Effects of the herbicide atrazine's metabolites on host snail mortality and production of trematode cercariae

Effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on host-parasite interactions in aquatic environments

Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are now widely recognized as a ubiquitous and pervasive environmental pollutant with important consequences for aquatic fauna in particular; however, little is known regarding their potential effects on interactions between hosts and their parasites or pathogens. We conducted a literature survey of published studies that have conducted empirical investigations of MP and NP influences on infectious disease dynamics to summarize the current state of knowledge. In addition, we examined the effects of microbead (MB) ingestion on the longevity of freshwater snails (Stagnicola elodes) infected by the trematode Plagiorchis sp., along with their production of infectious stages (cercariae), with a 3-week lab study during which snails were fed food cubes containing either 0, 10 or 100 polyethylene MBs sized 106-125 μm. We found 22 studies that considered MP and NP influences on host resistance or tolerance-20 of these focused on aquatic systems, but there was no clear pattern in terms of host effects. In our lab study, MB diet had marginal or few effects on snail growth and mortality, but snails exhibited a significant non-monotonic response with respect to cercariae production as this was greatest in those fed the high-MB diet. Both our literature summary and experimental study indicate that MPs and NPs can have complex and unpredictable effects on infectious disease dynamics, with an urgent need for more investigations that examine how plastics can affect aquatic fauna through direct and indirect means.

Parasites and Pollutants: Effects of Multiple Stressors on Aquatic Organisms

Parasites can affect their hosts in various ways, and this implies that parasites may act as additional biotic stressors in a multiple-stressor scenario, resembling conditions often found in the field if, for example, pollutants and parasites occur simultaneously. Therefore, parasites represent important modulators of host reactions in ecotoxicological studies when measuring the response of organisms to stressors such as pollutants. In the present study, we introduce the most important groups of parasites occurring in organisms commonly used in ecotoxicological studies ranging from laboratory to field investigations. After briefly explaining their life cycles, we focus on parasite stages affecting selected ecotoxicologically relevant target species belonging to crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. We included ecotoxicological studies that consider the combination of effects of parasites and pollutants on the respective model organism with respect to aquatic host-parasite systems. We show that parasites from different taxonomic groups (e.g., Microsporidia, Monogenea, Trematoda, Cestoda, Acanthocephala, and Nematoda) clearly modulate the response to stressors in their hosts. The combined effects of environmental stressors and parasites can range from additive, antagonistic to synergistic. Our study points to potential drawbacks of ecotoxicological tests if parasite infections of test organisms, especially from the field, remain undetected and unaddressed. If these parasites are not detected and quantified, their physiological effects on the host cannot be separated from the ecotoxicological effects. This may render this type of ecotoxicological test erroneous. In laboratory tests, for example to determine effect or lethal concentrations, the presence of a parasite can also have a direct effect on the concentrations to be determined and thus on the subsequently determined security levels, such as predicted no-effect concentrations. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1946-1959. © 2023 The Authors. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of SETAC.

Environmental parasitology: stressor effects on aquatic parasites

Anthropogenic stressors are causing fundamental changes in aquatic habitats and to the organisms inhabiting these ecosystems. Yet, we are still far from understanding the diverse responses of parasites and their hosts to these environmental stressors and predicting how these stressors will affect host-parasite communities. Here, we provide an overview of the impacts of major stressors affecting aquatic ecosystems in the Anthropocene (habitat alteration, global warming, and pollution) and highlight their consequences for aquatic parasites at multiple levels of organisation, from the individual to the community level. We provide directions and ideas for future research to better understand responses to stressors in aquatic host-parasite systems.

Investigating the Effects of Pesticides on Ramshorn Snails (Planorbella [Helisoma] trivolvis) Infected with Echinostoma spp

Globally, parasite-induced diseases in humans and wildlife are on the rise, and pesticide pollution may be a contributing factor. Echinostoma spp. trematode parasites are prominent in North America, and they use ramshorn snails (Planorbella [Helisoma] trivolvis) as intermediate hosts. We investigated the impact of chronic exposure to 1 of 5 pesticide treatments (control, or 50 μg/L of atrazine, glyphosate, carbaryl, or malathion) on uninfected and Echinostoma-infected snails for 41 d in the laboratory. We recorded snail mortality, the number of egg masses laid, change in mass, and behavior. Chronic exposure to atrazine, carbaryl, and malathion significantly decreased snail survival, whereas parasite infection status or exposure to glyphosate did not. Pesticide and parasite treatments did not influence growth or behavior, but parasite infection caused complete reproductive failure in snail hosts. Our results indicated that the direct effects of pesticides could threaten snail populations in natural environments and disrupt host-parasite dynamics.  Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2755-2763. © 2021 SETAC.

Environmental and ecological factors driving trematode parasite community assembly in central Alberta lakes

Parasites have been neglected from most biodiversity surveys even though they are an essential component of ecosystems and intimately associated with the free-living communities within them. Parasites with complex life cycles, such as digenean trematode flatworms, utilize at least two host species within an ecosystem for their development and transmission, taking advantage of species networks to complete their life cycles. Despite this knowledge, our understanding of the processes that contribute to parasite community assembly, and which limit their geographic distributions, are rudimentary, including the importance of host diversity. Utilizing recent advancements in the identification of cryptic trematode species through molecular barcoding, we examined patterns of community assembly involving 79 species in six Alberta lakes over three years. Specifically, we focused on spatiotemporal variation in trematode diversity within their snail first intermediate hosts (component communities), how this might relate to host diversity through the specificity of host-parasite relationships, and the role of certain environmental factors in structuring these communities. We found substantial natural fluctuations of trematode communities through space and time within these lakes. Trematode communities were diverse, showing an overall positive relationship with snail diversity, but were often dominated by a few common species. We found that ecoregion and lake trophic status were key predictors for the presence of these trematode species. Such information is key for understanding how biodiversity alterations may affect parasite community composition, as well as our ability to formulate predictive models, by considering how this could influence both species richness and evenness.

Size and survival of two freshwater snail species in relation to shedding of cercariae of castrating Echinostoma spp

Trematode-induced castration of snails is widespread and can lead to other life history changes of snails such as changes in trajectories of size and growth or survival. The changes produced likely depend on whether the parasite or host controls allocation of host resources remaining after partial or complete cessation of host current reproduction by castrating trematodes. Documenting host life history changes, like changes in host size in response to castration, is a first step in assessing whether these changes are beneficial to the parasite (increasing transmission success) or to the host (outliving the infection) or to neither. Herein, we test for differences in size and survival among individuals of two snail species in relation to infection by Echinostoma spp. trematodes. Active shedding of Echinostoma spp. was associated with castration of all Stagnicola elodes snails from a site in Eastern Ontario. Snails actively shedding cercariae were not different in size from non-shedding, egg-laying snails but had a higher mortality than egg-laying snails. Active shedding of Echinostoma spp. cercariae was also associated with castration of nearly all Helisoma trivolvis monitored, from a site in Southwestern Ontario. Actively shedding, non-laying H. trivolvis hosts were smaller on average than non-shedding egg-laying hosts, but both non-laying and egg-laying snails survived equally well. We discuss these results in light of what is known about effects of castration on snail hosts in terms of growth and survival for these and other trematode species and speculate on whether changes in size or survival benefits parasite or host.

Sub-chronic exposure to a neonicotinoid does not affect susceptibility of larval leopard frogs to infection by trematode parasites, via either depressed cercarial performance or host immunity

Little information is available on the effects of neonicotinoid insecticides on vertebrates. Previous work using amphibians found chronic exposure to some neonicotinoids had no detrimental effects on fitness-relevant traits. However, there is some evidence of more subtle effects of neonicotinoids on immune traits and evidence that other pesticides can suppress tadpole immunity resulting in elevated levels of parasitism in the exposed tadpoles. The objective of our study was to assess whether neonicotinoid exposure affected tadpole immunometrics and susceptibility to parasitic helminths. We assessed northern leopard frog tadpole (Lithobates pipiens) levels of parasitism and leukocyte profiles following exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of clothianidin and free-living infective cercariae of a helminth parasite, an Echinostoma sp. trematode. When comparing tadpoles from controls to either 1 or 100 μg/L clothianidin treatments, we found similar measures of parasitism (i.e. prevalence, abundance and intensity of echinostome cysts) and similar leukocyte profiles. We also confirmed that clothianidin was not lethal for cercariae; however, slight reductions in swimming activity were detected at the lowest exposure concentration of 0.23 μg/L. Our results show that exposure to clothianidin during the larval amphibian stage does not affect leukocyte profiles or susceptibility to parasitism by larval trematodes in northern leopard frogs although other aspects such as length of host exposure require further study.

Trematode Parasite Infection Affects Temperature Selection in Aquatic Host Snails

Animals infected by parasites or pathogens can exhibit altered behaviors that may reduce the costs of infection to the host or represent manipulations that benefit the parasite. Given that temperature affects many critical physiological processes, changes in thermoregulatory behaviors are an important consideration for infected hosts, especially ectotherms. Here we examined the temperature choices of freshwater snails (Helisoma trivolvis) that were or were not infected by a trematode (flatworm) parasite (Echinostoma trivolvis). Active snails that explored the experimental temperature gradient differed in their thermal preference based on their infection status, as parasitized snails chose to position themselves at a significantly higher temperature (mean: 25.4°C) compared to those that were uninfected (mean: 23.3°C). Given that snails rarely eliminate established trematode infections, we suggest that this altered thermal preference shown by infected hosts likely benefits the parasite by increasing the odds of successful transmission, either through enhanced production and emergence of infectious stages or by increasing spatial overlap with the next hosts of the complex life cycle. Further studies that employ experimental infections to examine temperature selection at different time points will be needed to understand the extent of altered host thermal preferences, as well as the possible benefits to both host and parasite.

Noxious newts and their natural enemies: Experimental effects of tetrodotoxin exposure on trematode parasites and aquatic macroinvertebrates

The dermal glands of many amphibian species secrete toxins or other noxious substances as a defense strategy against natural enemies. Newts in particular possess the potent neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (TTX), for which the highest concentrations are found in species within the genus Taricha. Adult Taricha are hypothesized to use TTX as a chemical defense against vertebrate predators such as garter snakes (Thamnophis spp.). However, less is known about how TTX functions to defend aquatic-developing newt larvae against natural enemies, including trematode parasites and aquatic macroinvertebrates. Here we experimentally investigated the effects of exogenous TTX exposure on survivorship of the infectious stages (cercariae) of five species of trematode parasites that infect larval amphibians. Specifically, we used dose-response curves to test the sensitivity of trematode cercariae to progressively increasing concentrations of TTX (0.0 [control], 0.63, 3.13, 6.26, 31.32, and 62.64 nmol L-1) and how this differed among parasite species. We further compared these results to the effects of TTX exposure (0 and 1000 nmolL-1) over 24 h on seven macroinvertebrate taxa commonly found in aquatic habitats with newt larvae. TTX significantly reduced the survivorship of trematode cercariae for all species, but the magnitude of such effects varied among species. Ribeiroia ondatrae - which causes mortality and limb malformations in amphibians - was the least sensitive to TTX, whereas the kidney-encysting Echinostoma trivolvis was the most sensitive. Among the macroinvertebrate taxa, only mayflies (Ephemeroptera) showed a significant increase in mortality following exogenous TTX exposure, despite the use of a concentration 16x higher than the maximum used for trematodes. Our results suggest that maternal investment of TTX into larval newts may provide protection against certain trematode infections and highlight the importance of future work assessing the effects of newt toxicity on both parasite infection success and the palatability of larval newts to invertebrate predators.

Atrazine reduces the transmission of an amphibian trematode by altering snail and ostracod host-parasite interactions

Trematodes are ubiquitous members of aquatic environments, have many functional roles in ecosystems, and can cause diseases in humans, livestock, and wild animals. Despite their importance and reports of parasite population declines, few studies have concurrently assessed the effects of aquatic contaminants on multiple hosts, multiple parasite life cycle stages, and on transmission-related host-parasite interactions. Here, we test the effects of environmentally relevant concentrations of the herbicide atrazine (0, 3, 30 μg/L) on the establishment and development of an amphibian trematode (Halipegus eccentricus) in a first-intermediate snail host (Physa acuta) and in a second-intermediate ostracod host (Cypridopsis sp.). Additionally, we test the interactive effects of atrazine and parasitism on snail and ostracod survival. Our results indicate that atrazine negatively affects trematode transmission by altering snail and ostracod host-parasite interactions. Although atrazine did not affect the survival of uninfected snails alone, atrazine acted synergistically with parasitism to reduce the longevity of infected snails. As a result, the number of cercariae (i.e., larval trematodes) produced by snails was 50.7 % (3 μg/L) and 14.9 % (30 μg/L) relative to controls. Atrazine exhibited direct negative effects on ostracod survival at 30 μg/L. However, when ostracods were also exposed to trematodes, the negative effects of atrazine on survival were diminished. Although infected ostracod survival remained high, trematode development was significantly reduced, resulting in reduced infectivity of metacercariae (i.e., nongravid adult cysts infective to definite host) to 32.2 % (3 μg/L) and 28.6 % (30 μg/L) relative to the controls. The combination of reduced cercaria production and reduced metacercarial infectivity in the 3 and 30 μg/L atrazine treatment groups reduced the net number of infective worms produced to 16.4 and 4.3 % (respectively) relative to the control. These results demonstrate the complex nature of pesticide effects on trematode infections and indicate that trematodes can affect their first- and second-intermediate hosts differently under different pesticide concentrations. Our work has broad implications for parasite transmission and conservation and provides a testable mechanism for understanding trematode population declines in contaminated wetlands.

Effects of atrazine in fish, amphibians, and reptiles: an analysis based on quantitative weight of evidence

A quantitative weight of evidence (WoE) approach was developed to evaluate studies used for regulatory purposes, as well as those in the open literature, that report the effects of the herbicide atrazine on fish, amphibians, and reptiles. The methodology for WoE analysis incorporated a detailed assessment of the relevance of the responses observed to apical endpoints directly related to survival, growth, development, and reproduction, as well as the strength and appropriateness of the experimental methods employed. Numerical scores were assigned for strength and relevance. The means of the scores for relevance and strength were then used to summarize and weigh the evidence for atrazine contributing to ecologically significant responses in the organisms of interest. The summary was presented graphically in a two-dimensional graph which showed the distributions of all the reports for a response. Over 1290 individual responses from studies in 31 species of fish, 32 amphibians, and 8 reptiles were evaluated. Overall, the WoE showed that atrazine might affect biomarker-type responses, such as expression of genes and/or associated proteins, concentrations of hormones, and biochemical processes (e.g. induction of detoxification responses), at concentrations sometimes found in the environment. However, these effects were not translated to adverse outcomes in terms of apical endpoints. The WoE approach provided a quantitative, transparent, reproducible, and robust framework that can be used to assist the decision-making process when assessing environmental chemicals. In addition, the process allowed easy identification of uncertainty and inconsistency in observations, and thus clearly identified areas where future investigations can be best directed.

The effects of the herbicide atrazine on freshwater snails

Atrazine has been shown to affect freshwater snails from the subcellular to community level. However, most studies have used different snail species, methods, endpoints, and atrazine exposure concentrations, resulting in some conflicting results and limiting our understanding. The goal of this study was to address these concerns by (1) investigating the acute and chronic effects of atrazine on four species of freshwater snails (Biomphalaria glabrata, Helisoma trivolvis, Physa acuta, and Stagnicola elodes) using the same methods, endpoints, and concentrations, and (2) summarizing the current literature pertaining to the effects of atrazine on freshwater snails. We conducted a 48 h acute toxicity test with an atrazine concentration higher than what typically occurs in aquatic environments (1000 µg/L). Additionally, we exposed snails to environmentally relevant atrazine concentrations (0, 0.3, 3, and 30 µg/L) for 28 days and assessed snail survival, growth, and reproduction. We also summarized all known literature pertaining to atrazine effects on freshwater snails. The literature summary suggests snails are often affected by environmentally relevant atrazine concentrations at the subcellular and cellular levels. These effects are typically not transitive to effects on survival, growth, or reproduction at the same concentrations. Our acute exposures corroborate the general trend of no direct effect on snail populations as atrazine did not directly affect the survival of any of the four snail species. Similarly, environmentally relevant concentrations did not significantly affect the survival, growth, or reproduction of any snail species. These results indicate that, in the absence of other possible stressors, the direct effects of environmentally relevant atrazine concentrations may not be realized at the snail population level.

Exposure of the snail Potamopyrgus antipodarum to herbicide boosts output and survival of parasite infective stages

Anthropogenic stressors such as pollutants can modulate levels of parasitic infections in aquatic animals by suppressing host immunity or through some other mechanisms. One such mechanism could involve increases in either the quantity or quality of infective stages produced by parasites. We investigated the effect of exposure of infected snails, Potamopyrgus antipodarum, to different concentrations of the widely-used herbicide glyphosate, on (i) the production of infective cercariae by three trematode species, Coitocaecum parvum, Apatemon sp. and an undescribed renicolid, and (ii) the survival of cercariae of the latter species. For all three trematode species, infected snails exposed over a month to low (0.36 mg a.i. L(-1)) or medium (3.6 mg a.i. L(-1)) formulated glyphosate concentrations released between 1.5 and 3 times more cercariae per day than snails under control conditions. The similar pattern seen in all trematodes suggests a general weakening of the host benefiting any of its parasites rather than some parasite species-specific mechanism. In addition, the survival of renicolid cercariae improved with increasing glyphosate concentrations, with cercariae living about 50% longer in the medium concentration (3.6 mg a.i. L(-1)) than in control conditions. Our results demonstrate a clear interaction between glyphosate pollution and parasitism by trematodes in freshwater systems, occurring at glyphosate concentrations recorded in aquatic habitats, and within the environmental exposure limit allowed in New Zealand freshwaters. Future risk assessments and toxicity tests need to consider indirect impacts resulting from infections to invertebrate and vertebrate species penetrated by cercariae and serving as second intermediate hosts of trematodes.

The biology of Echinoparyphium (Trematoda, Echinostomatidae)

Echinoparyphium species are common, widely distributed intestinal parasites causing disease in animals worldwide. Intermediate hosts include snails, bivalves, and fish, whereas the definitive hosts are mainly birds and mammals. This review examines the significant literature on Echinoparyphium. Descriptive studies, life cycle, experimental and manipulative studies, and biochemical and molecular studies are presented. The influence of environmental factors, and toxic pollutants, are reviewed as well as studies on the pathology of Echinoparyphium.