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77 results for “parasite transmission”
The impact of within-host coinfection interactions on between-host parasite transmission dynamics varies with spatial scale
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How does parasite environmental transmission stage concentration change before, during, and after disease outbreaks?
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Floral shape predicts bee-parasite transmission potential
<p class="MsoNormal">The spread of parasites is one of the primary drivers of population decline of both managed and wild bees. Several bee parasites are transmitted by the shared use of flowers, turning floral resources into potential disease hotspots. However, we know little about how floral morphology and floral species identity affect different steps of the transmission process. Here, we used the gut parasite <em>Crithidia bombi</em> and its primary host, bumble bees (<em>Bombus</em> spp.), to examine whether floral traits or species identity better predict three basic steps of parasite transmission on flowers: feces deposition on flowers, survival of the parasite on flowers, and acquisition by a new host. We also identified which traits and/or species were most strongly associated with each step in the transmission process. We found that both trait- and species-based models fit the data on deposition of feces and survival of <em>C. bombi</em> on flowers, but that species-based models provided a better fit than trait-based ones. However, trait-based models were better at predicting the acquisition of <em>C. bombi</em> on flowers. While different species tended to support higher fecal deposition or parasite survival, we found that floral shape provided explanatory power for each of the transmission steps. When we assessed overall transmission potential, floral shape had the largest explanatory effect, with wider, shorter flowers promoting higher transmission. Taken together, our results highlight the importance of flower species identity and floral traits in disease transmission dynamics of bee parasites, and floral shape as an important predictor of overall transmission potential. Identifying traits associated with transmission potential may help us create seed mix that presents lower parasite transmission risk for bees for use in pollinator habitat.</p>
Single-cell analyses of polyclonal Plasmodium vivax infections and their consequences on parasite transmission Source Data
<p>Source Data for the paper by Hazzard et al. entitled <em>Single-cell analyses of polyclonal Plasmodium vivax infections and their consequences on parasite transmission</em>.</p>
Size matters: The effects of polystyrene nanoplastics on parasite transmission in the Daphnia-Metschnikowia host-parasite system
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Data from: Feeding sites promoting wildlife-related tourism might highly expose the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti) to parasite transmission. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95166-5
<p>An increasing number of studies have found that the implementation of feeding sites for wildlife-related tourism can affect animal health, behaviour and reproduction. Feeding sites can favour high densities, home range overlap, greater sedentary behaviour and increased interspecific contacts, all of which might promote parasite transmission. In the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti), human interventions via provisioning monkeys at specific feeding sites have led to the sub-structuring of a group into genetically differentiated sub-groups. The fed subgroup is located near human hamlets and interacts with domesticated animals. Using high-throughput sequencing, we investigated Entamoeba species diversity in a local host assemblage strongly influenced by provisioning for wildlife-related tourism. We identified 13 Entamoeba species or lineages in faeces of Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, humans and domesticated animals (including pigs, cattle, and domestic chicken). In Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, Entamoeba prevalence and OTU richness were higher in the fed than in the wild subgroup. Entamoeba polecki was found in monkeys, pigs and humans, suggesting that this parasite might circulates between the wild and domestic components of this local social–ecological system. The highest proportion of faeces positive for Entamoeba in monkeys geographically coincided with the presence of livestock and humans. These elements suggest that feeding sites might indirectly play a role on parasite transmission in the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. The implementation of such sites should carefully consider the risk of creating hotspots of disease transmission, which should be prevented by maintaining a buffer zone between monkeys and livestock/humans. Regular screenings for pathogens in fed subgroup are necessary to monitor transmission risk in order to balance the economic development of human communities dependent on wildlife-related tourism, and the conservation of the endangered Yunnan snub-nosed monkey.</p>
Infectivity of the parasite Metschnikowia bicuspidata is decreased by time spent as a transmission spore, but exposure to phycotoxins in the water column has no effect
<p>Transmission from one host to another is a crucial component of parasite fitness. For some aquatic parasites, transmission occurs via a free-living stage that spends time in the water, awaiting an encounter with a new host. These parasite transmission stages can be impacted by biotic and abiotic factors that influence the parasite's ability to successfully infect or grow in a new host.</p> <p>Here we tested whether time spent in the water column and/or exposure to common cyanobacterial toxins impacted parasite transmission stages. More specifically, we tested whether the infectivity, within-host growth, and virulence of the fungal parasite <em>Metschnikowia bicuspidata </em>changed as a result of time spent in the water or from exposure to cyanotoxins in the water column. We exposed parasite transmission spores to different levels of one of two ecologically important cyanotoxins, microcystin-LR and anatoxin-a, and factorially manipulated the amount of time spores were incubated in water. We removed the toxins and used those same spores to infect one genotype of the common lake zooplankton <em>Daphnia dentifera</em>.</p> <p>We found that cyanotoxins did not impact parasite fitness (infection prevalence and spore yield per infected host) or virulence (host lifetime reproduction and survivorship) at the tested concentrations (10μg/L & 30μg/L). However, we found that spending longer as a transmission spore decreased a spore's chances for successful infection: spores that were only incubated for 24 hours infected approximately 75% of exposed hosts, whereas spores incubated for 10 days infected less than 50% of exposed hosts.</p> <p>We also found a negative relationship between the final spore yield from infected hosts and the proportion of hosts that became infected. In treatments where spores spent longer in the water column prior to encountering a host, infection prevalence was lower (indicating lower per spore infectivity), but each infected host yielded more spores at the end of infection. We hypothesize that this pattern may result from intraspecific parasite competition within the host.</p> <p>Overall, these results suggest that transmission spores of this parasite are not strongly influenced by cyanotoxins in the water column, but that other aspects of spending time in the water strongly influence parasite fitness.</p>
Data from: Parasite transmission in a natural multihost-multiparasite community
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Infectivity of the parasite Metschnikowia bicuspidata is decreased by time spent as a transmission spore, but exposure to phycotoxins in the water column has no effect
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Data from: Multiple transmission routes sustain high prevalence of a virulent parasite in a butterfly host
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Floral shape predicts bee-parasite transmission potential
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Coinfection accelerates transmission to new hosts despite no effects on virulence and parasite growth
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Data from: Different distribution of malaria parasite in left and right extremities of vertebrate hosts translates into differences in parasite transmission
<p class="Body"><span>Malaria, a vector-borne disease caused by <i>Plasmodium</i> <i>spp</i>., remains a major global cause of mortality. Optimization of disease control strategies requires a thorough understanding of the processes underlying parasite transmission. While the number of transmissible stages (gametocytes) of <i>Plasmodium</i> in blood is frequently used as an indicator of host-to-mosquito transmission potential, this relationship is not always clear. Significant effort has been made in developing molecular tools that improve gametocyte density estimation and therefore prediction of mosquito infection rates. However a significant level of uncertainty around estimates remains. The weakness in the relationship between gametocyte burden, measured from a blood sample, and the mosquito infection rate could be explained by a non-homogeneous distribution of gametocytes in the bloodstream. The estimated gametocyte density would then only be a single snapshot that does not reflect the host infectivity. This aspect of <i>Plasmodium</i> infection, however, remains largely neglected. In both humans and birds, we found here that the gametocyte densities differed depending on which side of the body the sample was taken, suggesting that gametocytes are not homogeneously distributed within the vertebrate host. We observed a fluctuating asymmetry, in other words, the extremity of the body with the highest density of parasites is not always the same from one individual to another. An estimation of gametocyte density from only one blood sample, as is commonly measured, could, therefore, over- or underestimated the infectivity of gametocyte carriers. This might have important consequences on the epidemiology of the disease since we show that this variation influences host-to-mosquito transmission. Vectors fed on the least infected body part had a lower parasite burden than those fed on the most infected part. The heterogeneous distribution of gametocytes in bloodstream should be considered to improve diagnosis and test new malaria control strategies.</span></p>
Data from: Pythons, parasites and pests: anthropogenic impacts on Sarcocystis (Sarcocystidae) transmission in a multi-host system
Parasites are essential components of ecosystems and can be instrumental in maintaining host diversity and populations; however, their role in trophic interactions has often been overlooked. Three apicomplexan parasite species of Sarcocystis (S. singaporensis, S. zamani, and S. villivillosi) use the reticulated python as their definitive hosts and several species within the Rattus genus as intermediate hosts, and they form a system useful for studying interactions between host–parasite and predator–prey relationships, as well as anthropogenic impacts on parasite transmission. Based on predictions from a 1998 survey, which detected an inverse relationship between urban development and Sarcocystis infection in Rattus, we tested the hypothesis that Sarcocystis transmission in Singapore will decrease over time due to anthropogenic activities. Despite a large proportion of the reticulated python diet consisting of Rattus species at all sizes of pythons, Sarcocystis infection rates decreased from 1998 to 2010. Pythons found in industrial areas had lower Sarcocystis infection rates, particularly in the western industrial area of Singapore Island. Average python size also decreased, with implications that we predict may disrupt host–parasite relationships. Anthropogenic activities such as habitat modification, fragmentation, and systematic removal and translocation of pythons have negative impacts on Sarcocystis transmission in Singapore, which in turn may augment pest rat populations. Trends observed may ultimately have negative impacts on human health and biodiversity in the region.
Data from: Predators and patterns of within-host growth can mediate both among-host competition and the evolution of transmission potential of parasites
Parasite prevalence shows tremendous spatiotemporal variation. Theory indicates this variation might stem from life history characteristics of parasites and key ecological factors. Here, we illustrate how the interaction of an important predator and the schedule of 'transmission potential' of two parasites can explain parasite abundance. A field survey showed that a non-castrating fungus (Metschnikowia bicuspidata) commonly infected a dominant zooplankton host (Daphnia dentifera), while a castrating bacterial parasite (Pasteuria ramosa) was rare. This result seemed surprising given that the bacterium produces many more infectious propagules (spores) than the fungus upon host death. The fungus's dominance can be explained by the schedule of within host growth of parasites (i.e., how transmission potential changes over the course of infection) and spore release from 'sloppy predators' (Chaoborus spp., who consume Daphnia prey whole, then later regurgitate the carapace and parasite spores). In essence, sloppy predators create a niche that the faster-schedule fungus currently occupies. However, a selection experiment showed the slower-schedule bacterium can evolve into this faster-schedule, predator-mediated niche (but pays a cost in maximal spore yield to do so). Hence, our study shows how parasite life history can interact with predation to strongly influence the ecology, epidemiology, and evolution of infectious disease. 18 pages, 1 table, 5 figures; Appendix
Local adaptation of a parasite to solar radiation impacts disease transmission potential, spore yield, and host fecundity
<p>Environmentally transmitted parasites spend time in the abiotic environment, where they are subjected to a variety of stressors. Understanding how they face this challenge is essential if we are to understand how host-parasite interactions may vary across environmental gradients. We used a zooplankton-bacteria host-parasite system where availability of sunlight (solar radiation) influences disease dynamics to look for evidence of parasite local adaptation to sunlight exposure. We also examined how variation in sunlight tolerance among parasite strains impacted host reproduction. Parasite strains collected from clearer lakes (with greater sunlight penetration) were most tolerant of the negative impacts of sunlight exposure, suggesting local adaptation to sunlight conditions. This adaptation came with both a cost and a benefit for parasites: parasite strains from clearer lakes produced relatively fewer transmission stages (spores) but these strains were more infective. After experimental sunlight exposure, the most sunlight-tolerant parasite strains reduced host fecundity just as much as spores that were never exposed to sunlight. Sunlight availability varies greatly among lakes around the world. Our results suggest that the selective pressure sunlight exposure exerts on parasites may impact both parasite and host fitness, potentially driving variation in disease epidemics and host population dynamics across sunlight availability gradients. </p>
Data from: Seasonal host community dynamics constrain the risk of parasite transmission between migrant and resident species
<p>Seasonal migration shapes the community dynamics that influence pathogen transmission between migrants and resident species. While theoretical and empirical evidence has accumulated, whether migration increases or decreases the risk of cross-species infection remains inconclusive. We studied how the seasonal arrival and departure of a single avian migrant species change the composition of local communities in breeding areas affecting the haemosporidian infection dynamics. The seasonal reordering of resident species abundances induced by migrants, minimizes the opportunities for contact between highly infected hosts and susceptible species, either migrants or residents, thereby limiting the transmission of parasites to occasional spillover events. The occurrence of spillover dynamics during the seasonal sympatry between migrants and residents provides a plausible explanation that reconciles empirical inconsistencies in the intersection of animal migration and infection risk at the host community level. Our findings underscore the critical role played by seasonality in shaping infection dynamics in migratory systems.</p>
Within-colony transmission of Microsporidian and Trypanosomatid parasites in honey bee and bumble bee colonies
<p><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span>Parasites are commonly cited as one of the causes of population declines for both managed and wild bees. Epidemiological models sometimes assume that increasing the proportion of infected individuals in a group should increase transmission. However, social insects exhibit behaviors and traits which can dampen the link between pathogen pressure and disease spread. Understanding patterns of parasite transmission within colonies of social bees has important implications for how to control diseases within those colonies, and potentially the broader pollinator community. We used bumble bees (<i>Bombus impatiens</i> Cresson) and western honey bees (<i>Apis mellifera</i> L.) infected with the gut parasites <i>Crithidia bombi </i>(Lipa & Triggiani) and <i>Nosema ceranae </i>(Fries et al.), respectively, to understand how the initial proportion of infected individuals impacts within-colony spread and intensity of infection of the parasites. In bumble bees, we found that higher initial parasite prevalence increased both the final prevalence and intensity of infection of <i>C. bombi</i>. In honey bees, higher initial prevalence increased the intensity of infection in individual bees, but not the final prevalence of <i>N. ceranae</i>. Measures that reduce the probability of workers bringing parasites back to the nest may have implications for how to control transmission and/or severity of infection and disease outbreaks, which could also have important consequences for controlling disease spread back into the broader bee community. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
Transmission of a bumblebee parasite is robust despite exposure to extreme temperatures
<p>Data for Transmission of a bumblebee parasite is robust despite exposure to extreme temperatures</p>
The Transmission of Artemisinin Resistant Parasites Before and After Conventional Artemisinin-combination Therapy
ClinicalTrials.gov study NCT06347471. IPD Sharing: YES. Countries: 1. Publications: 2.
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
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DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.