Journal: International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife

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Elsevier

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ISSN

2213-2244

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2019 - 201912020 - 20231
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Publications1 - 2 of 2
  • The presence of air sac nematodes in passerines and near-passerines in southern Germany
    Item type: Journal Article
    Abdu, Salamatu; Eisenring, Melina; Zúñiga, Daniel; et al. (2023)
    International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife
    Major climatic changes in conjunction with animal movement may be associated with the spread of parasites and their vectors into new populations, with potentially important consequences for population persistence. Parasites can evolve to adapt to unsuitable ecological conditions and take up refuge within new host species, with consequences for the population growth of the new host species. One parasite species that has likely been increasing its geographic range, and potentially infecting new hosts, is the recently described air sac nematode Serratospiculoides amaculata, in great tits (Parus major) in Slovakia. In this study, we screened wild birds for potential air sac nematode infection in a woodland area of southern Germany. We identified four additional host species: Eurasian nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker, greenfinch and robin. As infection by this group of nematodes can be highly pathogenic, we recommend further investigation into its potential risk to these populations.
  • Age affects antibody levels and anthelmintic treatment efficacy in a wild rodent
    Item type: Journal Article
    Clerc, Melanie; Babayan, Simon A.; Fenton, Andy; et al. (2019)
    International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife
    The role of the host immune system in determining parasite burdens and mediating within-host parasite interactions has traditionally been studied in highly controlled laboratory conditions. This does, however, not reflect the diversity of individuals living in nature, which is often characterised by significant variation in host demography, such as host age, sex, and infection history. Whilst studies using wild hosts and parasites are beginning to give insights into the complex relationships between immunity, parasites and host demography, the cause-and-effect relationships often remain unknown due to a lack of high resolution, longitudinal data. We investigated the infection dynamics of two interacting gastrointestinal parasites of wild wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), the nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus and the coccidian Eimeria hungaryensis, in order to assess the links between infection, coinfection, and the immunological dynamics of two antibodies (IgG1 and IgA). In an anthelmintic treatment experiment, mice were given a single oral dose of an anthelmintic treatment, or control dose, and then subsequently followed longitudinally over a period of 7–15 days to measure parasite burdens and antibody levels. Anthelmintic treatment successfully reduced burdens of H. polygyrus, but had no significant impact on E. hungaryensis. Treatment efficacy was driven by host age, with adult mice showing stronger reductions in burdens compared to younger mice. We also found that the relationship between H. polygyrus-specific IgG1 and nematode burden changed from positive in young mice to negative in adult mice. Our results highlight that a key host demographic factor like age could account for large parts of the variation in nematode burden and nematode-specific antibody levels observed in a naturally infected host population, possibly due to different immune responses in young vs. old animals. Given the variable success in community-wide de-worming programmes in animals and humans, accounting for the age-structure of a population could increase overall efficacy.
Publications1 - 2 of 2