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Stanicka A, Szopieray K, Migdalski Ł, Kobak J. Friends or enemies: Multi-species interactions among biofoulers, endoparasites and their gastropod hosts. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:503-513. [PMID: 36519974 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Parasites are a crucial factor that shapes the functioning of communities throughout the world, as are gregarious macrofoulers in aquatic ecosystems. However, little is known about the effects of three-way interactions between macrofoulers, endoparasites and their hosts. We predict that macrofouling and parasite infection may act (i) independently of each other, (ii) synergistically, increasing their final negative impact on the host or (iii) antagonistically, the former weakening the negative impact of the latter. We investigated multiway relationships between an invasive freshwater filter-feeding macrofouler (the zebra mussel), digenean endoparasite and their gastropod host, Viviparus viviparus. Furthermore, we checked the recruitment of mussels in living gastropods versus their empty shells. We sampled living V. viviparus and their empty shells with attached dreissenids from a Polish dam reservoir. We counted and weighed attached mussels and determined wet weight, shell height and sex of gastropods. Then we dissected the molluscs to look for digenean larvae and gastropod embryos. We use these parameters to look for reciprocal associations between mussel fouling, parasitic infection and gastropod size and fertility, as well as to infer the most likely mechanisms of the observed relationships. Dreissenid overgrowth was associated with reduced fertility and size of viviparids, but also with a lower prevalence of digenean metacercariae (Leucochloridiomorpha sp.). We did not observe a negative influence of these digeneans on their gastropod hosts. In addition, large living viviparids and their empty shells were equally used as substrates by dreissenids, but small living gastropods were more fouled than shells of the corresponding size. A trade-off exists in the studied system: filter-feeding macrofoulers may bring some profits for their host, reducing the pressure of waterborne parasites (which may be crucial in the case of pathogenic species/life stages), although at the cost of the reduced growth and fertility of the host. Furthermore, mussels attached to mollusc hosts can exert a cascading effect on the reduced prevalence of digeneans in their final hosts, including those of medical or veterinary importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Szopieray
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Łukasz Migdalski
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
| | - Jarosław Kobak
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, Torun, Poland
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Stanicka A, Cichy A, Bulantová J, Labecka AM, Ćmiel AM, Templin J, Horák P, Żbikowska E. Thinking "outside the box": The effect of nontarget snails in the aquatic community on mollusc-borne diseases. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 845:157264. [PMID: 35820526 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is a great need to understand the impact of complex communities on the free-living parasite stages that are part of them. This task becomes more complex as nonnative species emerge, changing existing relationships and shaping new interactions in the community. A relevant question would be: Can the coexistence of nontarget snails with the target hosts contribute to trematodasis control? We used field and experimental approaches to investigate nonnative competitor-induced parasite dilution. During a three-year field study, we investigated digenean infection in Lymnaea stagnalis from eight Polish lakes inhabited or uninhabited by Potamopyrgus antipodarum. Additionally, we verified the presence of digenean infections in the populations of P. antipodarum. Moreover, we conducted an experimental infection of L. stagnalis with miracidia of Trichobilharzia szidati under increasing densities of P. antipodarum and aimed to infect P. antipodarum with them separately. The prevalence of avian schistosomes in lymnaeid snails was significantly higher in uninhabited lakes than in lakes inhabited by P. antipodarum. Our study indicates that waters with a higher density of invaders have a lower prevalence of avian schistosomes in lymnaeid hosts. The results of experimental studies confirmed that the presence of high densities of P. antipodarum reduces the probability of target host infection. Both field and experimental studies rule out the role of P. antipodarum as a source of avian schistosome cercariae. Here, a nonnative species was tested as a diluter, which in practice may be harmful to the local environment. This work is not a call for the introduction of nonnative species; it is intended to be a stimulus for researchers to continue searching for natural enemies of parasites because, as our results show, they exist. Finding natural enemies to the most dangerous species of human and animal parasites that will pose no threat to the local environment could be groundbreaking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
| | - Anna Cichy
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Jana Bulantová
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czechia
| | - Anna Maria Labecka
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Adam Marcin Ćmiel
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. A. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków, Poland
| | - Julita Templin
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
| | - Petr Horák
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, 128 44 Prague, Czechia
| | - Elżbieta Żbikowska
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
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Wheeler NJ, Hallem EA, Zamanian M. Making sense of sensory behaviors in vector-borne helminths. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:841-853. [PMID: 35931639 PMCID: PMC9481669 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Migrations performed by helminths are impressive and diverse, and accumulating evidence shows that many are controlled by sophisticated sensory programs. The migrations of vector-borne helminths are particularly complex, requiring precise, stage-specific regulation. We review the contrasting states of knowledge on snail-borne schistosomes and mosquito-borne filarial nematodes. Rich observational data exist for the chemosensory behaviors of schistosomes, while the molecular sensory pathways in nematodes are well described. Recent investigations on the molecular mechanisms of sensation in schistosomes and filarial nematodes have revealed some features conserved within their respective phyla, but adaptations correlated with parasitism are pronounced. Technological developments are likely to extend these advances, and we forecast how these technologies may be applied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas J Wheeler
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Elissa A Hallem
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics and Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mostafa Zamanian
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
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Loker ES, DeJong RJ, Brant SV. Scratching the Itch: Updated Perspectives on the Schistosomes Responsible for Swimmer's Itch around the World. Pathogens 2022; 11:587. [PMID: 35631108 PMCID: PMC9144223 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Although most studies of digenetic trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae dwell on representatives causing human schistosomiasis, the majority of the 130 identified species of schistosomes infect birds or non-human mammals. The cercariae of many of these species can cause swimmer's itch when they penetrate human skin. Recent years have witnessed a dramatic increase in our understanding of schistosome diversity, now encompassing 17 genera with eight more lineages awaiting description. Collectively, schistosomes exploit 16 families of caenogastropod or heterobranch gastropod intermediate hosts. Basal lineages today are found in marine gastropods and birds, but subsequent diversification has largely taken place in freshwater, with some reversions to marine habitats. It seems increasingly likely that schistosomes have on two separate occasions colonized mammals. Swimmer's itch is a complex zoonotic disease manifested through several different routes of transmission involving a diversity of different host species. Swimmer's itch also exemplifies the value of adopting the One Health perspective in understanding disease transmission and abundance because the schistosomes involved have complex life cycles that interface with numerous species and abiotic components of their aquatic environments. Given the progress made in revealing their diversity and biology, and the wealth of questions posed by itch-causing schistosomes, they provide excellent models for implementation of long-term interdisciplinary studies focused on issues pertinent to disease ecology, the One Health paradigm, and the impacts of climate change, biological invasions and other environmental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric S. Loker
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasites Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
| | - Randall J. DeJong
- Department of Biology, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA;
| | - Sara V. Brant
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Parasites Division, Museum of Southwestern Biology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA;
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Laidemitt MR, Gleichsner AM, Ingram CD, Gay SD, Reinhart EM, Mutuku MW, Oraro P, Minchella DJ, Mkoji GM, Loker ES, Steinauer ML. Host preference of field‐derived
Schistosoma mansoni
is influenced by snail host compatibility and infection status. Ecosphere 2022; 13. [PMID: 36285193 PMCID: PMC9592064 DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosome parasites cause a chronic inflammatory disease in humans, and recent studies have emphasized the importance of control programs for understanding the aquatic phases of schistosomiasis transmission. The host-seeking behavior of larval schistosomes (miracidia) for their snail intermediate hosts plays a critical role in parasite transmission. Using field-derived strains of Kenyan snails and parasites, we tested two main hypotheses: (1) Parasites prefer the most compatible host, and (2) parasites avoid hosts that are already infected. We tested preference to three Biomphalaria host snail taxa (B. pfeifferi, B. sudanica, and B. choanomphala), using allopatric and sympatric Schistosoma mansoni isolates and two different nonhost snail species that co-occur with Biomphalaria, Bulinus globosus, and Physa acuta. We also tested whether schistosomes avoid snail hosts that are already infected by another trematode species and whether competitive dominance played a role in their behavior. Preference was assessed using two-way choice chambers and by visually counting parasites that moved toward competing stimuli. In pairwise comparisons, we found that S. mansoni did not always prefer the more compatible snail taxon, but never favored an incompatible host over a compatible host. While parasites preferred B. pfeifferi to the nonhost species B. globosus, they did not significantly prefer B. pfeifferi versus P. acuta, an introduced species in Kenya. Finally, we demonstrated that parasites avoid infected snails if the resident parasite was competitively dominant (Patagifer sp.), and preferred snails infected with subordinates (xiphidiocercariae) to uninfected snails. These results provide evidence of “fine tuning” in the ability of schistosome miracidia to detect hosts; however, they did not always select hosts that would maximize fitness. Appreciating such discriminatory abilities could lead to a better understanding of how ecosystem host and parasite diversity influences disease transmission and could provide novel control mechanisms to improve human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina R. Laidemitt
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Alyssa M. Gleichsner
- Department of Biological Sciences State University of New York, College at Plattsburgh Plattsburgh New York USA
| | - Christopher D. Ingram
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon USA
| | - Steven D. Gay
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon USA
| | | | - Martin W. Mutuku
- Center for Biotechnology Research and Development Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Nairobi Kenya
| | - Polycup Oraro
- Center for Biotechnology Research and Development Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Nairobi Kenya
| | - Dennis J. Minchella
- Department of Biological Sciences Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana USA
| | - Gerald M. Mkoji
- Center for Biotechnology Research and Development Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Nairobi Kenya
| | - Eric S. Loker
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico USA
| | - Michelle L. Steinauer
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest Western University of Health Sciences Lebanon Oregon USA
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Stanicka A, Migdalski Ł, Szopieray K, Cichy A, Jermacz Ł, Lombardo P, Żbikowska E. Invaders as Diluents of the Cercarial Dermatitis Etiological Agent. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060740. [PMID: 34208370 PMCID: PMC8231267 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on alien and invasive species focuses on the direct effects of invasion on native ecosystems, and the possible positive effects of their presence are most often overlooked. Our aim was to check the suitability of selected alien species (the snail Physa acuta, the bivalve Dreissena polymorpha, and the gammarid Dikerogammarus villosus) as diluents for infectious bird schistosome cercariae—the etiological factor of swimmer’s itch. It has been hypothesized that alien species with different feeding habits (scrapers, filterers and predators) that cohabit the aquatic environment with intermediate hosts of the schistosomatid trematodes are capable of feeding on their free-swimming stages—cercariae. In the laboratory conditions used, all experimental animals diluted the cercariae of bird schistosome. The most effective diluents were P. acuta and D. villosus. However, a wide discrepancy in the dilution of the cercariae between replicates was found for gammarids. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that increased biodiversity, even when alien species are involved, creates the dilution effect of the free-living stages of parasites. Determining the best diluent for bird schistosome cercariae could greatly assist in the development of current bathing areas protection measures against swimmer’s itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Łukasz Migdalski
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Katarzyna Szopieray
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Anna Cichy
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Łukasz Jermacz
- Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland;
| | | | - Elżbieta Żbikowska
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
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