884-4_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 has highlighted the importance of vaccines and vaccination in human health. The pandemic has resulted in social distancing, travel restrictions, decreased trade, high unemployment, commodity price decline, and financial stress that has impacted the global economy. Since December 2020, a massive vaccination campaign is undergoing in every country on the planet to protect against SARS-CoV-2. Vaccination is the cheapest health-care interventions that can save more lives than any other drugs or therapies. Some of the common diseases of the twentieth century including smallpox and polio are seldom reported due to intense vaccination programs that eradicated it. Smallpox is completely eradicated globally; whereas, polio is confined to only a couple of countries. Vaccination has not only improved the health of man but also improved food security by preventing diseases in farm animals and aquacultured fish. Awareness of the principles of immunology and novel vaccines has led to effective vaccination strategies. Climate change could lead to generation of new strains of infectious microorganisms that would require development of novel vaccines. Recent years have seen the increase in incidence of brain-eating amoeba and flesh-eating bacteria (necrotizing fasciitis). There are no vaccines for these diseases. Though vaccination programs have eradicated several diseases and increased the quality of life, there are several diseases that have no effective vaccines. Currently there are no vaccines for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune diseases, as well as infectious diseases like tuberculosis, AIDS, and parasitic diseases including malaria. Spontaneous evolution of pathogenic microorganisms may lead to pandemics that impact the health of not only humanity but also other animals. Hence, the challenge to vaccinologists is the development of novel vaccines and vaccination strategies within limited time period and using minimum resources. In addition, the vaccine developed should be administered globally within a short duration so as to prevent generation of pathogenic variants more lethal than the parent strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunil Thomas
- Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, USA.
| | - Ann Abraham
- Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, Wynnewood, USA
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Hoy SR, Vucetich LM, Peterson RO, Vucetich JA. Winter Tick Burdens for Moose Are Positively Associated With Warmer Summers and Higher Predation Rates. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.758374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expected to modify host-parasite interactions which is concerning because parasites are involved in most food-web links, and parasites have important influences on the structure, productivity and stability of communities and ecosystems. However, the impact of climate change on host–parasite interactions and any cascading effects on other ecosystem processes has received relatively little empirical attention. We assessed host-parasite dynamics for moose (Alces alces) and winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) in Isle Royale National Park over a 19-year period. Specifically, we monitored annual tick burdens for moose (estimated from hair loss) and assessed how it covaried with several aspects of seasonal climate, and non-climatic factors, such as moose density, predation on hosts by wolves (Canis lupus) and wolf abundance. Summer temperatures explained half the interannual variance in tick burden with tick burden being greater following hotter summers, presumably because warmer temperatures accelerate the development of tick eggs and increase egg survival. That finding is consistent with the general expectation that warmer temperatures may promote higher parasite burdens. However, summer temperatures are warming less rapidly than other seasons across most regions of North America. Therefore, tick burdens seem to be primarily associated with an aspect of climate that is currently exhibiting a lower rate of change. Tick burdens were also positively correlated with predation rate, which could be due to moose exhibiting risk-sensitive habitat selection (in years when predation risk is high) in such a manner as to increases the encounter rate with questing tick larvae in autumn. However, that positive correlation could also arise if high parasite burdens make moose more vulnerable to predators or because of some other density-dependent process (given that predation rate and moose density are highly correlated). Overall, these results provide valuable insights about interrelationships among climate, parasites, host/prey, and predators.
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PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF ANAPLASMA INFECTIONS IN EASTERN MOOSE (ALCES ALCES AMERICANA) AND WINTER TICKS (DERMACENTOR ALBIPICTUS) IN MAINE, USA. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:844-855. [PMID: 34424993 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-21-00020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Eastern moose (Alces alces americana) are heavily parasitized by winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus), the dominant cause of increased calf mortality in the northeastern US. Although much work has focused on the direct negative effects of winter tick on moose, it remains unknown whether diseases transmitted by ticks may also affect moose health or pose a risk to other species. We explored the role that moose and winter ticks play in transmission of the tick-borne bacterial pathogens, Anaplasma spp., which cause mild to severe illness in humans and domestic animals. Our objectives were to 1) estimate the prevalence of Anaplasma spp. in moose and winter ticks; 2) determine the phylogenetic placement of these strains with respect to those found in other hosts and vectors; and 3) explore risk factors of Anaplasma infection in moose. A total of 157 moose (142 calves, 15 adults) were captured in western (n=83) and northern (n=74) Maine in 2017 and 2018. We screened for Anaplasma spp. in moose whole blood samples using a genus-specific PCR assay targeting the 16S rRNA gene. Over half (54%) of the moose were infected with Anaplasma bacteria, with a greater proportion of moose harboring Anaplasma-infections in the western (67%) versus northern study areas (38%). Male moose exhibited a higher prevalence than did females (63% vs. 47%). In contrast, Anaplasma spp. prevalence in winter ticks was low (<1%). Sequencing and phylogenetic analysis revealed that the single Anaplasma strain in moose was highly divergent from the strain in winter ticks and most closely related to an uncharacterized North American cervid strain. We conclude that winter ticks are unlikely to play a significant role in Anaplasma transmission to moose; however, high infection prevalence warrants further investigation into the impacts of Anaplasma spp. infection on moose health.
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Debow J, Blouin J, Rosenblatt E, Alexander C, Gieder K, Cottrell W, Murdoch J, Donovan T. Effects of Winter Ticks and Internal Parasites on Moose Survival in Vermont, USA. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Debow
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont 302 Aiken Center, 81 Carrigan Drive Burlington VT 05405 USA
| | - Joshua Blouin
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont 302 Aiken Center, 81 Carrigan Drive Burlington VT 05405 USA
| | - Elias Rosenblatt
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont 302 Aiken Center, 81 Carrigan Drive Burlington VT 05405 USA
| | - Cedric Alexander
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department 374 Emerson Falls Road St Johnsbury VT 05819 USA
| | - Katherina Gieder
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department 271 North Main Street, Suite 215 Rutland VT 05701 USA
| | - Walter Cottrell
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department 374 Emerson Falls Road St Johnsbury VT 05819 USA
| | - James Murdoch
- Wildlife and Fisheries Biology Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont 302 Aiken Center, 81 Carrigan Drive Burlington VT 05405 USA
| | - Therese Donovan
- U.S. Geological Survey, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont 302 Aiken Center, 81 Carrigan Drive Burlington VT 05405 USA
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20
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Rempel RS, Carlson M, Rodgers AR, Shuter JL, Farrell CE, Cairns D, Stelfox B, Hunt LM, Mackereth RW, Jackson JM. Modeling Cumulative Effects of Climate and Development on Moose, Wolf, and Caribou Populations. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert S. Rempel
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Matthew Carlson
- Alces Landscape and Land‐Use 4290 Wheatley Rd, Duncan, British Columbia V9L 6H1 Canada
| | - Arthur R. Rodgers
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Jennifer L. Shuter
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Claire E. Farrell
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Devin Cairns
- Alces Landscape and Land‐Use 7218 Kirk Ave Summerland British Columbia V0H 1Z9 Canada
| | - Brad Stelfox
- Alces Landscape and Land‐Use Unit 1208, 1234‐5th Avenue NW Calgary Alberta T2N 0R9 Canada
| | - Len M. Hunt
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Robert W. Mackereth
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
| | - Janet M. Jackson
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry 103‐421 James Street South, Thunder Bay Ontario P7E 2V6 Canada
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Tsao JI, Hamer SA, Han S, Sidge JL, Hickling GJ. The Contribution of Wildlife Hosts to the Rise of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in North America. JOURNAL OF MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2021; 58:1565-1587. [PMID: 33885784 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjab047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Wildlife vertebrate hosts are integral to enzootic cycles of tick-borne pathogens, and in some cases have played key roles in the recent rise of ticks and tick-borne diseases in North America. In this forum article, we highlight roles that wildlife hosts play in the maintenance and transmission of zoonotic, companion animal, livestock, and wildlife tick-borne pathogens. We begin by illustrating how wildlife contribute directly and indirectly to the increase and geographic expansion of ticks and their associated pathogens. Wildlife provide blood meals for tick growth and reproduction; serve as pathogen reservoirs; and can disperse ticks and pathogens-either through natural movement (e.g., avian migration) or through human-facilitated movement (e.g., wildlife translocations and trade). We then discuss opportunities to manage tick-borne disease through actions directed at wildlife hosts. To conclude, we highlight key gaps in our understanding of the ecology of tick-host interactions, emphasizing that wildlife host communities are themselves a very dynamic component of tick-pathogen-host systems and therefore complicate management of tick-borne diseases, and should be taken into account when considering host-targeted approaches. Effective management of wildlife to reduce tick-borne disease risk further requires consideration of the 'human dimensions' of wildlife management. This includes understanding the public's diverse views and values about wildlife and wildlife impacts-including the perceived role of wildlife in fostering tick-borne diseases. Public health agencies should capitalize on the expertise of wildlife agencies when developing strategies to reduce tick-borne disease risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean I Tsao
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Sarah A Hamer
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, and Schubot Center for Avian Health, Department of Veterinary Pathology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Seungeun Han
- Department of Disease Control and Epidemiology, National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jennifer L Sidge
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Graham J Hickling
- Center for Wildlife Health, Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
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Rosenblatt E, DeBow J, Blouin J, Donovan T, Murdoch J, Creel S, Rogers W, Gieder K, Fortin N, Alexander C. Juvenile moose stress and nutrition dynamics related to winter ticks, landscape characteristics, climate-mediated factors and survival. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 9:coab048. [PMID: 34249363 PMCID: PMC8266538 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coab048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Moose populations in the northeastern United States have declined over the past 15 years, primarily due to the impacts of winter ticks. Research efforts have focused on the effects of winter tick infestation on moose survival and reproduction, but stress and nutritional responses to ticks and other stressors remain understudied. We examined the influence of several environmental factors on moose calf stress hormone metabolite concentrations and nutritional restriction in Vermont, USA. We collected 407 fecal and 461 snow urine samples from 84 radio-collared moose calves in the winters of 2017-2019 (January-April) to measure fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGCM) concentrations and urea nitrogen:creatinine (UN:C) ratios. We used generalized mixed-effects models to evaluate the influence of individual condition, winter ticks, habitat, climate and human development on stress and nutrition in calf moose. We then used these physiological data to build generalized linear models to predict calf winter survival. Calf fGCM concentrations increased with nutritional restriction and snow depth during adult winter tick engorgement. Calf UN:C ratios increased in calves with lighter weights and higher tick loads in early winter. Calf UN:C ratios also increased in individuals with home ranges composed of little deciduous forests during adult winter tick engorgement. Our predictive models estimated that winter survival was negatively related to UN:C ratios and positively related to fGCM concentrations, particularly in early winter. By late March, as winter ticks are having their greatest toll and endogenous resources become depleted, we estimated a curvilinear relationship between fGCM concentrations and survival. Our results provide novel evidence linking moose calf stress and nutrition, a problematic parasite and challenging environment and winter survival. Our findings provide a baseline to support the development of non-invasive physiological monitoring for assessing environmental impacts on moose populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Rosenblatt
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Jacob DeBow
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Joshua Blouin
- Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Therese Donovan
- US Geological Survey, Vermont Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - James Murdoch
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Will Rogers
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Nick Fortin
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Rutland, VT 05701, USA
| | - Cedric Alexander
- Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, St. Johnsbury, VT 05819, USA
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EVALUATING THE THRESHOLD DENSITY HYPOTHESIS FOR MOOSE (ALCES ALCES), WHITE-TAILED DEER (ODOCOILEUS VIRGINIANUS), AND PARELAPHOSTRONGYLUS TENUIS. J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:569-578. [PMID: 33961048 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00060] [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: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of the Parelaphostrongylus tenuis infection for moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) management, only one peer-reviewed study has evaluated the relationship between deer and moose densities and the potential for parasite-mediated competition between the species. Using polynomial-regression modeling, that study identified a deer-density threshold above which moose populations declined; however, the nature of the data and apparent outliers suggests the approach used to develop that threshold may not have been appropriate. We used the data from the original study to test whether alternative models, including linear models and negative binomial models would be less sensitive to outliers and could better explain that relationship. We found no evidence that moose density decreases as deer density increases. We concluded that, although the proposed moose-deer-P. tenuis relationship could be partially density dependent, additional factors, such as frequency dependence of disease transmission, gastropod abundance, and shared use of resources by moose and deer should also be considered.
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NEONATE HEALTH AND CALF MORTALITY IN A DECLINING POPULATION OF NORTH AMERICAN MOOSE (ALCES ALCES AMERICANUS). J Wildl Dis 2021; 57:40-50. [PMID: 33635990 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-20-00049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Moose (Alces alces americanus) populations in many areas along the southern extent of the North American moose range, including Minnesota, have experienced decline. Ascertaining neonate health and cause-specific mortality is critical where calf survival is low and understanding underlying causes of population dynamics is important. To investigate moose neonate health and causes of mortality, we studied 43 calves shortly after parturition during 2013-15 and 2018. The observed natural calf mortality rate was 84% by the following January of each calving season. Most natural calf mortalities were caused by black bear (Ursus americanus) or wolf (Canis lupus) predation or associated injuries (71%) but also included stillbirth (16%), orphaning (7%), generalized bacterial infection (3%), and hunter harvest (3%). Neonate health was evaluated in 27 calves by hematology, serum biochemistry profile, and maternally derived immunoglobulin. General health parameters were mostly within an expected range for normal health and adequate maternal immunoglobulin transfer. Importantly, these data contribute to a growing body of literature on moose neonate health and is the first report, to our knowledge, of maternally derived immunity in moose neonates.
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Blouin J, DeBow J, Rosenblatt E, Hines J, Alexander C, Gieder K, Fortin N, Murdoch J, Donovan T. Moose Habitat Selection and Fitness Consequences During Two Critical Winter Tick Life Stages in Vermont, United States†. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.642276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The moose (Alces alces) is a charismatic species in decline across much of their southern distribution in North America. In the northeastern United States, much of the reduction has been attributed to winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) infestations. Winter ticks are fairly immobile throughout all life stages, and therefore their distribution patterns at any given time are shaped largely by the occurrence of moose across the landscape during the peak of two critical time periods: fall questing (when ticks latch onto moose) and spring drop-off (when engorged female ticks detach from moose). We used recent land cover and lidar data within a dynamic occupancy modeling framework to estimate first-order habitat selection (use vs. non-use) of female moose (n = 74) during the tick questing and drop-off periods. Patch extinction and colonization rates between the fall questing and spring drop-off periods were strongly influenced by habitat and elevation, but these effects were diminished during the fall questing period when moose were more active across the landscape. From the fall questing period to the spring drop-off period, patches where colonization was high and extinction was low had higher proportions of young (shrub/forage) mixed forest at higher elevations. Further, we evaluated the fitness consequences of habitat selection by adult females during the fall questing period, when females and their calves acquire ticks. We compared Resource Selection Functions (RSF) for five females that successfully reared a calf to age 1 with five females whose calves perished due to ticks. Adult female moose whose offspring perished selected habitats in the fall that spatially coincided with areas of high occupancy probability during the spring tick drop-off period. In contrast, adult female moose whose offspring survived selected areas where the probability of occupancy during the spring drop-off was low; at present, natural selection may favor female adults who do not select the same habitats in fall as in spring. Our model coefficients and mapped results define “hotspots” that are likely encouraging the deleterious effects of the tick-moose cycle. These findings fill knowledge gaps about moose habitat selection that may improve the effectiveness of management aimed at reversing declining population trends.
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A RETROSPECTIVE SUMMARY OF CERVID MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY IN ONTARIO AND NUNAVUT REGIONS OF CANADA (1991-2017). J Wildl Dis 2021; 56:884-895. [PMID: 32348201 DOI: 10.7589/jwd-d-19-00018] [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: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Free-ranging cervids in Canada face diverse threats such as climate change, human population expansion, and the northward spread of vector-borne pathogens. However, we currently have a limited understanding of the impacts of these health challenges in Ontario cervids. Our objective was to identify and characterize causes of morbidity and mortality in free-ranging cervids submitted to the Ontario and Nunavut node of the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC) over a 27-yr period (1991 to 2017). Submissions included carcasses submitted for full postmortem examination (gross and histopathology; n=196) and field-collected tissues (n=384). Ancillary tests were performed on a case-by-case basis. Univariable logistic regression was used to test for associations between select causes of morbidity and mortality, and factors such as sex, age, and season. Four cervid species were examined: white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; n=211), moose (Alces alces; n=140), elk (Cervus canadensis; n=136), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou; n=93). Noninfectious disease was the most common general cause of morbidity and mortality (38.1%; 221/580) and was most commonly attributed to trauma (49.7%; 110/221). Deaths attributed to infectious diseases (34.3%; 199/580) were most often bacterial in etiology (45.7%; 91/199). The most common primary infectious disease diagnosed in caribou was digital limb infection, and moose were most commonly diagnosed with parasitic causes, including meningeal worm (Parelaphostrongylus tenuis) and winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus). Chronic wasting disease was not diagnosed among cervids tested during the study period, consistent with the previous lack of detection of the disease in Ontario. These results reveal that anthropogenic, infectious, and environmentally associated causes of morbidity and mortality are commonly diagnosed in cervids submitted to the CWHC Ontario and Nunavut regions, and represent potential population threats that should continue to be monitored.
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Urbanization's influence on the distribution of mange in a carnivore revealed with multistate occupancy models. Oecologia 2021; 195:105-116. [PMID: 33538881 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04803-9] [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: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Increasing urbanization and use of urban areas by synanthropic wildlife has increased human and domestic animal exposure to zoonotic diseases and exacerbated epizootics within wildlife populations. Consequently, there is a need to improve wildlife disease surveillance programs to rapidly detect outbreaks and refine inferences regarding spatiotemporal disease dynamics. Multistate occupancy models can address potential shortcomings in surveillance programs by accounting for imperfect detection and the misclassification of disease states. We used these models to explore the relationship between urbanization, slope, and the spatial distribution of sarcoptic mange in coyotes (Canis latrans) inhabiting Fort Irwin, California, USA. We deployed remote cameras across 180 sites within the desert surrounding the populated garrison and classified sites by mange presence or absence depending on whether a symptomatic or asymptomatic coyote was photographed. Coyotes selected flatter sites closer to the urban area with a high probability of use (0.845, 95% credible interval (CRI): 0.728, 0.944); site use decreased as the distance to urban areas increased (standardized [Formula: see text] = - 1.354, 95% CRI - 2.423, - 0.619). The probability of correctly classifying mange presence at a site also decreased further from the urban area and was probably related to the severity of mange infection. Severely infected coyotes, which were more readily identified as symptomatic, resided closer to the urban area and were most likely dependent on urban resources for survival; urban resources probably contributed to sustaining the disease. Multistate occupancy models represent a flexible framework for estimating the occurrence and spatial extent of observable infectious diseases, which can improve wildlife disease surveillance programs.
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Teitelbaum CS, Sirén APK, Coffel E, Foster JR, Frair JL, Hinton JW, Horton RM, Kramer DW, Lesk C, Raymond C, Wattles DW, Zeller KA, Morelli TL. Habitat use as indicator of adaptive capacity to climate change. DIVERS DISTRIB 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexej P. K. Sirén
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
| | - Ethan Coffel
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Department of Geography and the Environment Syracuse University Syracuse NY USA
| | - Jane R. Foster
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- University of Vermont Burlington VT USA
| | - Jacqueline L. Frair
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY USA
| | - Joseph W. Hinton
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse NY USA
| | - Radley M. Horton
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory Columbia University New York NY USA
| | - David W. Kramer
- New York Department of Environmental Conservation Albany NY USA
| | - Corey Lesk
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- Columbia University New York NY USA
| | - Colin Raymond
- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
| | | | - Katherine A. Zeller
- Odum School of Ecology University of Georgia Athens GA USA
- Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Amherst MA USA
| | - Toni Lyn Morelli
- Department of Interior Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center Amherst MA USA
- U.S. Geological Survey Amherst MA USA
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Cheeseman AE, Cohen JB, Ryan SJ, Whipps CM. Is conservation based on best available science creating an ecological trap for an imperiled lagomorph? Ecol Evol 2021; 11:912-930. [PMID: 33520175 PMCID: PMC7820145 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat quality regulates fitness and population density, making it a key driver of population size. Hence, increasing habitat quality is often a primary goal of species conservation. Yet, assessments of fitness and density are difficult and costly to obtain. Therefore, species conservation often uses "best available science," extending inferences across taxa, space, or time, and inferring habitat quality from studies of habitat selection. However, there are scenarios where habitat selection is not reflective of habitat quality, and this can lead to maladaptive management strategies. The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is an imperiled shrubland obligate lagomorph whose successful recovery hinges on creation of suitable habitat. Recovery of this species is also negatively impacted by the non-native eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus), which can competitively exclude New England cottontails from preferred habitat. Herein, we evaluate habitat quality for adult and juvenile New England and eastern cottontails using survival and density as indicators. Our findings did not support selection following an ideal free distribution by New England cottontails. Instead, selected resources, which are a target of habitat management, were associated with low survival and density and pointed to a complex trade-off between density, survival, habitat, and the presence of eastern cottontails. Further, movement distance was inversely correlated with survival in both species, suggesting that habitat fragmentation limits the ability of cottontails to freely distribute based on habitat quality. While habitat did not directly regulate survival of juvenile cottontails, tick burden had a strong negative impact on juvenile cottontails in poor body condition. Given the complex interactions among New England cottontails, eastern cottontails, and habitat, directly assessing and accounting for factors that limit New England cottontail habitat quality in management plans is vital to their recovery. Our study demonstrates an example of management for possible ecological trap conditions via the application of incomplete knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda E. Cheeseman
- Department of Environmental and Forest BiologySUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNYUSA
| | - Jonathan B. Cohen
- Department of Environmental and Forest BiologySUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNYUSA
| | - Sadie J. Ryan
- Quantitative Disease Ecology and Conservation (QDEC) LabDepartment of GeographyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFLUSA
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalDurbanSouth Africa
| | - Christopher M. Whipps
- Department of Environmental and Forest BiologySUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseNYUSA
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Sullivan CF, Parker BL, Davari A, Lee MR, Kim JS, Skinner M. Evaluation of spray applications of Metarhizium anisopliae, Metarhizium brunneum and Beauveria bassiana against larval winter ticks, Dermacentor albipictus. EXPERIMENTAL & APPLIED ACAROLOGY 2020; 82:559-570. [PMID: 33185806 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-020-00547-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Dermacentor albipictus (Acari: Ixodidae), the winter tick, is a one-host tick that parasitizes large ungulates. They can dramatically affect moose, Alces alces (Artiodactyla: Cervidae), causing significant physiological and metabolic stress and mortality among heavily parasitized individuals. Entomopathogenic fungi in the genera Metarhizium (Hypocreales: Clavicipitaceae) and Beauveria (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae) are promising tick biological control agents. We examined the pathogenicity of experimental and commercially formulated isolates of M. anisopliae, M. brunneum and B. bassiana sprayed at concentrations of 106, 107 and 108 conidia/mL against the larval stage of D. albipictus and assessed the efficacy of spraying the commercial product Met52®EC, containing M. brunneum, strain F52, under laboratory conditions. Results showed larval D. albipictus mortality was significantly higher and occurred earlier when treated with M. anisopliae and M. brunneum isolates compared to B. bassiana at 106, 107 and 108 conidia/mL. Mortality was observed as early as 3 days in the M. anisopliae and M. brunneum treatments and after 6 days in the B. bassiana treatments. After 21 days, larval mortality ranged from 74-99% when ticks were treated with M. anisopliae and M. brunneum isolates at 106, 107 and 108 and conidia/mL. In contrast, mortality of ticks treated with B. bassiana ranged from 30 to 64%. When larvae were treated with the commercial product Met52, mortality was ~ 45% after 3 days and ~ 96% after 9 days. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of M. anisopliae and M. brunneum against D. albipictus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bruce L Parker
- Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Agrin Davari
- Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Mi Rong Lee
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Su Kim
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Margaret Skinner
- Entomology Research Laboratory, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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Rosso AA, Nicholson DJ, Logan ML, Chung AK, Curlis JD, Degon ZM, Knell RJ, Garner TWJ, McMillan WO, Cox CL. Sex-biased parasitism and expression of a sexual signal. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Given that sexual signals are often expressed more highly in one sex than the other, they can impose a sex-specific cost of reproduction through parasitism. The two primary paradigms regarding the relationship of parasites to sexual signals are the good genes hypothesis and the immunocompetence handicap hypothesis; however, there are other ecological, morphological and energetic factors that might influence parasite infections in a sex-specific fashion. We tested the relationship between expression of a sexual signal (the dewlap) and ecological, morphological and energetic factors mediating ectoparasite (mite) load between male and female Panamanian slender anoles (Anolis apletophallus). We found that males were more highly parasitized than females because of the preponderance of ectoparasites on the larger dewlap of males. Indeed, ectoparasite infection increased with both body size and dewlap size in males but not in females, and parasite infection was related to energy storage in a sex-specific fashion for the fat bodies, liver and gonads. Our work and previous work on testosterone in anoles suggests that this pattern did not arise solely from immunosuppression by testosterone, but that mites prefer the dewlap as an attachment site. Thus, the expression of this sexual signal could incur a fitness cost that might structure life-history trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam A Rosso
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - Daniel J Nicholson
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Michael L Logan
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | - Albert K Chung
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - John David Curlis
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Zachariah M Degon
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
| | - Robert J Knell
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | | | - W Owen McMillan
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA, USA
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
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Chenery ES, Harms NJ, Mandrak NE, Molnár PK. First records of Dermacentor albipictus larvae collected by flagging in Yukon, Canada. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:565. [PMID: 33176864 PMCID: PMC7656712 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04425-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) has garnered significant attention throughout North America for its impact on wildlife health, and especially for moose (Alces alces), where high tick burdens may result in host hair loss, anemia, and can prove fatal. The environmental transmission of D. albipictus larvae to a host is a critical event that has direct impact on infestation success, yet in-field observations of this life stage are lacking. In Yukon, Canada, D. albipictus had previously been found on hosts, but its larval life stage had not been detected in the field, despite previous sampling attempts. Methods We sampled for D. albipictus larvae using traditional flagging methods in Ibex Valley and Braeburn, Yukon. Sites were sampled repeatedly for D. albipictus larvae by flagging from late August to end of October in 2018 and late August to end of November 2019. Results Larvae of D. albipictus were collected throughout Ibex Valley, at approximate densities ranging from 0.04 to 4236 larvae/100 m2. Larvae were present primarily on grassy vegetation on south-facing slopes in the Ibex Valley region and in Braeburn. Highest average larval numbers suggest peak questing activity was towards the end of September and beginning of October, as elsewhere in North America. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, we report the first successful collection of the off-host, larval life stage of D. albipictus by flagging, north of 60° latitude in Yukon, Canada. These new observations provide critical information on the spatial distribution of the host-seeking life stage of D. albipictus and confirm that this species is completing its whole life cycle in southern Yukon. Understanding the environmental conditions where larvae spend their vulnerable period off-host in this northern location can inform both management strategies and projections of future range expansion which may occur with a changing climate. ![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily S Chenery
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada.
| | - N Jane Harms
- Animal Health Unit, Environment Yukon, 10 Burns Road, Whitehorse, Yukon, Y1A 4Y9, Canada
| | - Nicholas E Mandrak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Péter K Molnár
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, Ontario, M1C 1A4, Canada
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Hahn MB, Disler G, Durden LA, Coburn S, Witmer F, George W, Beckmen K, Gerlach R. Establishing a baseline for tick surveillance in Alaska: Tick collection records from 1909-2019. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2020; 11:101495. [PMID: 32723642 PMCID: PMC7447289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2020.101495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The expanding geographic ranges of tick species that are known pathogen vectors can have implications for human, domestic animal, and wildlife health. Although Alaska is home to several hard tick species, it has historically been outside of the range of the most common medically important ticks in the contiguous United States and western Canada. To assess the status of tick species establishment in the state and to provide a baseline for tracking future change in the distribution of ticks, we reviewed and compiled historical tick records and summarized recent tick occurrence records collected through the development of the Alaska Submit-A-Tick Program and through tick drag sampling at sentinel sites in southcentral Alaska. Between 1909-2019, there were 1190 tick records representing 4588 individual ticks across 15 species in Alaska. The majority of ticks were species historically found in Alaska: Haemaphysalis leporispalustris, Ixodes angustus, Ixodes auritulus, Ixodes howelli, Ixodes signatus, and Ixodes uriae. Over half of all tick records in the state were collected in the last 10 yr. During this time, the number of tick records and the number of tick species recorded in Alaska each year has increased substantially. Between 2010-2019, there were 611 tick records representing 1921 individual ticks. The most common hosts for reported ticks were domestic animals (n = 343, 56 %) followed by small wild mammals (n = 147, 24 %), humans (n = 49, 8%), and wild birds (n = 31, 5%). Less than 5% of records (n = 25) were of unattached ticks found in the environment. Since 2007, non-native tick species have been documented in the state every year, including Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor andersoni, Dermacentor occidentalis, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes pacificus, Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes texanus, and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (s.l.). Almost half of the records (n = 68, 48 %) of non-native tick species from 2010 to 2019 represented ticks found on a host (usually a dog or a human) that had traveled outside of Alaska in the two weeks prior to collection. However, A. americanum, D. variabilis, I. pacificus, I. texanus, and R. sanguineus s.l. have been found on humans and domestic animals in Alaska without reported recent travel. In particular, there is evidence to suggest that there is local establishment of R. sanguineus s.l. in Alaska. A tick species historically found in the state, I. angustus was frequently found on human and dogs, suggesting a potential role as a bridge vector of pathogens. Given the inconsistency of tick monitoring in Alaska over the past century, it is difficult to draw many conclusions from temporal trends in the data. Continued monitoring through the Alaska Submit-A-Tick Program will allow a more accurate assessment of the changing risk of ticks and tick-borne diseases in the state and provide information for setting clinical and public health guidelines for tick-borne disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah B Hahn
- Institute for Circumpolar Health, University of Alaska-Anchorage, 3211 Providence Drive, BOC3 270, Anchorage, Alaska 99508, United States.
| | - Gale Disler
- Division of Population Health Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, United States.
| | - Lance A Durden
- Department of Biology, Georgia Southern University, 4324 Old Register Road, Statesboro, GA 30458, United States.
| | - Sarah Coburn
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of the State Veterinarian, 5251 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Anchorage, AK 99507, United States.
| | - Frank Witmer
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Alaska-Anchorage, United States.
| | - William George
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alaska-Anchorage, United States.
| | - Kimberlee Beckmen
- Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Health and Disease, Surveillance Program, 1300 College Road, Fairbanks, Alaska 99701, United States.
| | - Robert Gerlach
- Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, Office of the State Veterinarian, 5251 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Ave, Anchorage, AK 99507, United States.
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Pekins PJ. Metabolic and Population Effects of Winter Tick Infestations on Moose: Unique Evolutionary Circumstances? Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Ellingwood DD, Pekins PJ, Jones H, Musante AR. Evaluating moose Alces alces population response to infestation level of winter ticks Dermacentor albipictus. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel D. Ellingwood
- D. D. Ellingwood ✉ , P. J. Pekins, H. Jones and A. R. Musante, Dept of Natural Resources, James Hall, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Peter J. Pekins
- D. D. Ellingwood ✉ , P. J. Pekins, H. Jones and A. R. Musante, Dept of Natural Resources, James Hall, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Henry Jones
- D. D. Ellingwood ✉ , P. J. Pekins, H. Jones and A. R. Musante, Dept of Natural Resources, James Hall, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Anthony R. Musante
- D. D. Ellingwood ✉ , P. J. Pekins, H. Jones and A. R. Musante, Dept of Natural Resources, James Hall, Univ. of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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Pearman-Gillman SB, Duveneck MJ, Murdoch JD, Donovan TM. Drivers and Consequences of Alternative Landscape Futures on Wildlife Distributions in New England, United States. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Abstract
Nutritional condition embodies environmental conditions experienced by animals with survival and reproductive consequences. Body fat is often associated with ungulate fecundity; however, other nutritional currencies may limit fecundity. Using data from 129 moose (Alces alces (Linnaeus, 1758)) monitored over 429 moose-years, we examined the limiting role of multiple nutritional currencies on pregnancy rates while concurrently assessing the influence of age and prior reproduction. Females tended to be pregnant in successive years, suggesting differences in individual or habitat quality. However, probability of pregnancy declined with survival of calves from prior litters, indicating a reproductive cost to rearing offspring. Pregnancy was positively associated with serum iron (Fe), body fat, body mass, and serum protein. The best model predicting pregnancy included serum Fe, body fat, and age class, with serum Fe being the strongest single predictor. Moose with Fe concentrations considered deficient in cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758) had pregnancy rates of 33%–35%, whereas 89%–91% of individuals with sufficient Fe were pregnant. We subsequently evaluated hypotheses concerning factors potentially limiting Fe concentrations, including Fe-deficient diet, chronic infection, parasitism, and malnutrition. The best supported hypothesis was energy and protein malnutrition constrained Fe stores. We conclude that subclinical anemia due to nutritional constraints can limit or indicate limits in moose fecundity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.R. Newby
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 490 North Meridian Road, Kalispell, MT 59901, USA
| | - N.J. DeCesare
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59804, USA
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Healy C, Pekins PJ, Atallah S, Congalton RG. Using agent-based models to inform the dynamics of winter tick parasitism of moose. ECOLOGICAL COMPLEXITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecocom.2020.100813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Yoder JA, Pekins PJ, Dobrotka CJ, Fisher KA, Kantar L, McLellan S, O'Neal M, Klompen H. Tick development on sexually-active bull moose is more advanced compared to that of cow moose in the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2019; 9:56-59. [PMID: 30993075 PMCID: PMC6451145 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
We performed a complete survey of ticks on 100 cm2 skin samples collected from 30 moose (Alces alces) harvested in 2017 in central and northern Maine, U.S.A. The samples were collected from 15 bulls, 13 cows, and 2 calves in mid-October when moose are breeding and winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) quest for a host. We identified only winter ticks with 99.2% in a juvenile stage; 3 adult ticks were found. Unfed nymphs were most common on bulls, whereas most ticks were fed larvae on cows and calves. The mean total count on bull samples was 21 ± 4.4 (range = 0–55) and higher than on cows (6 ± 0.5; range = 2–8). Unlike previous surveys, tick abundance was lowest on calves. Tick abundance was independent of age or weight of adult moose. The higher abundance and more rapid development of winter ticks on adult bulls likely reflects the seasonal influence of increased movements and hormonal cycles associated with reproduction. First study that compares tick stages on bulls, cows, and calves during the breeding season. Tick abundance on calves is low during this time (first report).tick abundance: bulls >> cows > calves.
There is a developmental lag (first report of occurrence).post-larvals (nonfed nymphs, fed nymphs, a few adults) dominate on bulls. unfed and fed larvae dominate on cows and calves.
Tick abundance is independent of moose age and weight. Only winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) were found; no Ixodes in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Yoder
- Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 45504, United States
| | - Peter J Pekins
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, 03824, United States
| | - Cameron J Dobrotka
- Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 45504, United States
| | - Kelli A Fisher
- Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, 45504, United States
| | - Lee Kantar
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Greenville, ME, 04441, United States
| | - Scott McLellan
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Greenville, ME, 04441, United States
| | - Matt O'Neal
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, Greenville, ME, 04441, United States
| | - Hans Klompen
- Acarology Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43212, United States
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Yoder JA, Rodell BM, Klever LA, Dobrotka CJ, Pekins PJ. Vertical transmission of the entomopathogenic soil fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis as a contaminant of eggs in the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus, collected from calf moose (New Hampshire, USA). Mycology 2019; 10:174-181. [PMID: 31448151 PMCID: PMC6691877 DOI: 10.1080/21501203.2019.1600062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Moose naturally acquire soil fungi on their fur that are entomopathogenic to the winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus. Presumed to provide a measure of on-host tick control, it is unknown whether these soil fungi impact subsequent off-host stages of the tick. Eggs and resultant larvae originating from engorged, adult female winter ticks collected from dead calf moose (Alces alces) were used to investigate the presence and extent of fungal infection. Approximately 40% of eggs and larvae were infected, almost exclusively by the fungus Scopulariopsis brevicaulis (teleomorph Microascus brevicaulis: Microascaceae, Ascomycota). Eggs analysed on the day of oviposition and day of hatching had high frequency (40%) of S. brevicaulis, whereas the frequency in eggs harvested in utero was minimal (7%); therefore, exposure occurs pre-oviposition in the female's genital chamber, not by transovarial transmission. At hatching, larvae emerge containing S. brevicaulis indicating transstadial transmission. Artificial infection by topical application of eggs and larvae with a large inoculum of S. brevicaulis spores caused rapid dehydration, marked mortality; pathogenicity was confirmed by Koch's postulates. The high hatching success (>90%) and multi-month survival of larvae imply that S. brevicaulis is maintained as a natural pathobiont in winter ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jay A Yoder
- Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, USA
| | | | - Lucas A Klever
- Department of Biology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH, USA
| | | | - Peter J Pekins
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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