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Colombo VC, Lareschi M, Monje LD, Antoniazzi LR, Morand S, Beldomenico PM. Ecological factors shaping the ectoparasite community assembly of the Azara's Grass Mouse, Akodon azarae (Rodentia: Cricetidae). Parasitol Res 2023; 122:2011-2021. [PMID: 37341789 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07901-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
Parasites are integral members of the global biodiversity. They are useful indicators of environmental stress, food web structure and diversity. Ectoparasites have the potential to transmit vector-borne diseases of public health and veterinary importance and to play an important role in the regulation and evolution of host populations. The interlinkages between hosts, parasites and the environment are complex and challenging to study, leading to controversial results. Most previous studies have been focused on one or two parasite groups, while hosts are often co-infected by different taxa. The present study aims to assess the influence of environmental and host traits on the entire ectoparasite community composition of the rodent Akodon azarae. A total of 278 rodents were examined and mites (Mesostigmata), lice (Phthiraptera), ticks (Ixodida) and fleas (Siphonaptera) were determined. A multi-correspondence analysis was performed in order to analyze interactions within the ectoparasite community and the influence of environmental and host variables on this assembly. We found that environmental variables have a stronger influence on the composition of the ectoparasite community of A. azarae than the host variables analyzed. Minimum temperature was the most influential variable among the studied. In addition, we found evidence of agonistic and antagonistic interactions between ticks and mites, lice and fleas. The present study supports the hypothesis that minimum temperature plays a major role in the dynamics that shape the ectoparasite community of A. azarae, probably through both direct and indirect processes. This finding becomes particularly relevant in a climate change scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Carolina Colombo
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina.
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium.
- Servicio de Neurovirosis, INEI-ANLIS "Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán", Av. Vélez Sarsfield 563, C1282AFF, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - Marcela Lareschi
- Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (CEPAVE) (CONICET-UNLP), Bv. 120 S/N E/ 60 y 61, 1900, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Lucas Daniel Monje
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina
| | - Leandro Raúl Antoniazzi
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina
- Instituto de Bio y Geociencias del NOA (CONICET), 9 de Julio 14, 4405, Rosario de Lerma, Argentina
| | - Serge Morand
- Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Écologie, Génétique, Évolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, 34090, Montpellier, France
| | - Pablo Martín Beldomenico
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICIVET-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL) / Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), R.P. Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Argentina
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Manzoli DE, Saravia-Pietropaolo MJ, Arce SI, Percara A, Antoniazzi LR, Beldomenico PM. Specialist by preference, generalist by need: availability of quality hosts drives parasite choice in a natural multihost-parasite system. Int J Parasitol 2021; 51:527-534. [PMID: 33713648 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Encountering suitable hosts is key for parasite success. A general assumption for disease transmission is that the contact of a parasite with a potential host is driven by the density or relative frequency of hosts. That assumption ignores the potential role of differential host attractiveness for parasites that can drive the encounter of hosts. It has been posited that hosts may be chosen by parasites as a function of their suitability, but the existing literature addressing that hypothesis is still very scarce. In a natural system involving a parasitic Philornis botfly and its multiple bird hosts, there are profound differences in host quality. The Great Kiskadee tolerates and does not invest in resisting the infection, which makes it an optimal host. Alternative hosts are frequently used, but whilst some of them may be good options, others are bad alternatives. Here we examined the host selection processes that drive parasite dynamics in this system with 8 years of data from a longitudinal study under natural conditions. We found that the use of an alternative host was not driven by its density or relative frequency, but instead selection of these hosts was strongly dependent on availability of more suitable hosts. When optimal hosts are plentiful, the parasite tends to ignore alternative ones. As broods of optimal hosts become limited, good alternative hosts are targeted. The parasite chooses bad alternative hosts only when better alternatives are not sufficiently available. These results add evidence from a natural system that some parasites choose their hosts as a function of their profitability, and show that host selection by this parasite is plastic and context-dependent. Such findings could have important implications for the epidemiology of some parasitic and vector-borne infections which should be considered when modelling and managing those diseases. The facultative host selection observed here can be of high relevance for public health, animal husbandry, and biodiversity conservation, because reductions in the richness of hosts might cause humans, domestic animals, or endangered species to become increasingly targeted by parasites that can drive the encounter of hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darío Ezequiel Manzoli
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RP Kreder 2805, 3080 Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - María José Saravia-Pietropaolo
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina
| | - Sofía Irene Arce
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina
| | - Alejandro Percara
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina
| | - Leandro Raúl Antoniazzi
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina
| | - Pablo Martín Beldomenico
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Argentina; Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RP Kreder 2805, 3080 Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.
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Montani ME, Gamboa MD, Fabre FN, Antoniazzi LR, Arancio V, Carmona JF, Pautasso AA, Colombo VC. First records of Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821) (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) and two new localities for three bat species in Santa Fe province, Argentina. CheckList 2018. [DOI: 10.15560/14.5.737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We present the first records of Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821) for Santa Fe province, Argentina. Four specimens were collected in the following localities: Esperanza (Las Colonias department), Laguna Paiva (La Capital department), and Rosario (Rosario department). These records extend the distribution area of M. nigricans 380 km to the south and increase the number of bat species in Santa Fe to 23. Additionally, Esperanza and Rafaela are added as new localities for Eumops glaucinus (Wagner, 1843), Molossops temminckii (Burmeister, 1854), and Lasiurus blossevillii (Lesson & Garnot, 1826).
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Monje LD, Costa FB, Colombo VC, Labruna MB, Antoniazzi LR, Gamietea I, Nava S, Beldomenico PM. Dynamics of Exposure to Rickettsia parkeri in Cattle in the Paraná River Delta, Argentina. J Med Entomol 2016; 53:660-665. [PMID: 26794232 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjv250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Several cases of human rickettsiosis caused by Rickettsia parkeri were recently documented in the Paraná River delta of Argentina, where the tick vector is Amblyomma triste Koch. As cattle suffer recurrent A. triste infestations, they are at risk of becoming infected with R. parkeri Herein we investigated the dynamics of R. parkeri and its A. triste vector in a herd of beef cattle. Cattle were followed for 18 mo and samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies against four Rickettsia species (R. parkeri, Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia amblyommii, and Rickettsia felis) and also for the presence of rickettsial DNA. Additionally, cattle were examined for attached ticks and questing adult ticks were collected. All ticks were analyzed for the presence of rickettsial DNA. No evidence of rickettsemia was found in any cow, but the high R. parkeri infection rate documented in A. triste both questing in the study area (13.9%) and feeding on cattle (19.8%) and the identification of antibodies against R. parkeri antigen in 90% of cattle are evidence that infection is taking place. Altogether, our data suggest that A. triste ticks are capable of naturally exposing cattle to R. parkeri However, the progress of R. parkeri infection and its impact on bovine health and production remain to be established.
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Affiliation(s)
- L D Monje
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, S3080, Argentina (; ; ; ),
| | - F B Costa
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, 05508-270, Brazil (; )
| | - V C Colombo
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, S3080, Argentina (; ; ; )
| | - M B Labruna
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, São Paulo, 05508-270, Brazil (; )
| | - L R Antoniazzi
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, S3080, Argentina (; ; ; )
| | - I Gamietea
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental San Pedro, B2930, Argentina , and
| | - S Nava
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Rafaela, S2300, Argentina
| | - P M Beldomenico
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral (ICiVet-Litoral), Universidad Nacional del Litoral (UNL)/Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, S3080, Argentina (; ; ; )
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Manzoli DE, Antoniazzi LR, Saravia MJ, Silvestri L, Rorhmann D, Beldomenico PM. Multi-level determinants of parasitic fly infection in forest passerines. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67104. [PMID: 23874408 PMCID: PMC3707910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of myiasis is important because they may cause problems to the livestock industry, public health, or wildlife conservation. The ecology of parasitic dipterans that cause myiasis is singular, as they actively seek their hosts over relatively long distances. However, studies that address the determinants of myiasis dynamics are very scarce. The genus Philornis include species that may be excellent models to study myiasis ecology, as they exclusively parasitize bird nestlings, which stay in their nests until they are fully fledged, and larvae remain at the point of entry until the parasitic stage is over, thus allowing the collection of sequential individual-level infection data from virtually all the hosts present at a particular area. Here we offer a stratified multi-level analysis of longitudinal data of Philornis torquans parasitism in replicated forest bird communities of central Argentina. Using Generalized Linear Models and Generalized Linear Mixed Models and an information theory approach for model selection, we conducted four groups of analyses, each with a different study unit, the individual, the brood, the community at a given week, and the community at a given year. The response variable was larval abundance per nestling or mean abundance per nestling. At each level, models included the variables of interest of that particular level, and also potential confounders and effect modifiers of higher levels. We found associations of large magnitude at all levels, but only few variables truly governed the dynamics of this parasite. At the individual level, the infection was determined by the species and the age of the host. The main driver of parasite abundance at the microhabitat level was the average height of the forest, and at the community level, the density of hosts and prior rainfall. This multi-level approach contributed to a better understanding of the ecology of myiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darío Ezequiel Manzoli
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Instituto de Ciencias Veterinarias del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - Consejo de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (UNL - CONICET), Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina.
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Silvestri L, Antoniazzi LR, Couri MS, Monje LD, Beldomenico PM. First record of the avian ectoparasite Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken, 1968 (Diptera: Muscidae) in Argentina. Syst Parasitol 2011; 80:137-40. [PMID: 21898202 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-011-9314-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Species of Philornis Meinert, 1890 (Diptera, Muscidae) are Neotropical dipterans that include species with parasitic larvae which feed on nestling birds. To date, all Philornis species that have been recorded from Argentina have parasitic subcutaneous larvae. Here, for the first time for Argentina, we report the finding of Philornis downsi Dodge & Aitken, 1968, a fly with a nest-dwelling, semi-haematophagous larva. This record, from the humid Chaco ecoregion of Argentina in the nest of a saffron finch Sicalis flaveola pelzelni Sclater, substantially extends the known distribution of this species. We also report the consensus sequences of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) and ITS2 regions of three of the specimens for future reference and comparison. Further investigation is needed to determine whether Argentina is part of the historical range of P. downsi or, alternatively, represents a recent expansion of its range, perhaps due to climatic changes or other factors of global environmental variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Silvestri
- Laboratorio de Ecología de Enfermedades, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, RP Kreder 2805, 3080, Esperanza, Santa Fe, Argentina
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