Host-parasite associations and host-specificity in haemoparasites of reed bed passerines

Parasitology ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 310-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
RITA VENTIM ◽  
JOANA MORAIS ◽  
SARA PARDAL ◽  
LUÍSA MENDES ◽  
JAIME A. RAMOS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Reed Beds ◽  
Bird Populations ◽  
Reed Bed ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Local Transmission

SUMMARYThe host specificity and host sharing of avian haemoparasites (genera Haemoproteus and Plasmodium) is still poorly known, although they infect a large proportion of several studied bird populations. This study used molecular techniques to detect haemoparasites in marsh warblers and in other passerines that feed in reed beds, at 4 sites in Portugal. The host-specificity of the parasite lineages was analysed and compared with other cases described in the literature to assess whether apparent host specificity changes according to the studied system. Nine lineages of Haemoproteus and 15 of Plasmodium were found, of which only 10 Plasmodium were proven to have local transmission. Each lineage was confined to a distinct set of host species. The distribution of parasites in the host species was non-nested, meaning that specialist lineages did not always share hosts with generalists. The most prevalent lineages were those with a wider host range, indicating that the ability to infect more hosts will enhance a parasite's prevalence in its entire host range. We also found that in our areas, a specialist parasite (H. MW1) appears to have a more generalist character than described in the literature, suggesting that a parasite's apparent specialization can depend on the type of host species sampled.

The coevolutionary potential of a ‘generalist’ parasite, the hen flea Ceratophyllus gallinae

Parasitology ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 419-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. TRIPET ◽  
H. RICHNER
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Narrow Host Range ◽  
Parasite Infestation ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Number Of Individuals ◽  
Ceratophyllus Gallinae

Hosts exert selection pressures on their parasites and it is often assumed that host–parasite coevolution with each host is less intense in a generalist parasite than for a parasite with a narrow host range. Selection pressure on the parasite, however, is rather determined by host specificity, i.e. the relative importance of each host, than simply by the range of hosts. The determination of host specificity requires an assessment of the prevalence and intensity of parasite infestation within each host's nests, as well as the local abundance of each host species. Since the hen flea, Ceratophyllus gallinae, is a rather generalist parasite of birds it could be concluded that there has been weak coevolution with each of its hosts. By reviewing the literature on the prevalence and intensity of hen flea infestations in bird nests we estimated the number of individuals produced in the nest of each host species. The comparative analysis shows (1) that the prevalence of infestation is highest in hole-nesting avian families, (2) that prevalence and intensity of infestation among bird families are highly correlated, and (3) that hole-nesting Paridae have the highest intensities of infestation and harbour the majority of the flea population. These results underline the fleas' potential for coevolution with Paridae despite their extensive host range.

Certain aspects of the host-parasite relationship of Nematospiroides dubius (Baylis): V. Host specificity

Parasitology ◽  
1962 ◽  
Vol 52 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 41-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Dobson
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Adult Parasite ◽  
Male Rat ◽  
Host Parasite Relationship ◽  
Parasite Relationship ◽  
Nematospiroides Dubius ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Relationship Of

1. The mouse is more susceptible to infection than the rat.2. The male in both the rat and the mouse is more susceptible to infection than the female.3. The development of the worm is slower in the male rat than in the female. This relationship does not occur in the mouse.4. The ecological position of the adult parasite was different in the mouse and rat, the worms living further down the intestine in the rat.5. The effects of host species on infection of N. dubius are discussed.

The host-specificity of Theileria sp. (sable) and Theileria sp. (sable-like) in African Bovidae and detection of novel Theileria in antelope and giraffe

Parasitology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 147 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronel Pienaar ◽  
Antoinette Josemans ◽  
Abdalla A. Latif ◽  
Ben J. Mans
Keyword(s):  
Host Specificity ◽  
Host Species ◽  
African Buffalo ◽  
Black Wildebeest ◽  
Single Host ◽  
Related Genotype ◽  
Vertebrate Hosts ◽  
Polymerase Chain ◽  
Host Parasite ◽  
Generation Sequencing

AbstractTick-borne diseases caused by Theileria are of economic importance in domestic and wildlife ruminants. The majority of Theileria infects a limited number of host species, supporting the concept of host specificity. However, some Theileria seem to be generalists challenging the host specificity paradigm, such as Theileria sp. (sable) reported from various vertebrate hosts, including African buffalo, cattle, dogs and different antelope species. We tested the hypothesis that T. sp. (sable) uses Bovidae as hosts in general using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay specific for T. sp. (sable) and a closely related genotype: T. sp. (sable-like). Various antelope species from the Tragelaphini (black wildebeest, blesbuck, blue wildebeest, gemsbuck, sable and waterbuck) tested positive for either T. sp. (sable) or T. sp. (sable-like). However, no African buffalo (n = 238) or cattle (n = 428) sampled in the current study tested positive, suggesting that these latter species are not carrier hosts. The results were confirmed using next-generation sequencing which also indicated at least 13 new genotypes or species found in various antelope and giraffes. Genotypes were found in single host species or in evolutionarily related hosts, suggesting that host specificity in Theileria may be a lineage specific phenomenon likely associated with tick-host-parasite co-evolution.

scholarly journals Low Host Specialization in the Cuckoo Wasp, Parnopes grandior, Weakens Chemical Mimicry but Does Not Lead to Local Adaption

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 136
Author(s):  
Carlo Polidori ◽  
Yolanda Ballesteros ◽  
Mareike Wurdack ◽  
Josep Daniel Asís ◽  
José Tormos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Chemical Mimicry ◽  
Host Specialization ◽  
Wasp Species ◽  
Brood Parasites ◽  
Nesting Sites ◽  
Host Parasite

Insect brood parasites have evolved a variety of strategies to avoid being detected by their hosts. Few previous studies on cuckoo wasps (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae), which are natural enemies of solitary wasps and bees, have shown that chemical mimicry, i.e., the biosynthesis of cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC) that match the host profile, evolved in several species. However, mimicry was not detected in all investigated host-parasite pairs. The effect of host range as a second factor that may play a role in evolution of mimicry has been neglected, since all previous studies were carried out on host specialists and at nesting sites where only one host species occurred. Here we studied the cuckoo wasp Parnopes grandior, which attacks many digger wasp species of the genus Bembix (Hymenoptera: Crabronidae). Given its weak host specialization, P. grandior may either locally adapt by increasing mimicry precision to only one of the sympatric hosts or it may evolve chemical insignificance by reducing the CHC profile complexity and/or CHCs amounts. At a study site harbouring three host species, we found evidence for a weak but appreciable chemical deception strategy in P. grandior. Indeed, the CHC profile of P. grandior was more similar to all sympatric Bembix species than to a non-host wasp species belonging to the same tribe as Bembix. Furthermore, P. grandior CHC profile was equally distant to all the hosts’ CHC profiles, thus not pointing towards local adaptation of the CHC profile to one of the hosts’ profile. We conducted behavioural assays suggesting that such weak mimicry is sufficient to reduce host aggression, even in absence of an insignificance strategy, which was not detected. Hence, we finally concluded that host range may indeed play a role in shaping the level of chemical mimicry in cuckoo wasps.

Host and ecology both play a role in shaping distribution of digenean parasites of New Zealand whelks (Gastropoda: Buccinidae: Cominella)

Parasitology ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 143 (9) ◽  
pp. 1143-1156 ◽  
Author(s):  
KIRSTEN M. DONALD ◽  
HAMISH G. SPENCER
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Molecular Techniques ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Small Areas ◽  
The North ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Host Parasite

SUMMARYDigenean parasites infecting four Cominella whelk species (C. glandiformis, C. adspersa, C. maculosa and C. virgata), which inhabit New Zealand's intertidal zone, were analysed using molecular techniques. Mitochondrial 16S and cytochrome oxidase 1 (COI) and nuclear rDNA ITS1 sequences were used to infer phylogenetic relationships amongst digenea. Host species were parasitized by a diverse range of digenea (Platyhelminthes, Trematoda), representing seven families: Echinostomatidae, Opecoelidae, Microphallidae, Strigeidae and three, as yet, undetermined families A, B and C. Each parasite family infected between one and three host whelk species, and infection levels were typically low (average infection rates ranged from 1·4 to 3·6%). Host specificity ranged from highly species-specific amongst the echinostomes, which were only ever observed infecting C. glandiformis, to the more generalist opecoelids and strigeids, which were capable of infecting three out of four of the Cominella species analysed. Digeneans displayed a highly variable geographic range; for example, echinostomes had a large geographic range stretching the length of New Zealand, from Northland to Otago, whereas Family B parasites were restricted to fairly small areas of the North Island. Our results add to a growing body of research identifying wide ranges in both host specificity and geographic range amongst intertidal, multi-host parasite systems.

scholarly journals Defining host range: host–parasite compatibility during the non-infective phase of the parasite also matters

Parasitology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 234-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Veiga ◽  
Paloma De Oña ◽  
Beatriz Salazar ◽  
Francisco Valera
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Columba Livia ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
Host Preferences ◽  
Breeding Sites ◽  
Carnus Hemapterus ◽  
Pseudolynchia Canariensis ◽  
European Roller ◽  
Host Parasite

AbstractHost range and parasite specificity determine key epidemiological, ecological and evolutionary aspects of host–parasite interactions. Parasites are usually classified as generalists or specialists based on the number of hosts they feed on. Yet, the requirements of the various stages of a parasite may influence the suitability of a given host species. Here, we investigate the generalist nature of three common ectoparasites (the dipteran Carnus hemapterus and two species of louse flies, Pseudolynchia canariensis and Ornithophila metallica), exploiting two avian host species (the European roller Coracias garrulus and the Rock pigeon Columba livia), that frequently occupy the same breeding sites. We explore the prevalence and abundance of both the infective and the puparial stages of the ectoparasites in both host species. Strong preferences of Pseudolynchia canariensis for pigeons and of Carnus hemapterus for rollers were found. Moderate prevalence of Ornithophila metallica was found in rollers but this louse fly avoided pigeons. In some cases, the infestation patterns observed for imagoes and puparia were consistent whereas in other cases host preferences inferred from imagoes differed from the ones suggested by puparia. We propose that the adult stages of these ectoparasites are more specialist than reported and that the requirements of non-infective stages can restrict the effective host range of some parasites.

Infections with Parasitic Copepods in North Sea Marine Fishes

1974 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 355-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. A. Boxshall
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Stage ◽  
Host Specificity ◽  
Frequency Distribution ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Marine Fishes ◽  
Intensity Of Infection ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Parasitic Copepods ◽  
Host Parasite

A range of 62 species of marine fishes representing 34 families was examined for the presence of parasitic copepods. Forty-one species were found to harbour 39 species of copepod belonging to 9 families. The remaining 21 species of fishes were not infected. The incidence and intensity of infection were recorded and these provided material data on the host-parasite relationships. The site of infection and the developmental stage of the parasite were also recorded. The frequency distributions of number of copepods per host were calculated for Clavella adunca and Bomolochus confusus. The age of the host was shown to influence the frequency distribution of Bomolochus confusus. The host specificity of the copepod species was analysed and 70 % of the species were found to be specific for one host species or for different species of the same genus.

scholarly journals Estimating parasite host range

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1861) ◽  
pp. 20171250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tad Dallas ◽  
Shan Huang ◽  
Charles Nunn ◽  
Andrew W. Park ◽  
John M. Drake
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Disease Ecology ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Simulated Data ◽  
Host Community ◽  
Estimation Accuracy ◽  
Long Term Ecological Research ◽  
Host Parasite

Estimating the number of host species that a parasite can infect (i.e. host range) provides key insights into the evolution of host specialism and is a central concept in disease ecology. Host range is rarely estimated in real systems, however, because variation in species relative abundance and the detection of rare species makes it challenging to confidently estimate host range. We applied a non-parametric richness indicator to estimate host range in simulated and empirical data, allowing us to assess the influence of sampling heterogeneity and data completeness. After validating our method on simulated data, we estimated parasite host range for a sparsely sampled global parasite occurrence database (Global Mammal Parasite Database) and a repeatedly sampled set of parasites of small mammals from New Mexico (Sevilleta Long Term Ecological Research Program). Estimation accuracy varied strongly with parasite taxonomy, number of parasite occurrence records, and the shape of host species-abundance distribution (i.e. the dominance and rareness of species in the host community). Our findings suggest that between 20% and 40% of parasite host ranges are currently unknown, highlighting a major gap in our understanding of parasite specificity, host–parasite network structure, and parasite burdens.

scholarly journals Generalist Eimeria species in rodents: multilocus analyses indicate inadequate resolution of established markers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Hugo Jarquín-Díaz ◽  
Alice Balard ◽  
Anna Mácová ◽  
Jenny Jost ◽  
Tabea Roth von Szepesbéla ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Host Range ◽  
Host Species ◽  
Eimeria Species ◽  
Myodes Glareolus ◽  
House Mice ◽  
Rodent Host ◽  
High Resolution Data ◽  
Open Questions ◽  
Intracellular Parasites ◽  
Host Parasite

AbstractIntracellular parasites of the genus Eimeria are described as tissue/host specific. Phylogenetic classification of rodent Eimeria suggested that some species have a broader host range than previously assumed. We explore if Eimeria spp. infecting house mice are misclassified by the most widely used molecular markers due to a lack of resolution, or if, instead, these parasite species are indeed infecting multiple host species.With the commonly used markers (18S/COI), we recovered monophyletic clades of E. falciformis and E. vermiformis from Mus that included E. apionodes identified in other rodent host species (Apodemus spp., Myodes glareolus, and Microtus arvalis). A lack of internal resolution in these clades could suggest the existence of a species complex with a wide host range infecting murid and cricetid rodents. We question, however, the power of COI and 18S markers to provide adequate resolution for assessing host specificity. In addition to the rarely used marker ORF470 from the apicoplast genome, we present multilocus genotyping as an alternative approach. Phylogenetic analysis of 35 nuclear markers differentiated E. falciformis from house mice from isolates from Apodemus hosts. Isolates of E. vermiformis from Mus are still found in clusters interleaved with non-Mus isolates, even with this high resolution data.In conclusion, we show that species-level resolution should not be assumed for COI and 18S markers in Coccidia. Host-parasite co-speciation at shallow phylogenetic nodes, as well as contemporary coccidian host ranges more generally, are still open questions that need to be addressed using novel genetic markers with higher resolution.

Constructed reed beds: appropriate technology for small communities

1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Green ◽  
J. Upton
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Reed Beds ◽  
Small Communities ◽  
Operational Information ◽  
Reed Bed ◽  
Small Sites ◽  
Very High

Reed bed treatment is put in the context of a major water company’s need to provide reliable, high quality, effluents from small sewage treatment works whilst seeking to minimise running costs. Design and operational information is given for reed bed applications in Severn Trent Water. Performance details are provided for application to secondary, tertiary and storm overflow treatment. The results give particular confidence in the system’s ability to deliver very high quality effluents when used for tertiary treatment, the company’s biggest application. Reed beds work well against less demanding criteria for secondary treatment at small sites and show great promise for storm overflow treatment.

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