Is cestode infection intensity associated with decreased body condition in the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola?

2017 ◽  
Vol 92 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-48
Author(s):  
C. Sánchez-García ◽  
E. Harris ◽  
A.C. Deacon ◽  
R. Bray ◽  
A.N. Hoodless
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Fat Pad ◽  
East Anglia ◽  
Scolopax Rusticola ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Wintering Areas ◽  
Dietary Component

AbstractThe Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola is a widespread woodland specialist and a widely harvested quarry species throughout its European wintering areas, including Britain. Woodcock are prone to cestodiasis, but prevalence levels and possible effects on body condition remain under-studied. We studied the prevalence, abundance and intensity of cestodiasis in 161 woodcock harvested in four British regions in December and January during two consecutive winters (2013/14 and 2014/15). Cestodiasis prevalence was 90%, and there was no difference in prevalence between birds harvested in Cornwall, Wessex, East Anglia and Scotland. High prevalence levels were explained by the fact that earthworms (Lumbricidae) are intermediate hosts for some cestode species and also the most important dietary component of woodcock. The distribution of cestodiasis in woodcock was aggregated, such that when using the total length of cestodes per sample to measure abundance, 65% of the birds had less than 80 cm. Cestodiasis abundance varied between sexes across regions but the intensity was not affected by region, sex, age or their interactions. The intensity of cestodiasis was positively correlated with fresh weight and pectoral mass, while no significant correlation was found with the abdominal fat pad. Our results suggest that, despite high prevalence levels and intensity of cestodiasis in woodcock, host body condition is not significantly affected and hence it is unlikely that cestodiasis has a major effect on woodcock population dynamics.

In vitro infection experiments with eggs of the nematode Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 (sensu lato) targeting aquatic insect larvae (Odonata: Coenagrionidae and Libellulidae; Trichoptera: Integripalpia) as possible intermediate hosts

2014 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Janina Dziekońska-Rynko ◽  
Jerzy Rokicki ◽  
Katarzyna Mierzejewska
Keyword(s):  
Aquatic Insects ◽  
Aquatic Insect ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Insect Larvae ◽  
Contracaecum Rudolphii ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Nematode Eggs ◽  
Newly Hatched Larvae ◽  
Aquatic Insect Larvae

AbstractThe availability of aquatic insects (Odonata: Coenagrionidae, Libellulidae and Trichoptera: Integripalpia) as potential intermediate hosts for the nematode Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 sensu lato was studied under laboratory conditions. The infective material consisted of nematode eggs, newly hatched larvae, as well as in vitro infected cyclopoid copepods. High prevalence and intensity of infection associated with a low mortality of aquatic insect larvae suggests that they may serve as intermediate hosts for C. rudolphii and constitute a major reservoir of C. rudolphii larvae in aquatic habitats.

scholarly journals Cystic Echinococcosis: Clinical, Immunological, and Biomolecular Evaluation of Patients from Sardinia (Italy)

Pathogens ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 907
Author(s):  
Cinzia Santucciu ◽  
Piero Bonelli ◽  
Angela Peruzzu ◽  
Alessandro Fancellu ◽  
Vincenzo Marras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Echinococcus Granulosus ◽  
Cystic Echinococcosis ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Surgical Removal ◽  
Neighbor Joining ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Echinococcus Granulosus Sensu Lato

Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), is a worldwide public health problem. Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), associated with G1 and G3 genotypes, is endemic with high prevalence in the Mediterranean basin. The parasite’s life cycle comprises definitive hosts (canids) and intermediate hosts (ruminants) and can occasionally involve humans. The main aim of this research was to confirm the diagnosis of 13 patients suspected of CE who presented different complications and needed the surgical removal of the cysts. We also wanted to understand and clarify more the diagnosis of echinococcosis in humans. For this purpose, the patients first underwent cyst evaluation by ultrasound (US), immunological analysis, and then total pericystectomy, followed by parasitological, histopathological, and molecular biology examinations of the cysts. US stadiated one CE1, one CE2, eight CE3b, one CE4, and two CE5; immunology evidenced nine positives; histopathology confirmed 11 CE cysts, of which 8 fertile presenting protoscoleces were identified as E. granulosus s.s. by molecular biology, genotyped as three G1 and four G3 by neighbor-joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree. In conclusion, the results showed that 11 patients were affected by E. granulosus s.s. G1 orG3, and 2 cystic neoformations were of non-parasitic origin.

scholarly journals The helminth community of a population ofRattus norvegicusfrom an urban Brazilian slum and the threat of zoonotic diseases

Parasitology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 145 (6) ◽  
pp. 797-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ticiana Carvalho-Pereira ◽  
Fábio N. Souza ◽  
Luana R. N. Santos ◽  
Ruth Walker ◽  
Arsinoê C. Pertile ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Body Condition ◽  
Urban Slum ◽  
Nippostrongylus Brasiliensis ◽  
Helminth Community ◽  
Public Health Importance ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Males And Females ◽  
Eleven Species

AbstractUrban slums provide suitable conditions for infestation by rats, which harbour and shed a wide diversity of zoonotic pathogens including helminths. We aimed to identify risk factors associated with the probability and intensity of infection of helminths of the digestive tract in an urban slum population ofRattus norvegicus. Among 299 rats, eleven species/groups of helminths were identified, of whichStrongyloidessp.,Nippostrongylus brasiliensisand, the human pathogen,Angiostrongylus cantonensiswere the most frequent (97, 41 and 39%, respectively). Sex interactions highlighted behavioural differences between males and females, as eg males were more likely to be infected withN. brasiliensiswhere rat signs were present, and males presented more intense infections ofStrongyloidessp. Moreover, rats in poor body condition had higher intensities ofN. brasiliensis. We describe a high global richness of parasites inR. norvegicus, including five species known to cause disease in humans. Among these,A. cantonensiswas found in high prevalence and it was ubiquitous in the study area – knowledge which is of public health importance. A variety of environmental, demographic and body condition variables were associated with helminth species infection of rats, suggesting a comparable variety of risk factors for humans.

Intestinal helminth parasites in flounderPlatichthys flesusfrom the River Thames: an infracommunity analysis

2004 ◽  
Vol 78 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Guillen-Hernandez ◽  
P.J. Whitfield
Keyword(s):  
Parasite Species ◽  
Parasite Community ◽  
Intestinal Helminth ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Component Community ◽  
Parasite Communities ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Marine Influence ◽  
River Thames

AbstractAn analysis was undertaken of intestinal helminth communities in flounderPlatichthys flesusfrom two sites on the River Thames. A comparison was made between helminth community richness and diversity from these sites at the component and infracommunity levels. At the component community level, a richer and more diverse parasite community was found in flounder from the Tilbury location (marine influence) than that from the Lots Road location (freshwater influence). At the infracommunity level, more parasite species and parasite individuals per host were found at Lots Road and the percentage of similarity values were low at both locations. Helminth species with high prevalence values in the parasite communities of the flounder are the dominant species in any individual fish, harbouring multi-specific infections. The presence of more invertebrate species, which are intermediate hosts in the helminth life cycle in the Thames, fish vagility and the high prevalence and abundance values ofPomphorhynchus laevisin the flounder, may explain the differences between the two locations.

Systemic Amyloid A Amyloidosis in Stejneger’s Beaked Whales (Mesoplodon stejnegeri)

2020 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 437-444
Author(s):  
Shotaro Nakagun ◽  
Kenichi Watanabe ◽  
Yuko Tajima ◽  
Tadasu K. Yamada ◽  
Yoshiyasu Kobayashi
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Systemic Amyloidosis ◽  
Population Status ◽  
Amyloid A ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Beaked Whales ◽  
Hematoxylin And Eosin ◽  
Population Numbers

Stejneger’s beaked whales ( Mesoplodon stejnegeri) are one of the lesser known species of mammals, with little information available on their population status or incidence of diseases. Recent pathologic investigations on stranded and bycaught wild cetaceans around Hokkaido, Japan, revealed an unusually high incidence of systemic amyloidosis in this species, warranting further investigation. The objective of this study was to further characterize the systemic amyloidosis of Stejneger’s beaked whales by retrospective histopathologic analyses of tissues from animals that stranded in Japan between 1994 and 2018. Various tissues from 35 individuals were examined histologically with hematoxylin and eosin, Congo red, and immunohistochemistry for amyloid A (AA), in which 12 (34%) were diagnosed with systemic amyloidosis. The organs with the highest severity of amyloid deposition were the stomach and intestine. The type of amyloid was confirmed as AA of approximately 9 kDa by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis with extracted amyloid from the liver and subsequent Western blotting with an antiserum against AA peptide. There were no statistically significant associations between amyloidosis and sex, body condition of the whales, or the presence of chronic inflammation. The high prevalence of this disease might be of concern for overall population numbers, and continued pathologic monitoring of stranded animals is necessary throughout its distributional range.

scholarly journals Interindividual variation and consistency of migratory behavior in the Eurasian woodcock

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Tedeschi ◽  
Michele Sorrenti ◽  
Michele Bottazzo ◽  
Mario Spagnesi ◽  
Ibon Telletxea ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breeding Site ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Migratory Behavior ◽  
Temporal Consistency ◽  
Migration Routes ◽  
Intraindividual Variation ◽  
Scolopax Rusticola ◽  
Departure Date ◽  
Wintering Areas ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Abstract Diverse spatio-temporal aspects of avian migration rely on relatively rigid endogenous programs. However, flexibility in migratory behavior may allow effective coping with unpredictable variation in ecological conditions that can occur during migration. We aimed at characterizing inter- and intraindividual variation of migratory behavior in a forest-dwelling wader species, the Eurasian woodcock Scolopax rusticola, focusing on spatio-temporal consistency across repeated migration episodes. By satellite-tracking birds from their wintering sites along the Italian peninsula to their breeding areas, we disclosed a remarkable variability in migration distances, with some birds flying more than 6,000 km to Central Asian breeding grounds (up to 101°E). Prebreeding migration was faster and of shorter duration than postbreeding migration. Birds moving over longer distances migrated faster during prebreeding migration, and those breeding at northernmost latitudes left their wintering areas earlier. Moreover, birds making longer migrations departed earlier from their breeding sites. Breeding site fidelity was very high, whereas fidelity to wintering areas increased with age. Migration routes were significantly consistent, both among repeated migration episodes and between pre- and postbreeding migration. Prebreeding migration departure date was not significantly repeatable, whereas arrival date to the breeding areas was highly repeatable. Hence, interindividual variation in migratory behavior of woodcocks was mostly explained by the location of the breeding areas, and spatial consistency was relatively large through the entire annual cycle. Flexibility in prebreeding migration departure date may suggest that environmental effects have a larger influence on temporal than on spatial aspects of migratory behavior.

Patterns and processes influencing helminth parasites of Arctic coastal communities during climate change

2017 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
K.V. Galaktionov
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Changes ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Coastal Ecosystems ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Helminth Parasites ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Arctic Seas ◽  
Storm Activity

AbstractThis review analyses the scarce available data on biodiversity and transmission of helminths in Arctic coastal ecosystems and the potential impact of climate changes on them. The focus is on the helminths of seabirds, dominant parasites in coastal ecosystems. Their fauna in the Arctic is depauperate because of the lack of suitable intermediate hosts and unfavourable conditions for species with free-living larvae. An increasing proportion of crustaceans in the diet of Arctic seabirds would result in a higher infection intensity of cestodes and acanthocephalans, and may also promote the infection of seabirds with non-specific helminths. In this way, the latter may find favourable conditions for colonization of new hosts. Climate changes may alter the composition of the helminth fauna, their infection levels in hosts and ways of transmission in coastal communities. Immigration of boreal invertebrates and fish into Arctic seas may allow the circulation of helminths using them as intermediate hosts. Changing migratory routes of animals would alter the distribution of their parasites, facilitating, in particular, their trans-Arctic transfer. Prolongation of the seasonal ‘transmission window’ may increase the parasitic load on host populations. Changes in Arctic marine food webs would have an overriding influence on the helminths’ circulation. This process may be influenced by the predicted decreased of salinity in Arctic seas, increased storm activity, coastal erosion, ocean acidification, decline of Arctic ice, etc. Greater parasitological research efforts are needed to assess the influence of factors related to Arctic climate change on the transmission of helminths.

Quantifying the impact of disease on threatened species

1994 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamish McCallum
Keyword(s):  
Threatened Species ◽  
Parasitic Infection ◽  
Parasite Burden ◽  
Experimental Manipulation ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Host Population ◽  
Bacterial Disease ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
The Impact

Determining whether a disease or parasite is having a substantial impact on a population of a threatened species is not straightforward. Highly pathogenic parasites are not those which have the greatest influence on hosts, and diseases present at high prevalence are not likely to have a major effect on the host population. I develop simple mathematical models which show that a microparasitic disease such as a viral or bacterial disease will have the greatest impact on its host if it prevents host reproduction, but does not affect host mortality. If infected hosts can still reproduce, intermediate levels of pathogenicity have the greatest impact on hosts. Macroparasites such as helminths likewise have maximum impact on hosts at intermediate pathogenicity. The impact of a helminth on its host population is, however, determined by a complex interplay between pathogenicity per parasite and the nature of the host response to infection. For example, in the absence of density-dependent constraints on parasites within individual hosts, the smaller the impact per parasite on the host, the greater the impact of the parasitic infection on the overall population. Several recommendations can be made to wildlife managers who detect a disease or parasite and wish to determine its impact on a population of a threatened species. There is no entirely satisfactory alternative to experimental manipulation. Treating part of a population and comparing suvivorship or fecundity with controls is the only way to confirm the impact of a disease on a free-ranging population. Such an approach is impractical with every potential pathogen in a population. Some idea as to which pathogens may be of significance to the population can be gained from comparison of disease prevalence or parasite burden between dead and dying hosts and the overall population. Overall high prevalence or high pathogenicity are not good indicators on their own.

scholarly journals HELMINTH FAUNA OF MAIN COMMERCIAL FISH IN LAKE ECOSYSTEM OF THE NAROCHANSKY NATIONAL PARK (REPUBLIC OF BELARUS)

2020 ◽  
pp. 87-92
Author(s):  
Degtyarik ◽  
Poloz ◽  
Bespaliy ◽  
Slobodnitskaya ◽  
Benetskaya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
National Park ◽  
Infection Intensity ◽  
Helminth Fauna ◽  
Lake Ecosystem ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Commercial Fish ◽  
Parasitic Helminths ◽  
Level Of Invasion ◽  
Development Cycle ◽  
Acanthocephalus Lucii

The composition of the helminth fauna of the main commercial fish species in the lake ecosystem of the Narochansky National Park was determined. It is represented by 10 species of helminths having a complex development cycle with the participation of intermediate hosts, as well as 1 species of helminths (Gyrodactylus sp.), a representative of cl. Monogenea, having a direct development cycle. It was noted that the highest level of invasion was typical for larvae of trematodes Tylodelphys conifera. The greatest variety of parasitic helminths is observed in fish from lake Miastro and Naroch (7 species of helminths each). It was revealed that the most common representatives of the helminth fauna of fish inhabiting the lakes of Narochansky National Park are metacercariae of trematodes of the Diplostomum genus. They were found in fish in all water reservoirs examined. Their host spectrum was also the widest. Examination of the three-spine stickleback showed a severe damage by plerocercoids Ligula intestinalis (prevalence 92% to 98.4%, infection intensity 1–4 pairs per fish). In addition, proboscis worms Acanthocephalus lucii were found in the intestines of the three-spine stickleback. The trematode fauna of fish muscles from the Naroch lake group is rather poor and represented by three types of helminths: Rhipidocotyle illense, Paracoenogonimus ovatus and Apophallus muelingi.

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