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Reid R, Capilla-Lasheras P, Haddou Y, Boonekamp J, Dominoni DM. The impact of urbanization on health depends on the health metric, life stage and level of urbanization: a global meta-analysis on avian species. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240617. [PMID: 39016598 PMCID: PMC11253839 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Stressors associated with urban habitats have been linked to poor wildlife health but whether a general negative relationship between urbanization and animal health can be affirmed is unclear. We conducted a meta-analysis of avian literature to test whether health biomarkers differed on average between urban and non-urban environments, and whether there are systematic differences across species, biomarkers, life stages and species traits. Our dataset included 644 effect sizes derived from 112 articles published between 1989 and 2022, on 51 bird species. First, we showed that there was no clear impact of urbanization on health when we categorized the sampling locations as urban or non-urban. However, we did find a small negative effect of urbanization on health when this dichotomous variable was replaced by a quantitative variable representing the degree of urbanization at each location. Second, we showed that the effect of urbanization on avian health was dependent on the type of health biomarker measured as well as the individual life stage, with young individuals being more negatively affected. Our comprehensive analysis calls for future studies to disentangle specific urban-related drivers of health that might be obscured in categorical urban versus non-urban comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Reid
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Pablo Capilla-Lasheras
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Yacob Haddou
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Jelle Boonekamp
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
| | - Davide M. Dominoni
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, 82 Hillhead Street, GlasgowG12 8QQ, UK
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2
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Hill MS, Gilbert JA. Microbiology of the built environment: harnessing human-associated built environment research to inform the study and design of animal nests and enclosures. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 2023; 87:e0012121. [PMID: 38047636 PMCID: PMC10732082 DOI: 10.1128/mmbr.00121-21] [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] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
SUMMARYOver the past decade, hundreds of studies have characterized the microbial communities found in human-associated built environments (BEs). These have focused primarily on how the design and use of our built spaces have shaped human-microbe interactions and how the differential selection of certain taxa or genetic traits has influenced health outcomes. It is now known that the more removed humans are from the natural environment, the greater the risk for the development of autoimmune and allergic diseases, and that indoor spaces can be harsh, selective environments that can increase the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant and virulent phenotypes in surface-bound communities. However, despite the abundance of research that now points to the importance of BEs in determining human-microbe interactions, only a fraction of non-human animal structures have been comparatively explored. It is here, in the context of human-associated BE research, that we consider the microbial ecology of animal-built natural nests and burrows, as well as artificial enclosures, and point to areas of primary interest for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan S. Hill
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jack A. Gilbert
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, California, USA
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Center for Microbiome Innovation, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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3
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Wood CL, Vanhove MPM. Is the world wormier than it used to be? We'll never know without natural history collections. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:250-262. [PMID: 35959636 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Many disease ecologists and conservation biologists believe that the world is wormier than it used to be-that is, that parasites are increasing in abundance through time. This argument is intuitively appealing. Ecologists typically see parasitic infections, through their association with disease, as a negative endpoint, and are accustomed to attributing negative outcomes to human interference in the environment, so it slots neatly into our worldview that habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and climate change should have the collateral consequence of causing outbreaks of parasites. But surprisingly, the hypothesis that parasites are increasing in abundance through time remains entirely untested for the vast majority of wildlife parasite species. Historical data on parasites are nearly impossible to find, which leaves no baseline against which to compare contemporary parasite burdens. If we want to know whether the world is wormier than it used to be, there is only one major research avenue that will lead to an answer: parasitological examination of specimens preserved in natural history collections. Recent advances demonstrate that, for many specimen types, it is possible to extract reliable data on parasite presence and abundance. There are millions of suitable specimens that exist in collections around the world. When paired with contemporaneous environmental data, these parasitological data could even point to potential drivers of change in parasite abundance, including climate, pollution or host density change. We explain how to use preserved specimens to address pressing questions in parasite ecology, give a few key examples of how collections-based parasite ecology can resolve these questions, identify some pitfalls and workarounds, and suggest promising areas for research. Natural history specimens are 'parasite time capsules' that give ecologists the opportunity to test whether infectious disease is on the rise and to identify what forces might be driving these changes over time. This approach will facilitate major advances in a new sub-discipline: the historical ecology of parasitism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea L Wood
- School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Maarten P M Vanhove
- Centre for Environmental Sciences, Research Group Zoology: Biodiversity & Toxicology, Hasselt University, Diepenbeek, Belgium
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4
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Deviche P, Sweazea K, Angelier F. Past and future: Urbanization and the avian endocrine system. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 332:114159. [PMID: 36368439 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Urban environments are evolutionarily novel and differ from natural environments in many respects including food and/or water availability, predation, noise, light, air quality, pathogens, biodiversity, and temperature. The success of organisms in urban environments requires physiological plasticity and adjustments that have been described extensively, including in birds residing in geographically and climatically diverse regions. These studies have revealed a few relatively consistent differences between urban and non-urban conspecifics. For example, seasonally breeding urban birds often develop their reproductive system earlier than non-urban birds, perhaps in response to more abundant trophic resources. In most instances, however, analyses of existing data indicate no general pattern distinguishing urban and non-urban birds. It is, for instance, often hypothesized that urban environments are stressful, yet the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis does not differ consistently between urban and non-urban birds. A similar conclusion is reached by comparing blood indices of metabolism. The origin of these disparities remains poorly understood, partly because many studies are correlative rather than aiming at establishing causality, which effectively limits our ability to formulate specific hypotheses regarding the impacts of urbanization on wildlife. We suggest that future research will benefit from prioritizing mechanistic approaches to identify environmental factors that shape the phenotypic responses of organisms to urbanization and the neuroendocrine and metabolic bases of these responses. Further, it will be critical to elucidate whether factors affect these responses (a) cumulatively or synergistically; and (b) differentially as a function of age, sex, reproductive status, season, and mobility within the urban environment. Research to date has used various taxa that differ greatly not only phylogenetically, but also with regard to ecological requirements, social systems, propensity to consume anthropogenic food, and behavioral responses to human presence. Researchers may instead benefit from standardizing approaches to examine a small number of representative models with wide geographic distribution and that occupy diverse urban ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Deviche
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
| | - Karen Sweazea
- College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Frederic Angelier
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, UMR7372, CNRS - La Rochelle Universite, Villiers en Bois, France
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Morozov NS. The Role of Predators in Shaping Urban Bird Populations. 4. The Urban Predation Paradox and Its Probable Causes. BIOL BULL+ 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1062359022090242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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Goodchild CG, VanDiest I, Lane SJ, Beck M, Ewbank H, Sewall KB. Variation in Hematological Indices, Oxidative Stress, and Immune Function Among Male Song Sparrows From Rural and Low-Density Urban Habitats. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.817864] [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
A central theme in the field of ecology is understanding how environmental variables influence a species’ distribution. In the last 20 years, there has been particular attention given to understanding adaptive physiological traits that allow some species to persist in urban environments. However, there is no clear consensus on how urbanization influences physiology, and it is unclear whether physiological differences in urban birds are directly linked to adverse outcomes or are representative of urban birds adaptively responding to novel environmental variables. Moreover, though low-density suburban development is the fastest advancing form of urbanization, most studies have focused on animals inhabiting high intensity urban habitats. In this study, we measured a suite of physiological variables that reflect condition and immune function in male song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) from rural and suburban habitats. Specifically, we measured hematological indices [packed cell volume (PCV), hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC)], circulating glutathione (total, reduced, and oxidized), oxidative damage (d-ROM concentration), antioxidant capacity, and components of the innate immune system [bacteria killing ability (BKA), white blood cell counts]. We also measured whole-animal indices of health, including body condition (scaled mass index length) and furcular fat. Song sparrows inhabiting suburban environments exhibited lower hemoglobin and MCHC, but higher body condition and furcular fat scores. Additionally, suburban birds had higher heterophil counts and lower lymphocyte counts, but there were no differences in heterophil:lymphocyte ratio or BKA between suburban and rural birds. PCV, glutathione concentrations, and oxidative damage did not differ between suburban and rural sparrows. Overall, suburban birds did not exhibit physiological responses suggestive of adverse outcomes. Rather, there is some evidence that sparrows from rural and suburban habitats exhibit phenotypic differences in energy storage and metabolic demand, which may be related to behavioral differences previously observed in sparrows from these populations. Furthermore, this study highlights the need for measuring multiple markers of physiology across different types of urban development to accurately assess the effects of urbanization on wildlife.
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Razzauti M, Castel G, Cosson JF. Impact of Landscape on Host-Parasite Genetic Diversity and Distribution Using the Puumala orthohantavirus-Bank Vole System. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9071516. [PMID: 34361952 PMCID: PMC8306195 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9071516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In nature, host specificity has a strong impact on the parasite's distribution, prevalence, and genetic diversity. The host's population dynamics is expected to shape the distribution of host-specific parasites. In turn, the parasite's genetic structure is predicted to mirror that of the host. Here, we study the tandem Puumala orthohantavirus (PUUV)-bank vole system. The genetic diversity of 310 bank voles and 33 PUUV isolates from 10 characterized localities of Northeast France was assessed. Our findings show that the genetic diversity of both PUUV and voles, was positively correlated with forest coverage and contiguity of habitats. While the genetic diversity of voles was weakly structured in space, that of PUUV was found to be strongly structured, suggesting that the dispersion of voles was not sufficient to ensure a broad PUUV dissemination. Genetic diversity of PUUV was mainly shaped by purifying selection. Genetic drift and extinction events were better reflected than local adaptation of PUUV. These contrasting patterns of microevolution have important consequences for the understanding of PUUV distribution and epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Razzauti
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
- Correspondence:
| | - Guillaume Castel
- CBGP, INRAE, CIRAD, IRD, Montpellier SupAgro, Université Montpellier, 34000 Montpellier, France;
| | - Jean-François Cosson
- UMR BIPAR, Animal Health Laboratory, ANSES, INRAE, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d’Alfort, Université Paris-Est, 94700 Maisons-Alfort, France;
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Stephens CRA, McAmmond BM, Van Hamme JD, Otter KA, Reudink MW, Bottos EM. Analysis of bacterial communities associated with Mountain Chickadees ( Poecile gambeli) across urban and rural habitats. Can J Microbiol 2021; 67:572-583. [PMID: 33656947 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2020-0320] [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] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Host-associated microbial communities play important roles in wildlife health, but these dynamics can be influenced by environmental factors. Urbanization has numerous effects on wildlife; however, the degree to which wildlife-associated bacterial communities and potential bacterial pathogens vary across urban-rural/native habitat gradients remains largely unknown. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to examine bacterial communities found on Mountain Chickadee (Poecile gambeli) feathers and nests in urban and rural habitats. The feathers and nests in urban and rural sites had similar abundances of major bacterial phyla and dominant genera with pathogenic members. However, richness of bacterial communities and potential pathogens on birds were higher in urban habitats, and potential pathogens accounted for some of the differences in bacterial occurrence between urban and rural environments. We predicted habitat using potential pathogen occurrence with a 90% success rate for feather bacteria, and a 72.2% success rate for nest bacteria, suggesting an influence of urban environments on the presence of potential pathogens. We additionally observed similarities in bacterial communities between nests and their occupants, suggesting bacterial transmission between them. These findings improve our understanding of the bacterial communities associated with urban wildlife and suggest that urbanization impacts the composition of wildlife-associated bacterial communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colton R A Stephens
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Breanne M McAmmond
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Jonathan D Van Hamme
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Ken A Otter
- Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Matthew W Reudink
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
| | - Eric M Bottos
- Department of Biological Sciences, Thompson Rivers University, 805 TRU Way, Kamloops, BC V2C 0C8, Canada
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Sauvala M, Woivalin E, Kivistö R, Laukkanen-Ninios R, Laaksonen S, Stephan R, Fredriksson-Ahomaa M. Hunted game birds - Carriers of foodborne pathogens. Food Microbiol 2021; 98:103768. [PMID: 33875204 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2021.103768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Game birds may carry zoonotic bacteria in their intestines and transmit them to hunters through bird handling or through the handling and consumption of contaminated meat. In this study, the prevalence of foodborne bacteria was screened from game bird faeces and mallard breast meat using PCR. The sampling occurred in southern Finland from August to December during the hunting season. Isolates were characterized by multi-locus sequence typing. Mesophilic aerobic bacteria and Escherichia coli counts were used to assess the microbial contamination of mallard meat. In total, 100 woodpigeon (Columba palumbus), 101 pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), 110 mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), and 30 teals (Anas crecca) were screened during the hunting season. Additionally, 100 mallard breast meat samples were collected. Campylobacter and Listeria were commonly detected in the faeces and Listeria on mallard meat. L. monocytogenes of sequence types associated with human listeriosis were frequently found in game bird faeces and on mallard meat. Good hygiene during game bird handling, storing the game bird meat frozen, and proper heat treatment are important measures to minimize the health risk for hunters and consumers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Sauvala
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Emma Woivalin
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rauni Kivistö
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Riikka Laukkanen-Ninios
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland; Food Safety Department, Finnish Food Authority, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sauli Laaksonen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Finland
| | - Roger Stephan
- Institute for Food Safety and Hygiene, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Fredriksson-Ahomaa
- Department of Food Hygiene and Environmental Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Rutten A, Casaer J, Strubbe D, Leirs H. Agricultural and landscape factors related to increasing wild boar agricultural damage in a highly anthropogenic landscape. WILDLIFE BIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.2981/wlb.00634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anneleen Rutten
- A. Rutten (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4025-5265) ✉ and H. Leirs (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7612-5024), Dept of Biology, Univ. of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jim Casaer
- AR and J. Casaer (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6788-5876), Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Diederik Strubbe
- D. Strubbe (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2613-4985), Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Gent, Belgium
| | - Herwig Leirs
- A. Rutten (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4025-5265) ✉ and H. Leirs (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7612-5024), Dept of Biology, Univ. of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, BE-2610 Antwerp, Belgium
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Fuirst M, Veit RR, Hahn M, Dheilly N, Thorne LH. Effects of urbanization on the foraging ecology and microbiota of the generalist seabird Larus argentatus. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0209200. [PMID: 30562368 PMCID: PMC6298667 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0209200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Larus gull species have proven adaptable to urbanization and due to their generalist feeding behaviors, they provide useful opportunities to study how urban environments impact foraging behavior and host-associated microbiota. We evaluated how urbanization influenced the foraging behavior and microbiome characteristics of breeding herring gulls (Larus argentatus) at three different colonies on the east coast of the United States. Study colonies represented high, medium and low degrees of urbanization, respectively. At all colonies, gulls frequently foraged at landfills and in other urban environments, but both the use of urban environments and gull foraging metrics differed with the degree of urbanization. Gulls at the more urban colonies used urban environments more frequently, showed higher rates of site fidelity and took shorter trips. Gulls at less urban colonies used a greater diversity of habitat types and foraged offshore. We observed high microbial diversity at all colonies, though microbial diversity was highest at the least urban colony where gulls used a wider variety of foraging habitats. This suggests that gulls may acquire a wider range of bacteria when visiting a higher variety of foraging sites. Our findings highlight the influence of urban habitats on gull movements and microbiome composition and diversity during the breeding season and represent the first application of amplicon sequence variants, an objective and repeatable method of bacterial classification, to study the microbiota of a seabird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Fuirst
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Richard R. Veit
- Department of Biology, College of Staten Island (CSI) CUNY, Staten Island, NY, United States of America
| | - Megan Hahn
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Nolwenn Dheilly
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
| | - Lesley H. Thorne
- School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States of America
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